[fp_atl]

Final - 2/2

Ashland--------12--30--21--15---78
Elliott Co.----21--20--24--26---91

Ashland: Skaggs 27, Delaney 18, Swift 9, Withrow 9, Johnson 8, Gregg 4, Whetsel 3.
Elliott Co.: Knipp 35, Ison 19, Stevens 16, Faulkner 14, Lewis 3, Fraley 2.

(I wish someone could ever get scoring right on our radio)

FG: Ashland 30/79 (8/22 3Pt), Elliott 30/69 (9/19 3Pt)
FT: Ashland 10/15, Elliott 22/31
Reb: Elliott 50, Ashland 37
TO: Ashland 15, Elliott 15

Lead changes: 2------Ties: 1 (40)

JV: Ashland 65 - Elliott Co. 57.

=====

Ashland (15-6) at Fairview (15-3) -- Thu 2/4 7:30pm (rescheduled from Sat 1/30)
Elliott Co. (16-6) at Lewis Co. (7-13) -- Sat 2/6 7:30pm

[LeeCoUKFan]

I was expecting Ashland to win this one but as you can see by the box score, Timmy Knipp decided the outcome of this game for himself! Congrats to Elliott County and Knipp!

[inspiron]

It was a very nice game to watch tonight! Great team ball tonight from the Lions, if they play like they have the past couple games they are a tough team to beat.

[dortonite]

Congrats Elliott County, you beat a good team tonight!

[Squid]

Observations from the game (in no particular order):
The Ison kid (the center) has improved drastically from earlier this year. He allows Knipp to play his perimeter game, and keep Elliott County on the boards. He may be the second best big man in the region, behind Barnhill.

I don't know how many shots Knipp took tonight, but in all honesty, he didn't seem to force shots that weren't there. He was hitting threes, pull up jumpers, and finishing at the rim when the opportunity was there. Very talented player.

Ashland couldn't throw it in the ocean tonight. Knipp and Ison had an effect on some of their shots, but they missed wide open shots from the block and from the three point line. Some of the players look like they are afraid to miss, or they might be taken out of the game. They need to shoot with confidence, and that is hard to come by when you are afraid to miss.

Knipp was in foul trouble (picked up his second foul with about 3 or 4 minutes gone in the game), and Ashland really never did exploit it. He finished with 4 fouls, and the EC coach did a pretty good job of taking him out from time to time, to help keep him from getting his fifth.

[Coffee Can]

Next to Barnhill at East Carter,Ison is the best low post player in the 16th region. I left the game very impressed with him andKnipp both. And point guard is very solid fo Elliott too.

[gapman]

Observations from the game (in no particular order):
The Ison kid (the center) has improved drastically from earlier this year. He allows Knipp to play his perimeter game, and keep Elliott County on the boards. He may be the second best big man in the region, behind Barnhill.

I don't know how many shots Knipp took tonight, but in all honesty, he didn't seem to force shots that weren't there. He was hitting threes, pull up jumpers, and finishing at the rim when the opportunity was there. Very talented player.

Ashland couldn't throw it in the ocean tonight. Knipp and Ison had an effect on some of their shots, but they missed wide open shots from the block and from the three point line. Some of the players look like they are afraid to miss, or they might be taken out of the game. They need to shoot with confidence, and that is hard to come by when you are afraid to miss.

Knipp was in foul trouble (picked up his second foul with about 3 or 4 minutes gone in the game), and Ashland really never did exploit it. He finished with 4 fouls, and the EC coach did a pretty good job of taking him out from time to time, to help keep him from getting his fifth.

Ashland just doesn't look very good right now as you have mentioned oh tentacled one. When you consider how well they were playing to start the year off with wins over Lewis, Fleming, Greenup, Elliott, Fairview, Cov Cath etc. these are all talented teams not cup cakes! What is different now from a month ago?

[Truth]

Ashland just doesn't look very good right now as you have mentioned oh tentacled one. When you consider how well they were playing to start the year off with wins over Lewis, Fleming, Greenup, Elliott, Fairview, Cov Cath etc. these are all talented teams not cup cakes! What is different now from a month ago?

I think you need to consider that most of those early games were at home while several of these more current games have been on the road. It seems to me that Biggs always schedules heavily at home in December and hits the road later in the season. Losses can be expected.

The outstanding game played by Will Skaggs shouldn't be overlooked. He had 27 points, 8 assists, and led the team with 9 rebounds. Not bad for a point guard standing only 5'9". He is certainly the glue that holds his team together. He is clearly Ashland's MVP by a long shot. He could play for a small college.

[back_in_black]

Congrats ec

[Overrated]

Big game from Knipp, nice win.

[Squid]

Ashland just doesn't look very good right now as you have mentioned oh tentacled one. When you consider how well they were playing to start the year off with wins over Lewis, Fleming, Greenup, Elliott, Fairview, Cov Cath etc. these are all talented teams not cup cakes! What is different now from a month ago?

