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02-24-2012, 09:27 AM
WESTWOOD — Ashland’s girls demonstrated Thursday night why they are rated as a Top 20 team in Kentucky.
The deep and balanced Kittens walloped rival Boyd County 70-41 in the 64th District Tournament championship at George Cooke Memorial Gym.
Making shots from all angles, Ashland hit a sizzling 55 percent while limiting the Lady Lions to 12 baskets in 50 attempts.
“Ashland is good. They are real good,” Boyd County coach Pete Fraley said. “They took away a lot of stuff we tried to do. When they shoot the ball that well, they are really going to be tough to beat.”
The Kittens extended their streak of district titles to five, all against the Lady Lions.
“It feels good,” said Ashland guard Kaylyn Gambill. “Boyd County is always a tough game. We kept our cool and took care of business. We were amped at school today. When the game started, we came out ready to play.”
The Kittens used an early 9-0 run to create some distance against the defending region champs and maintained a double-digit lead over the last three quarters.
Both teams will move on to next week’s 16th Region Tournament. Ashland will host a first-round game Monday, while Boyd County goes on the road to play one of the other district winners. The regional draw will be conducted Saturday morning at Morehead State University.
Ashland coach Bill Bradley said nothing has changed since day one for the Kittens, who posted their 26th win to match last season’s total.
“We want to play hard, and play together,” Bradley said. “The effort was unbelievable by everyone.”
Freshman point guard Alexis Robinson had a stellar night with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and one of Ashland’s six blocked shots.
“Alexis is really coming on for us,” Bradley said. “She’s not just running the show. She’s scoring more and doing whatever we need. She has so many skills.”
Robinson has grown more comfortable over the course of her first year in the starting lineup.
“Last year, I was kind of timid and didn’t score much,” she said. “This season, I kind of fit in more. We are close as a team, and it shows on the court. We played very well tonight defensively and offensively.”
The 29-point final margin was easily the largest of Ashland’s three wins over Boyd County this season.
“(Mykal) Farris got them going with nine points in the first quarter,” Fraley said. “We were down 18, got it back to 12 at the half, then Robinson scores 10 in the third.”
Robinson splashed two 3-pointers during a 25-run in the third quarter to put the game away. Also during that stretch, Sydney Cullop, Haley Sue Foutch and Gambill each converted a three-point play.
Fraley said the Lady Lions’ defensive game plan enphasized containing post player Julia Heaberlin, who finished with six points. The Kittens’ other four starters reached double figures, however, and Foutch had another productive game off the bench with nine points in less than 10 minutes of playing time.
Farris, Gambill and Cullop each finished with 11 points.
The deep and balanced Kittens walloped rival Boyd County 70-41 in the 64th District Tournament championship at George Cooke Memorial Gym.
Making shots from all angles, Ashland hit a sizzling 55 percent while limiting the Lady Lions to 12 baskets in 50 attempts.
“Ashland is good. They are real good,” Boyd County coach Pete Fraley said. “They took away a lot of stuff we tried to do. When they shoot the ball that well, they are really going to be tough to beat.”
The Kittens extended their streak of district titles to five, all against the Lady Lions.
“It feels good,” said Ashland guard Kaylyn Gambill. “Boyd County is always a tough game. We kept our cool and took care of business. We were amped at school today. When the game started, we came out ready to play.”
The Kittens used an early 9-0 run to create some distance against the defending region champs and maintained a double-digit lead over the last three quarters.
Both teams will move on to next week’s 16th Region Tournament. Ashland will host a first-round game Monday, while Boyd County goes on the road to play one of the other district winners. The regional draw will be conducted Saturday morning at Morehead State University.
Ashland coach Bill Bradley said nothing has changed since day one for the Kittens, who posted their 26th win to match last season’s total.
“We want to play hard, and play together,” Bradley said. “The effort was unbelievable by everyone.”
Freshman point guard Alexis Robinson had a stellar night with 15 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and one of Ashland’s six blocked shots.
