[Panther Thunder]

Final from Whitesburg.

LCC misses a wide open three that rimmed in and out at the horn that could have won it.

Panthers rested some legs and slowed it down tonight, but sped it up just enough in the 4th to get and maintain a lead after trailing most of the first 3 quarters.

Ray Kasongo, say what you will about most nights, was a monster tonight. 21 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks. He had a couple of nice slams and one put back two-handed slam that is one of the best jams I have seen at the HS level. Kid is an athletic freak, and if he plays like that consistently, he is hard to stop. The Cordia guys were loving it tonight haha.

Ethan Rowe was held scoreless by a solid Cougar D until the 4th quarter when he added a very big 7 points.

Steven Silvers pitched in a huge 14 points, draining 4 treys. Once again showing flashes of someone that could have a big future. PHS needs to have that third option and Silvers and May have given it in certain games, need it more consistently. Johnson added 4, Hamilton 2.

Very good team win on the road when the team couldn't really get in its style.

First time in Letcher Central's gym and was very impressed. Great place to watch a game!

Good luck to the Cougars the rest of the way!

HAIL PIKEVILLE!

[UKisN1]

Slow paced, but good game. Kasongo was the difference. Man-child comes to mind.

[new guy]

Thought Letcher would win this one but you never know which Letcher team will show up. Not a good season for the Cougars.

[Curveball 24]

Kasango keeps putting up big numbers at the end of the season! I like this Pikeville team really think they have a chance in the 15th!!!

[UKisN1]

Thought Letcher would win this one but you never know which Letcher team will show up. Not a good season for the Cougars.

14-9 would you have guessed that at the beginning of the season?

[That's What She Said]

LCC does have a good team. First time I had watched them play in person this year. Very impressed with their ball movement and sets on Offense. They lack a true scorer or player that can just take over a game. Think that Gregory needs to be more agressive and look to score more. He is a solid player.

[thegr81]

Final from Whitesburg.

LCC misses a wide open three that rimmed in and out at the horn that could have won it.

Panthers rested some legs and slowed it down tonight, but sped it up just enough in the 4th to get and maintain a lead after trailing most of the first 3 quarters.

Ray Kasongo, say what you will about most nights, was a monster tonight. 21 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks. He had a couple of nice slams and one put back two-handed slam that is one of the best jams I have seen at the HS level. Kid is an athletic freak, and if he plays like that consistently, he is hard to stop. The Cordia guys were loving it tonight haha.

Ethan Rowe was held scoreless by a solid Cougar D until the 4th quarter when he added a very big 7 points.

Steven Silvers pitched in a huge 14 points, draining 4 treys. Once again showing flashes of someone that could have a big future. PHS needs to have that third option and Silvers and May have given it in certain games, need it more consistently. Johnson added 4, Hamilton 2.

Very good team win on the road when the team couldn't really get in its style.

First time in Letcher Central's gym and was very impressed. Great place to watch a game!

Good luck to the Cougars the rest of the way!

HAIL PIKEVILLE!

Good to see them supporting each other.It has to be hard on these kids so far away from home and going through a complete culture shock!LCC is 2-2 against the Provinces in eastern KY. 2 wins against JBS and 1 loss to Cordia and 1 to Pikeville.

[thegr81]

14-9 would you have guessed that at the beginning of the season?

With the quality of their schedule I would have thought their record would have been a little better looking a it from the beginning of the season.JMO

[EKY]

14-9 would you have guessed that at the beginning of the season?

Without Kasongo, Pikeville would be lucky to have 3-4 wins. Take away his 21 and 7 block shots and LCC wins 60-27.

[UKisN1]

With the quality of their schedule I would have thought their record would have been a little better looking a it from the beginning of the season.JMO

One returning starter and one bench player with any minutes from the previous year. Other than the Prestonsburg loss, they were the underdog going into the game.

[UKisN1]

Final from Whitesburg.

LCC misses a wide open three that rimmed in and out at the horn that could have won it.

Panthers rested some legs and slowed it down tonight, but sped it up just enough in the 4th to get and maintain a lead after trailing most of the first 3 quarters.

Ray Kasongo, say what you will about most nights, was a monster tonight. 21 points, 17 rebounds, and 7 blocks. He had a couple of nice slams and one put back two-handed slam that is one of the best jams I have seen at the HS level. Kid is an athletic freak, and if he plays like that consistently, he is hard to stop. The Cordia guys were loving it tonight haha.

Ethan Rowe was held scoreless by a solid Cougar D until the 4th quarter when he added a very big 7 points.

Steven Silvers pitched in a huge 14 points, draining 4 treys. Once again showing flashes of someone that could have a big future. PHS needs to have that third option and Silvers and May have given it in certain games, need it more consistently. Johnson added 4, Hamilton 2.

Very good team win on the road when the team couldn't really get in its style.

First time in Letcher Central's gym and was very impressed. Great place to watch a game!

Good luck to the Cougars the rest of the way!

HAIL PIKEVILLE!

The Cordia guys could come over and watch, but they could not see to make up their game with LCC Tuesday or Wednesday.

[Catcher 78]

Kasongo is probably one of the strongest most athletic big man to play in the mountains in years. Very impressed with his ability but was disappointed with his attitude and demeanor. During several time outs he was at the water cooler or at end of bench totally out of huddle and not paying any attention to the coach. Also disappointed with some of the Cordia players during the playing of the National Athem. They did not remove their hats and were talking and cutting up. If you don't respect our nations flag go back to Canada to play.

[UKisN1]

Agree on all points.

[thegr81]

One returning starter and one bench player with any minutes from the previous year. Other than the Prestonsburg loss, they were the underdog going into the game.

