[More Cowbell]

Replying to a post in the update thread...

Halftime foul totals: Pikeville with 8 players getting time and 12 fouls with Shelby Valley having 10 players getting time and 13 fouls.

End of game totals: Pikeville with 8 players and 21 fouls and Valley with 10 players, 28 fouls. Cameron Worrix only one who fouled out. Several fouls toward end of game contributed to total discrepancy. So it sounded like an overall fairly balanced called game. Pikeville was actually down shortly after 3rd started and rallied back.

Since I wasn’t there, I can only go by stats and what I’m told. I see that Connor Roberts attempted NO FTs in the 1st half and Watkins only 4. Watkins finished with 12 attempts and Roberts with 3. Sounds to me like they got into attack mode and drives to the basket will often result in more fouls called than standing around shooting 3s will. Potter once again put up huge numbers and shot most FT attempts for Valley so it sounds like they lapsed back into waiting for him to carry them.

The foul problems had a huge impact on Shelby Valley. Sam Stanley, after scoring 8 quick points at the start, picked up his second foul and sat much of the first quarter. He played a little in the second quarter, then got #3 and went to the bench again. He then got #4 about ten seconds into the third quarter. Amazingly, he played most of the final quarter without fouling out, but it was obvious he was playing very cautiously on defense trying to avoid the 5th foul.

Cameron Worrix also picked up #3 in the first half. His playing time in the second half was also limited, but SV had managed to withstand all the foul trouble and actually had a 8-point lead with about 3 1/2 minutes to go in the game. But then Worrix fouled out, and things went downhill from there.

Apparently the final foul numbers were 28 on Valley and 21 on Pikeville. I was at the game, and I can promise you there were not "several fouls at the end" on SV's part. They actually led most of the 4th quarter and it was Pikeville who had to start purposely fouling with about 3 minutes to go (a strategy which worked well, as SV shot free throws poorly at the end of the game). Then once Pikeville took the lead, SV purposely fouled a couple times at the main end. So a 7 foul difference sounds about right. I do know that early in the 3rd quarter, the count showed 8 fouls on Valley and only 1 on Pikeville.

The main issue is the fact that 2 of SV's starters had their minutes severely limited by all the fouls. Valley does not have a deep bench, so this was a major factor for them to overcome. Amazingly, they still had an 8-point lead toward the end, but their foul shooting and defense did let them down. So they played a part in their own demise.

Anyway, as others have said, it's now tied 2-2 on the season. SV has a 15th All-A region title, while Pikeville has a 59th district title. I believe there is a great chance we see the rubber match in a 5th game at the Expo next week.