“Alexis is really coming on for us,” Bradley said. “She’s not just running the show. She’s scoring more and doing whatever we need. She has so many skills.”
Robinson has grown more comfortable over the course of her first year in the starting lineup.
“Last year, I was kind of timid and didn’t score much,” she said. “This season, I kind of fit in more. We are close as a team, and it shows on the court. We played very well tonight defensively and offensively.”
The 29-point final margin was easily the largest of Ashland’s three wins over Boyd County this season.
“(Mykal) Farris got them going with nine points in the first quarter,” Fraley said. “We were down 18, got it back to 12 at the half, then Robinson scores 10 in the third.”
Robinson splashed two 3-pointers during a 25-run in the third quarter to put the game away. Also during that stretch, Sydney Cullop, Haley Sue Foutch and Gambill each converted a three-point play.
Fraley said the Lady Lions’ defensive game plan enphasized containing post player Julia Heaberlin, who finished with six points. The Kittens’ other four starters reached double figures, however, and Foutch had another productive game off the bench with nine points in less than 10 minutes of playing time.
Farris, Gambill and Cullop each finished with 11 points.
02-24-2012, 09:28 AM
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Alexis Robinson (Ashland); Mykal Farris (Ashland); Julia Heaberlin (Ashland); Sydney Cullop (Ashland); Logan Fraley (Boyd Co.); Taylor Wheeler (Boyd Co.); Emily Stewart (Boyd Co.); Kayla Day (Fairview); Madison Humphrey (Fairview); Paige Brammer (Rose Hill); Myriah Porter (Rose Hill).
Alexis Robinson (Ashland); Mykal Farris (Ashland); Julia Heaberlin (Ashland); Sydney Cullop (Ashland); Logan Fraley (Boyd Co.); Taylor Wheeler (Boyd Co.); Emily Stewart (Boyd Co.); Kayla Day (Fairview); Madison Humphrey (Fairview); Paige Brammer (Rose Hill); Myriah Porter (Rose Hill).
02-24-2012, 12:13 PM
Congrats to Ashland, Robinson will be the best player in the region for the next 3 years. IMO. Also congrats to all who made the tournament team.
02-25-2012, 01:14 AM
16th Region Wrote:Congrats to Ashland, Robinson will be the best player in the region for the next 3 years. IMO. Also congrats to all who made the tournament team.
No doubt about it. An the kittens may very well be the best Team in the region. They lose 2 really good seniors but have a deep bench that can flat out play.
02-25-2012, 06:57 AM
What the Kittens did Thursday night was play a great game! I saw a lot of great passing to the open girl for the easy shot. I saw girls giving up their shot to get the ball to the player with a better shot! The win was a total team effort! The 64th district must change the all tournament team and the was it is picked the numbers per team are already picked 4 for the winner 3 for the runner up 2 each for 1st game losers. If you go by the stats for the games played this week the Kittens should've had 6 players on the team and Boyd 5 Fairview 1 Kayla Day had 31 points against Boyd. Rose Hill scored 22 points against Ashland and they get 2 players on the team. This little rant of mine will upset a few I'm sure but I really don't care! This system was put into play as reward for the schools voting to seed the district.
02-25-2012, 11:13 AM
I agree 100%. I didn't get to see this one but I was on the phone with a friend of mine and he said Ashland was an unbelievable team and that they should win a few games in distict. Ashlands leading scorer from the two tournaments didn't even make tournament team and another girl that scored and played great didn't either. It's a shame we have to let other kids make it that doesn't deserve it just to make some people happy. This is politics for you. I'm sorry to those of u that get upset but if u think about it you now American dream and I are right
On a side note raceland game was a good one, just hope we are not at Ashland Monday haha
On a side note raceland game was a good one, just hope we are not at Ashland Monday haha
02-25-2012, 12:29 PM
I agree with American Dream and NCIS. Either take away the manditory tourney picks per team or do away with the all-tourney team altogether (personally what I would like) Even in the best of situations, all-tourney teams can turn a team sport into a competition for personal stats.
