Final. Game was closer than the score indicates. Ashland up by 3 in the middle of the 3rd, Connor gets her fourth foul and Rowan pulls away in the fourth. Connor ends up with 29 points, 11 rebounds, 6 blocked shots. Big three for Rowan ( Riddle, Brockman and Martin) played very well.
What a game. Career high for Connor. IMO most improved player in the 16th region. Congrats to Rowan. This game was won on the charity stripe. Can't wait til March and a possible rematch.
Congrats Rowan!! The region is yours to lose. Big girl from Ashland kept them in it. She played a very good game. I don't see her doing that again if they play. Rowan was up 20 before the starters came out. This is a tough time of the year to play. Players are tired and its game after game. Hang in there Lady Vikings keep rolling and keep playing hard!
This was a very good game. I think Ashland will be ready for them next time, now that they now they CAN play with them. Rowan county is a great team but even though their record does not show it Ashland is to. Hopefully these two meet again should be a good one.
Dfenz Wrote:Congrats Rowan!! The region is yours to lose. Big girl from Ashland kept them in it. She played a very good game. I don't see her doing that again if they play. Rowan was up 20 before the starters came out. This is a tough time of the year to play. Players are tired and its game after game. Hang in there Lady Vikings keep rolling and keep playing hard!
Sounds like your making excuses for Rowan. Connor was on the bench in foul trouble before Rowan was able to pull away. After Connor fouled out then the starters came out. Every team is tired and struggling this time of year. Once again Rowan played in your face and drew Ashland into the foul. They only shot 32% from the field. They win their games on the foul line. As for Connor she has scored double figures in the last 7 of 8 games. Sounds like you may be worried.
Ashland played really hard. Assistant Coach Phil Wittich has worked hard with Conners. Next year the Kittens should be the favorite to win the Region. Hats off to Rowan County, they might be little but they flat get after you. I was a little surprised that Coach Bill Bradley didnt play more kids to try and wear down Rowans Big Three. Great game to watch! :Thumbs:
Rowans coach had the right game plan. Take away the 3 . Conners can't beat a great team like Rowan by herself. Rowans guards were too athletic for Ashlands guards.
I've seen this before in the Rose Hill region champion days. Teams that don't play this tempo every night can't maintain it for 4 qtrs. You can't practice for it you can only get that kind of conditioning by playing that way every night.
kybasketballfan Wrote:This was a very good game. I think Ashland will be ready for them next time, now that they now they CAN play with them. Rowan county is a great team but even though their record does not show it Ashland is to. Hopefully these two meet again should be a good one.
Ashland cannot play with Rowan this year. If they meet at MSU in the regionals it will be Rowan by 23 points. Connors is the only hope for Ashland this year and next. Ashland has really good guards but they lack the foot speed and lateral quickness that it takes to compete with Rowan's guards.
Back in the 70's and 80's Bradley's summer teams used to run "F.I.S.H." Maybe he should insert this into the Kitten offense. Or contact me the Pittsburgh Fish:lmao:
Ashland will be alright. They play hard and they are well coached.
I played against Spodda. He had an awesome SKY HOOK !!!!!!!!!!!!!! He used to shoot it from 20 feet.
Make no doubt about it The Maroon Pelican wears the Maroon Glasses. We have a NBA road trip starting the 29th and will be on the road for 7 games. I will predict that the Kittens will go 6 and 1. Coach Wittich and Coach Bradley have done their homework.
kittennation Wrote:Sounds like your making excuses for Rowan. Connor was on the bench in foul trouble before Rowan was able to pull away. After Connor fouled out then the starters came out. Every team is tired and struggling this time of year. Once again Rowan played in your face and drew Ashland into the foul. They only shot 32% from the field. They win their games on the foul line. As for Connor she has scored double figures in the last 7 of 8 games. Sounds like you may be worried.
I am def. not making excuses! I am just saying this is a tough time of the year to play for everyone. Fouls are part of the game. If the big girls can't stay out of foul trouble then what good is she. That was part of the game plan to get the big girl in foul trouble and guard the three point shot. Ashland shooting 32% can be contributed to Rowan's tough. . tough defense. Every team has a bad shooting night against Rowan cause they know how to "D" it up! Free throws are part of the game as well. You are suppose to make them. Whether they win their games from the line or not they still score the points. Dont hold it against them that they are good FT shooters. lol. I hope Connor can score in double figures. She is close to 6'3''! Not many of those in girls basketball. Trust me I am def. not worried!! I have seen Rowan play almost every game and I have seen most of the teams in the 16th play. No team in the 16th can match up with them!! See you in Johnson Arena if you can make it there. lol
Rowan will get even the good teams in the 16th in the 4th quarter after they take your legs from you ,especially perimeter teams.
Ashland shot 43% (22 of 51) , Rowan Co. shot 32% (19 of 58)
Most of that was from Conner.
Nice jobs girls you all played well.
