02-21-2009, 07:27 AM
02-21-2009, 10:27 AM
Congrats Central
02-21-2009, 10:52 AM
For a team that started the basketball season 0-8, Central's Yellowjackets are now making their Sixth Region opponents take notice.
Wann Robinson and Ridge Wilson each scored 20 points, and the muscular 6-foot-4 Wilson grabbed 14 rebounds to spark the Yellowjackets to a 77-68 overtime victory over visiting Fairdale last night, their 11th win in 16 games since that disappointing start.
Now 11-13 going into today's 6:30 p.m. regular-season finale against Moore, the defending regional champions are looking ahead to district tournament play beginning next week.
"Me and (Tim) Patterson didn't play in our first eight games," Wilson said. "We were still playing football (Central won the Class AAA title). We didn't have our bigs on the basketball team yet."
Patterson, a 6-4 junior forward, had 11 points and five rebounds, and Alex Morrison added 10 points.
"We want to make a strong run at the regional again and go back to Rupp (Arena) for the state tournament," Wilson said.
Fairdale (16-10), the 2007 regional champion, erased a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter and went ahead 62-60 on C.J. Mack's three-point play with 13.8 seconds left in regulation.
But Wilson was fouled on a shot under the basket with 0:02.8 to go. Wilson, who has signed to play football at the University of Kentucky, hit his first free throw but missed the second. Patterson rebounded and was fouled at 0:01.8.
Patterson, a major-college football prospect, also sank his first free throw but missed the second, forcing overtime.
"Wilson's a champion, a winner," Fairdale coach Gregg Longacre said. "Central needed a big basket, and they went to Wilson. If we block out (on Wilson's missed foul shot), we win the game."
"I wasn't nervous on my free throws," Wilson said, "and when Patterson hit his, I knew we'd take control of the game in overtime."
Mack's driving shot put the Bulldogs ahead 64-62 in overtime, but Central responded with 10 straight points. Patterson and Wilson each had two of the five field goals.
Mack wound up with 14 points, and 6-4 Josh Stroud added 12 and seven rebounds. Quintrel Morris led Fairdale with 17 points and also had seven rebounds before fouling out with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. His last goal put Fairdale up 59-58 with 0:33.4 left, but Robinson gave Central a 60-59 edge with a drive down the lane at 0:20.
"We're coming together, but we're still trying to find our mojo," Central coach Doug Bibby said. "When we play Moore tomorrow, it'll be our fourth game this week."
About Central's chances in the region, Bibby said: "The region still goes through (Pleasure Ridge Park). They've only lost one game in the region. It's wide-open, but PRP is looking good. We're hoping we can do a repeat of last year."
Courier-Journal
Wann Robinson and Ridge Wilson each scored 20 points, and the muscular 6-foot-4 Wilson grabbed 14 rebounds to spark the Yellowjackets to a 77-68 overtime victory over visiting Fairdale last night, their 11th win in 16 games since that disappointing start.
Now 11-13 going into today's 6:30 p.m. regular-season finale against Moore, the defending regional champions are looking ahead to district tournament play beginning next week.
"Me and (Tim) Patterson didn't play in our first eight games," Wilson said. "We were still playing football (Central won the Class AAA title). We didn't have our bigs on the basketball team yet."
Patterson, a 6-4 junior forward, had 11 points and five rebounds, and Alex Morrison added 10 points.
"We want to make a strong run at the regional again and go back to Rupp (Arena) for the state tournament," Wilson said.
Fairdale (16-10), the 2007 regional champion, erased a six-point deficit in the fourth quarter and went ahead 62-60 on C.J. Mack's three-point play with 13.8 seconds left in regulation.
But Wilson was fouled on a shot under the basket with 0:02.8 to go. Wilson, who has signed to play football at the University of Kentucky, hit his first free throw but missed the second. Patterson rebounded and was fouled at 0:01.8.
Patterson, a major-college football prospect, also sank his first free throw but missed the second, forcing overtime.
"Wilson's a champion, a winner," Fairdale coach Gregg Longacre said. "Central needed a big basket, and they went to Wilson. If we block out (on Wilson's missed foul shot), we win the game."
"I wasn't nervous on my free throws," Wilson said, "and when Patterson hit his, I knew we'd take control of the game in overtime."
Mack's driving shot put the Bulldogs ahead 64-62 in overtime, but Central responded with 10 straight points. Patterson and Wilson each had two of the five field goals.
Mack wound up with 14 points, and 6-4 Josh Stroud added 12 and seven rebounds. Quintrel Morris led Fairdale with 17 points and also had seven rebounds before fouling out with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. His last goal put Fairdale up 59-58 with 0:33.4 left, but Robinson gave Central a 60-59 edge with a drive down the lane at 0:20.
"We're coming together, but we're still trying to find our mojo," Central coach Doug Bibby said. "When we play Moore tomorrow, it'll be our fourth game this week."
About Central's chances in the region, Bibby said: "The region still goes through (Pleasure Ridge Park). They've only lost one game in the region. It's wide-open, but PRP is looking good. We're hoping we can do a repeat of last year."
Courier-Journal