02-25-2012, 02:39 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-25-2012, 02:42 PM by 16th Region.)
I agree with you all here concerning the way all tournament team is picked. Of course the champions and runner up deserve more when it comes to the selection of the tourny team. But yes I agree it shouldn't be automatic when it comes to selecting kids off of the 3rd & 4th place teams. This isnt a knock on anyone but yes the Day kid from Fariview was the only one deserving to make the team. Rose Hill shouldn't had anyone. You know I saw his years ago with the Rowan Co girls too. But this needs to changed across the board to include baseball & softball as well.
02-25-2012, 02:54 PM
American Dream Wrote:What the Kittens did Thursday night was play a great game! I saw a lot of great passing to the open girl for the easy shot. I saw girls giving up their shot to get the ball to the player with a better shot! The win was a total team effort! The 64th district must change the all tournament team and the was it is picked the numbers per team are already picked 4 for the winner 3 for the runner up 2 each for 1st game losers. If you go by the stats for the games played this week the Kittens should've had 6 players on the team and Boyd 5 Fairview 1 Kayla Day had 31 points against Boyd. Rose Hill scored 22 points against Ashland and they get 2 players on the team. This little rant of mine will upset a few I'm sure but I really don't care! This system was put into play as reward for the schools voting to seed the district.
I firmly agree that there should be no quota system in choosing all tournament teams. However, I find having eleven members of an all tournament team when there are only four teams ridiculous. That means, assuming starters make the team, that over half of those starters are so honored. Truly overdone.
In a district of four teams, the all tournament team should be limited to five players, six at the most. This would result in a little prestige for making the team. As it is now (4-3-2-2 with the coaches choosing who from his squad makes the team), making the team means nothing. To name two Rose Hill players to the team is an embarrassment to all the schools- including Rose Hill. Of course, having eleven members of the team should be equally as embarrassing.
I remember one All A regional tournament a couple years ago where one school got one player on the team. When the coach was asked to name his "all-star" he chose the only girl from his team whose parents attended the finals. Now that is an example of how silly this quota system has become. Is it merely another level of political correctness? Probably.
02-25-2012, 09:15 PM
16th Region Wrote:I agree with you all here concerning the way all tournament team is picked. Of course the champions and runner up deserve more when it comes to the selection of the tourny team. But yes I agree it shouldn't be automatic when it comes to selecting kids off of the 3rd & 4th place teams. This isnt a knock on anyone but yes the Day kid from Fariview was the only one deserving to make the team. Rose Hill shouldn't had anyone. You know I saw his years ago with the Rowan Co girls too. But this needs to changed across the board to include baseball & softball as well.
I agree that some may be undeserving but I remember 2 years ago for softball when Ashland and Miller beat Fairview in the first game when Fairview got 2 hits and neither of those players made the all tourney, they had 2 on the team,Boyd then got a bye in a 3 team district and were no hit by Miller the next night and had 3 on the team. This really puts the coaches in a tough spot
02-25-2012, 11:31 PM
LionEagle Wrote:I agree that some may be undeserving but I remember 2 years ago for softball when Ashland and Miller beat Fairview in the first game when Fairview got 2 hits and neither of those players made the all tourney, they had 2 on the team,Boyd then got a bye in a 3 team district and were no hit by Miller the next night and had 3 on the team. This really puts the coaches in a tough spot
You know I remember that game and your right. That just goes to show that this needs to be revamped. With the current structure shame on fairview coach for not nominate at least one of those kids.
02-26-2012, 12:06 PM
LionEagle Wrote:I agree that some may be undeserving but I remember 2 years ago for softball when Ashland and Miller beat Fairview in the first game when Fairview got 2 hits and neither of those players made the all tourney, they had 2 on the team,Boyd then got a bye in a 3 team district and were no hit by Miller the next night and had 3 on the team. This really puts the coaches in a tough spot
If the coaches are in a tough spot, they need to join with their athletic directors and change the system. The example cited of the district softball tournament is truly ridiculous. In fairness, it is obvious that no one from Fairview or Boyd County should have been honored.
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