[Stardust]

GLASGOW — Justin Stinson, the head girls’ coach at Glasgow High School, has been in the game of basketball for a long time. So when he talks about how good a player is, that can be taken to the bank.

Stinson, who is preparing to lead the Lady Scotties into the Girls’ 15th District Basketball Tournament next week, is high on Barren County, his team’s first round opponent, and their talented senior center Jamie Cummings.

“There could always be a surprise in the district tournament. No matter what the record is going in, you have to win the first game of the district or you go home,” Stinson said. “Your season is over.

“We’ve got a tough game with Barren County. They have a tradition rich program and what we did against them the first two times we played this year doesn’t matter. We have to play well for 32 minutes.”

And the key, Stinson said, is stopping Cummings.

“Well, it all starts with Jamie Cummings. She is a terrific player. She’s versatile. She can score in a variety of ways. She will be the focal point of what we do defensively,” Stinson said. “It looks like they’re getting more consistent play from their bench than they’ve had in the past. They’re well coached. We will have our hands full.”

The game is scheduled for Monday at Allen County-Scottsville High School. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.

“There has to be someone to get the ball to Jamie, but she sets up everyone else so well. She demands so much attention that she creates open looks for the other players,” Stinson explained. “They definitely have other pieces besides her, but she helps create easy shots and easy opportunities for so many players.”

But don’t let Stinson fool you. His team is very talented and, the biggest problem facing Barren County is, Glasgow has many weapons.

“Balance has been our calling card all year, so we’re going to stick to spreading the wealth and make the defense guard five players on the floor instead of guarding just one or two,” Stinson said. “We’ve got some really good individual players, but they sacrifice their stats for the team.”

And they do it willingly. The Lady Scotties have three players averaging in double figures and can go at least seven or eight players deep on the bench.

“We have three players that average double figures, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see someone like Shelby Ray get 20 in the first round of the district. She’s done it before,” Stinson said. “That goes for Breanna Glover or Emily Alexander off the bench. We have multiple kids that can score. We believe everyone has a role to fill. And we’ve fared pretty well doing that so far.”

Stinson has been working his team hard in practice leading up to Monday’s game. The veteran coach knows there are no guarantees.

“It is nice to be the No. 1 seed, but it doesn’t really matter,” Stinson said. “The numbers on the scoreboard will determine whether you advance or not.”


http://glasgowdailytimes.com/sports/x471...S-Cummings