[Stardust]

There was a week in December when Walton-Verona girls’ basketball coach Mark Clinkenbeard did not know if he would be able to finish the season on the bench.

Clinkenbeard began suffering chest pains and checked himself into a hospital. Doctors gave him a physical and asked him to take a couple of games off from coaching. He missed two games as assistant Dan Sullivan led the team.

“It was a tough week, but everything’s good,” said Clinkenbeard. “They gave me a clean bill of health.”

The Bearcats (29-6) are in good shape, too.

They won the All “A” state tournament in Frankfort for the first time, followed by a third consecutive district title, a second straight Eighth Region tournament crown and a program-record 29 wins. Their reward is a 2:30 p.m. date with Marion County (31-4) in a state tournament game Thursday at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green.

It’s one of three first-round marquee matchups involving teams ranked in the top 20 of the statewide Litkenhous Ratings. Marion County is ranked second. Walton-Verona, the smallest school in the tournament, is No. 14. The winner advances to Friday’s 7:30 p.m. quarterfinal against Thursday’s Hopkinsville-Marshall County winner. The semifinals and final are Saturday.

“Everybody’s really excited, but we’re going to have to play well,” said junior forward Courtney Sandlin, who leads the Bearcats with 14.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.

Clinkenbeard said the Knights deserve their ranking.

“They have three players going to Division I colleges, so it’s going to be a challenge,” the coach said.

Marion County senior Bre Elder, a playmaking guard, is headed to the University of Dayton. Makayla Epps, a 5-foot-10 junior guard and 6-1 junior forward Kyvin Goodin-Rogers have verbally committed to the University of Louisville. Epps is the daughter of former Kentucky men’s basketball player Anthony Epps. Goodin-Rogers is the daughter of former Louisville player Tick Rogers.

“It’s pick your poison on defense,” Clinkenbeard said. “We need to make them shoot from the outside.”

Epps leads the Knights with 17.2 points per game. Goodin-Rogers averages 13.8 points and 8.7 rebounds. Elder averages 10.3 points. Epps and Goodin-Rogers take the most shots from 3-point range, but Elder, at 35.3 percent, is the most accurate. The Knights ranked ninth in the state in scoring (63.1 points) and 11th in victory margin (17.6).

“On defense, we have to keep them out of the paint,” said guard Jenalee Ginn, one of five Bearcats seniors.

“I’m not even thinking this might be my last game because hopefully we’ll shut them down.”
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