The first four minutes couldn’t have gone much worse for host Warren Central in Saturday’s Wes Strader Schoolboy Classic.

The Dragons looked a bit slow on defense and couldn’t buy a bucket as Mercer County raced out to an 11-point lead. After that, though, Warren Central reverted to form as the Dragons clawed back to tie the game at halftime and then created enough separation in the second half to slowly pull away for a 67-59 win.

“We came out, we weren’t as focused – we were just kind of doing our little thing,” Warren Central senior Jordan Cousin said of the Dragons’ slow start. “But then we realized that we didn’t want to lose.”

In a highly-anticipated matchup between potential Kentucky Mr. Basketball candidates Trevon Faulkner of Mercer County and Warren Central’s Skyelar Potter, neither hurt their case Saturday.

Faulkner, a 6-foot-5 guard who has signed with Northern Kentucky, finished with 23 points despite sitting out the entire second quarter after picking up two early fouls.

Potter, a 6-4 guard who has committed to Wright State, showed off his ability to score inside or out with 19 points and eight rebounds.

Faulkner had the upper hand early, scoring seven points in the opening stretch that saw the Titans race out to a 13-2 lead.

Potter ended a nearly three minute scoring drought with a bucket and the Dragons outscored Mercer County (21-5) 9-3 to finish the quarter.

Warren Central (24-3) benefited from Faulkner’s absence in the second quarter as it began to assert its strength in the paint. Potter and Micale Mee (13 points) had four points each in the second quarter as the Dragons completed their rally to forge a 27-all halftime tie.

That halftime break allowed Warren Central coach William Unseld to shift his team’s focus firmly to where the long and rangy Dragons lord over most opponents – working the ball inside, then kicking it back out for open looks to blunt double teams in the paint.

“We’re getting the ball in the post and just work out of that,” Potter said. “Inside-out 3s and just knock them down. Right now we’re just strong around the rim.”

Mee and Jamale Barber buried 3-pointers in the third quarter and Potter and Jordan Cousin (12 points, 12 rebounds) worked the interior as the Dragons pushed out to a 45-40 lead by the end of the third quarter.

Warren Central threatened to break it open early in the fourth as 3s by Tre Pillow and Barber twice gave the Dragons eight-point leads, but the Titans whittled it back to three on Faulkner’s pull-up jumper with 3:59 to go.

Cousin’s trey followed by a Mercer turnover and a pair of Mee free throws pushed the Dragons’ lead back to nine at 59-50 with 1:30 to go, and the Titans never could make a serious run after that.

Gunner Gillis added 14 points and Carter Baughman had 11 for Mercer County.

Potter, Mee and Cousin all finished in double-digit scoring for the Dragons and were nearly joined by Barber (nine points) and Pillow (eight points).

“It’s not going to be perfect, not going to be pretty every night,” Unseld said. “We played a really good basketball team. We start out slow, and I was proud of my kids – we fought back into it.”

The Dragons are back in action Tuesday at Allen County-Scottsville.

In other tournament games, Butler topped John Hardin 56-50, Cooper beat Redemption Christian Academy (Mass.) 75-60 and Fern Creek downed Owensboro Catholic 46-38.

Mercer County 16 11 13 19 – 59

Warren Central 13 14 18 22 – 67

MC – Faulkner 23, Gillis 14, Baughman 11, Drakeford 5, Divine 4, Yeast 2.

WC – Potter 19, Mee 13, Cousin 12, Barber 9, Pillow 8, Bibb 6.{&end}