Yes, I agree, Connor played a fantastic game.
I agree that Connors is good for this era of the 16th Region. Bradley would be wise to take his retirement after this year and get out while he is almost on top. Ashland will not beat Rowan in Morehead in the regionals. I repeat...it will not happen in their back yard. This is not a put down to the Kittens. Next year the kittens will find it very hard to replace Farrow, Wilcox, and Strait.
LET EM PLAY Wrote:Most of that was from Conner.
So what's your point. Kentucky wouldn't have beaten Tennessee without Jodie Meeks' 54 points. Have you thought that it was Ashland's strategy to go inside to take advantage of the size difference and therefore help the overall field-goal percentage? If they defense collapsed then possibly go to Ashland's 3 point shooters (both Strait and Wilcox are 1000 point scorers). It's not rocket science. It will be interesting to see how Rowan will handle Conner if they play again.
Pittsburgh Fish Wrote:Ashland cannot play with Rowan this year. If they meet at MSU in the regionals it will be Rowan by 23 points. Connors is the only hope for Ashland this year and next. Ashland has really good guards but they lack the foot speed and lateral quickness that it takes to compete with Rowan's guards.
Back in the 70's and 80's Bradley's summer teams used to run "F.I.S.H." Maybe he should insert this into the Kitten offense. Or contact me the Pittsburgh Fish:lmao:
Do you even know who will be on Ashland's roster next year? Connor will not be ashland's only hope. Although graduating a lot of seniors this year, they still have some key players returning next year and a great batch of young players being groomed to step in. Bradley's done a very good job of building Ashland's program starting at the middle school level.
Skip Pass Wrote:Do you even know who will be on Ashland's roster next year? Connor will not be ashland's only hope. Although graduating a lot of seniors this year, they still have some key players returning next year and a great batch of young players being groomed to step in. Bradley's done a very good job of building Ashland's program starting at the middle school level.
I dont think anyone can really fore see who will be on any team's roster. I have heard there are some dishearted folks at Ashland. I may be old school but I always thought that you build a program at the Grade School level up. I never said Bradley hasnt done a good job. He has had these seniors since their 8th grade year and the record improved little by little then last year they really came on the scene. This year they are playing pretty good but I just think playing Rowan at Rowan in the Regionals is asking too much of Ashland.
Next year the only point production returning is Connors and Deitrech. Bradley is losing close to 30 points and 18 rebounds and 10 assits per game with graduation. If those key players can fill that void then that will be very impressive.
Skip Pass Wrote:Do you even know who will be on Ashland's roster next year? Connor will not be ashland's only hope. Although graduating a lot of seniors this year, they still have some key players returning next year and a great batch of young players being groomed to step in. Bradley's done a very good job of building Ashland's program starting at the middle school level.
I echo your post. :notworthy
MY point is that playing Conner 1 on 1 and taking away the three is the way to beat Ashland . Conner will get hers but it won't be enough to win.
By the way, I have no dog in this fight just my observations from seeing Ashland play this year. Of course you have to score yourself for this strategy to work and you have to have the guards to shut Ashlands guards down.
Skip Pass Wrote:So what's your point. Kentucky wouldn't have beaten Tennessee without Jodie Meeks' 54 points. Have you thought that it was Ashland's strategy to go inside to take advantage of the size difference and therefore help the overall field-goal percentage? If they defense collapsed then possibly go to Ashland's 3 point shooters (both Strait and Wilcox are 1000 point scorers). It's not rocket science. It will be interesting to see how Rowan will handle Conner if they play again.
Skip Pass Wrote:Do you even know who will be on Ashland's roster next year? Connor will not be ashland's only hope. Although graduating a lot of seniors this year, they still have some key players returning next year and a great batch of young players being groomed to step in. Bradley's done a very good job of building Ashland's program starting at the middle school level.
That's pretty funny !!!!!!!!!!!
Skip Pass Wrote:So what's your point. Kentucky wouldn't have beaten Tennessee without Jodie Meeks' 54 points. Have you thought that it was Ashland's strategy to go inside to take advantage of the size difference and therefore help the overall field-goal percentage? If they defense collapsed then possibly go to Ashland's 3 point shooters (both Strait and Wilcox are 1000 point scorers). It's not rocket science. It will be interesting to see how Rowan will handle Conner if they play again.
How Rowan will "handle" lol Conner again? I would imagine they do the exact same thing. They won didn't they?? Ashland does not have the guards to beat Rowan. Ashland is a decent team good for the 16th region but outside that they are not competitive. Rowan has great guards and a lot of speed. A necessity in girls basketball. Thats what makes them undefeated in the 16th two years in a row and very competitive in state competition.
LET EM PLAY Wrote:
That's pretty funny !!!!!!!!!!!
Explain???? Do you have reason to believe that Bradley has not done a good job of building the program? - by the way, details would be nice to back up your opinion.