I agree, gapman. We are definitely not playing as well (as a team) as we were in the early season. I'll let you take the first shot at it - what do you think has changed?

[Squid]

I think you need to consider that most of those early games were at home while several of these more current games have been on the road. It seems to me that Biggs always schedules heavily at home in December and hits the road later in the season. Losses can be expected.

The outstanding game played by Will Skaggs shouldn't be overlooked. He had 27 points, 8 assists, and led the team with 9 rebounds. Not bad for a point guard standing only 5'9". He is certainly the glue that holds his team together. He is clearly Ashland's MVP by a long shot. He could play for a small college.

There is no question that Skaggs is the key to Ashland. If he is not having a good game, the Tomcats really are a very average team. The good news is that, so far, he has been solid all season long. He will definitely play college ball - the only question is where. I shudder to think what it would look like without Skaggs on the floor for us.

[OORAH]

Congrats Elliott

[Stardust]

I figured Ashland to win this as well, but wow, they got the doors blown off

[gapman]

I agree, gapman. We are definitely not playing as well (as a team) as we were in the early season. I'll let you take the first shot at it - what do you think has changed?

I was asking an honest question but I'll take a stab at it. We really had a great opportunity to beat Mason Co on their home floor, leading for most of the game. But I thought our offense got a little stale in that game when we stopped moving and reversing the ball well losing in the end by only 4. We did better in the East Carter game and actually had the lead down to 2 points and then a little bit of a lapse of patience (possibly) caused Ashland to lose momentum in that game. Just out matched in the GRC game. The game at Elliott last night was winable, but again it looked like we didn't move the ball very well. In a bit of a funk I guess. I can't see the present trend continuing though, I think they will come out of it soon, like thursday for instance.

[Squid]

I always start with the opponent. Fifty percent of what happens on that floor is the direct result of the efforts of the other team. Each of the games that you spoke about was against a quality opponent (Mason, GRC, East, Elliott). Of those four, GRC was the only one that completely dominated us. As you pointed out, the other three games were very winnable.

To me, we have to shoot better from the floor, MUCH better from the line, and share the ball (working inside to out). I know that we are built to press everyone from the moment they get off the bus, but when I watch us play, I often think we would be better served to vary the defenses more often than we do. I'm sure that Biggs has forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know, but I'd like to see us take the press off for about three or four possessions and then put it back on when the other team is getting used to just retreating down the floor.

Just my .02 worth.

[gapman]

I always start with the opponent. Fifty percent of what happens on that floor is the direct result of the efforts of the other team. Each of the games that you spoke about was against a quality opponent (Mason, GRC, East, Elliott). Of those four, GRC was the only one that completely dominated us. As you pointed out, the other three games were very winnable.

To me, we have to shoot better from the floor, MUCH better from the line, and share the ball (working inside to out). I know that we are built to press everyone from the moment they get off the bus, but when I watch us play, I often think we would be better served to vary the defenses more often than we do. I'm sure that Biggs has forgotten more about basketball than I will ever know, but I'd like to see us take the press off for about three or four possessions and then put it back on when the other team is getting used to just retreating down the floor.

Just my .02 worth.

Without question the opponent should never be short changed and has much to say about what happens out there. Add to that each opponent presents a different set of challenges, sometimes hair pulling challenges, that have to be reckoned with.
I was just thinking about Nickell and Faulkner for Elliott. Not exactly physical specimens ( and by that all I'm saying is that they are not horses like Knipp and Ison) but both of them had 16 points apiece. I agree that guys like Knipp and Ison are going to do their damage but when Elliott reversed the ball over to Nickell we couldn't get to him in time to stop the shot. Faulkner was more likely to get his shot off under some amount of pressure out on top. That's 32 points and to me meant a lot in this game. Defense wins games. Ball movement makes the defense work. And Elliott had pretty good balance in last night's game: Knipp/36, Ison/19, Nickell/16 and Faulkner/16, only four more points were scored by the rest of their team and those by Lewis. Was he one of the starters?

[Squid]

I was just thinking about Nickell and Faulkner for Elliott. Not exactly physical specimens ( and by that all I'm saying is that they are not horses like Knipp and Ison) but both of them had 16 points apiece. I agree that guys like Knipp and Ison are going to do their damage but when Elliott reversed the ball over to Nickell we couldn't get to him in time to stop the shot. Faulkner was more likely to get his shot off under some amount of pressure out on top. That's 32 points and to me meant a lot in this game. Defense wins games. Ball movement makes the defense work. And Elliott had pretty good balance in last night's game: Knipp/36, Ison/19, Nickell/16 and Faulkner/16, only four more points were scored by the rest of their team and those by Lewis. Was he one of the starters?

I think he was the kid with the goatee, that played in the JV game. He was a guard, and he was the one that got the putback that caused Biggs to rip into someone for not boxing out.

Knipp and Ison demand double teams, and that means that someone (usually Nickell and Faulkner) was going to be open. As you said, we really struggled to get back in time to contest the shot. Elliott did a good job of maintaining their spacing, and knocking down the open shots.