Their schedule only contains 7 teams with a winning record(including p-burg at 13-12and Madison S. at 14-9). They have no wins vs. teams with a winning record(unless the 2 teams from Virginia had one,and having played against the virginia teams in this area I doubt it). The teams that they have beat have a combined record of 86-147(.36%). So with that being said looking at their schedule they have beat the teams that they were supose to and lost to any one with a winning record.Schedule was watered down,and to this point they have performed exactly how they were suppose to throughout the year. No surprises either way.Also there is no way that they should be an underdog in the p-burg game.

[UKisN1]

Read my post, other than to Pburg, all games lost were to teams that they were not supposed to win going into.

Hey give my the record you think they should have.

[thegr81]

14-9 would you have guessed that at the beginning of the season?

This was when I stated yes maybe a little better! With 17 teams on their schedule that they should beat by 10+,yes I would have guessed it.Could have beat an average Madison Southern team,Should have beat a very down South Laurel team(10-13), a better team than P-Burg(13-12,and had a chance to beat Pikeville(16-9). only games on their schedule that they had a huge difference in talent were PCC, KCC, and 1 game with Cordia.And all of those were claose games. I don't really understand your argument. Anyone who looked at the schedule before the season started could see that they would be close to 20 wins by seasons end. This is the weakest schedule in schools history.To suggest that this team has over achieved with this schedule is just not true.

[UKisN1]

Nobody said overachieved. They said not a "good" season. I imagine that if you asked the coaching staff and the players they would agree with you. Not arguing just stating a case.

[Doctor J]

The real concern for LCC is why they aren't expected to win these games. Hammonds has been there for 4 years now and the team isn't supposed to be a favorite against any good teams? Is the program better or worse than when he started? 0 district titles and 0 signature wins in 4 years and not expected to compete answers the question.

[Curveball 24]

The real concern for LCC is why they aren't expected to win these games. Hammonds has been there for 4 years now and the team isn't supposed to be a favorite against any good teams? Is the program better or worse than when he started? 0 district titles and 0 signature wins in 4 years and not expected to compete answers the question.

I guess Hammonds is going to have a take with Ro Russell. Get some Canadian flavor in Whitesburg next season!!!

[Lambert #1]

thegr81,
I disagree with you and completely understand where UKisN1 was going with his statement. When this season began nobody had high expectations just high hopes for this young group of kids. We lost the majority of varsity experience last year with our senior class and the kids that returned this year were very young and inexperienced. We are mainly playing with sophomores and nobody knew how they would respond to being thrust into starting positions. Yes we have lost a few games that I thought we had a CHANCE to win but we were never the clear cut favorite in any of those games with the exception of possibly the Jenkins games. 14-9 at this point is not a horrible record for these kids and I feel that with the experience they have gained this year will only contribute to a better record and some higher expectations for next season. I do feel that in the past we have underachieved a little bit but to say this team has underachieved is a big statement that I just do not agree with and I think you would have to look long and hard to find many people in Letcher County that would agree with you. This season is not over, these kids can upset anyone on any given night in this region as the close scores with Perry and Knott has shown.

[Mountain]

Pikeville making a strong case as the favorite to win the 15th.

[masiello]

You expect Kasongo to at mature? He's being mentored by Brandon Bender and treated like he's a king. In his mind, he's the only player who needs to do well since its likely he wont be at Pikeville next year. He's already being shopped around to various prep schools.

Kasongo has had an attitude problem since his days at East Ridge. He was baby-ed, acted out, pulled a stunt against his host family which led to a court injunction allowing him to play. His high school career represents everything wrong with Kentucky high school basketball, primarily in the mountains. Please dont tell me that any schools in Louisville or Lexington pull this type of crap. Even parochial schools like Trinity only give partial financial aid, there isn't any of this year-by-year transferring that has taken over Eastern KY. Its a travesty. It seems like everybody in the mountains just wants to turn a blind eye since apparently its so easy to do. Lets be serious. I understand you want your team be to be good since its means a lot to your community. But it seems a little fishy that all these foreign transfers all associated with the same "accused handlers/runners" are coming to isolated communities in Eastern KY to play basketball.

Who is behind all this?

[thegr81]

thegr81,
I disagree with you and completely understand where UKisN1 was going with his statement. When this season began nobody had high expectations just high hopes for this young group of kids. We lost the majority of varsity experience last year with our senior class and the kids that returned this year were very young and inexperienced. We are mainly playing with sophomores and nobody knew how they would respond to being thrust into starting positions. Yes we have lost a few games that I thought we had a CHANCE to win but we were never the clear cut favorite in any of those games with the exception of possibly the Jenkins games. 14-9 at this point is not a horrible record for these kids and I feel that with the experience they have gained this year will only contribute to a better record and some higher expectations for next season. I do feel that in the past we have underachieved a little bit but to say this team has underachieved is a big statement that I just do not agree with and I think you would have to look long and hard to find many people in Letcher County that would agree with you. This season is not over, these kids can upset anyone on any given night in this region as the close scores with Perry and Knott has shown.

You are missing my point. I didn't mean to come off like they are an underachieving team. The first statements were saying that the cougars have won alot more games than they were expected to and from looking at their schedule I thought that they would have won at least the same amount of games that they have and could have possibly won more. They are a young team and I think from a basketball standpoint they are more talented than anyone thought they would be, but from a win/loses standpoint their schedule was so watered down(and with what they loss it should have been) that from the begining I thought they would win at about the same pace that they are. The bottom line is that looking at their schedule at the first of the year I would have expected them to win every gme that they have won and maybe a couple more, so I don't think their record is a surprise. Also I never mentioned that they underachieved in years past!Which they have!