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03-05-2012, 12:48 PM
Logan Powell scored 19 points and Makayla Epps chipped in 15 as Marion County thumped Elizabethtown 56-39 to win the Fifth Region title Sunday afternoon at Central Hardin High School.
Marion County, No. 2 in The Courier-Journalâs Litkenhous Ratings, won its third straight region title. The Knights (31-4) will face Eighth Region champion Walton-Verona on Thursday in the first round of the Houchens Industries/KHSAA Girlsâ Sweet Sixteen Basketball Tournament at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.
No. 10 Elizabethtown (26-6) was led by Erin Foleyâs nine points.
http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/article...on?Avis=B2
Marion County, No. 2 in The Courier-Journalâs Litkenhous Ratings, won its third straight region title. The Knights (31-4) will face Eighth Region champion Walton-Verona on Thursday in the first round of the Houchens Industries/KHSAA Girlsâ Sweet Sixteen Basketball Tournament at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.
No. 10 Elizabethtown (26-6) was led by Erin Foleyâs nine points.
http://saxo.highschoolsports.net/article...on?Avis=B2
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03-07-2012, 10:30 PM
The veteran Marion County Lady Knights looked their age Sunday evening on Central Hardin’s Terry Buckles Court. And unfortunately for Elizabethtown, the young and turnover-prone Lady Panthers looked their age, too, in front of more than 2,500 inside Bruin Gym.
Jill Pickett
Elizabethtown head coach Tim Mudd hugs seniors Kaylyn Cecil, left, and Darian Ditto, as they come off the court in the closing minutes of the 5th Region Girls' Basketball Tournament championship game Sunday against Marion County at Central Hardin High School. Marion County defeated the Panthers.
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Led by their upperclassman foursome, the second-ranked Lady Knights led from wire-to-wire against the ninth-ranked Lady Panthers, pulling away for a 56-39 win in the championship game of the 38th annual Girls’ 5th Region Basketball Tournament.
It was the fourth straight meeting by the teams in the final and it ended the way the previous two did, with the Lady Knights (31-4) hoisting the championship trophy and the Lady Panthers (27-5) a win away from would have been a record seventh berth in the Houchens Industries/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament.
Instead of the local team, it’s the Lady Knights who will travel to Western Kentucky University’s E.A. Diddle Arena to take on the Walton-Verona Lady Bearcats (29-6) at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the first round at State. Marion County matched its 1980-83 school record of four consecutive region finals appearances and broke a tie with Elizabethtown with its seventh region title (1975, ‘80, ‘82, ‘95, 2010-12).
While Sunday was Elizabethtown’s second chance to beat the Lady Knights this season – Marion County earned a 68-62 win over the Lady Panthers on Feb. 2 — the Lady Knights didn’t allow Elizabethtown many second chances Sunday.
Marion County held Elizabethtown without an offensive rebound in the first half and the Lady Knights turned the ball over just once in the first 16 minutes en route to a 24-15 halftime lead.
After spotting Marion County a 4-0 lead in the opening 2 minutes, Elizabethtown rallied from as many as eight points down in the first quarter and nine points down in the second quarter to twice cut its deficit to two points at 15-13 and 17-15.
But unlike their semifinal game a day earlier in which the Lady Panthers climbed out of a big early hole to rout Green County, they never got over the hump Sunday.
Elizabethtown had eight possessions in the game to tie or take the lead, all coming within the first 13:33. Those eight trips down the floor amounted to 0-for-4 shooting (including one of a game-high six blocks from Marion County junior forward Kyvin Goodin-Rogers) and four of their 11 turnovers on the night.
“We had the people we wanted with the ball, but we turned it over too much,” said veteran Elizabethtown coach Tim Mudd, whose program set girls’ region records for consecutive (seven) and total (13) championship game appearances. “Marion County is a very good team and they’ll represent our region well at the state tournament. What they did to us is what they have done to a lot of good teams.”
“They are too good in transition to turn the ball over against,” Mudd added. “I thought live-ball turnovers hurt us in the first game. Without the live-ball turnovers, I thought we won the first game. They didn’t cost us (the game) tonight. We had too many, but they killed us rebounding. They had too many offensive rebounds.”
And Elizabethtown didn’t have enough.
By the time the Lady Panthers scored their first second-chance points on a putback by senior forward Darian Ditto with 7:42 left in the third quarter, Marion County had built a 24-17 lead.
“I think the difference was our defense,” said Marion County coach Trent Milby. “Our defense was stingy all night, especially in the first half. And I think we played tremendous man-to-man defense with our on-the-ball pressure.”
Marion County’s defense was so tremendous that no Lady Panther scored in double figures – eighth-grade forward Erin Boley led the way with nine points and nine rebounds, while fellow All-Tournament selection Reaunna Cleaver, a freshman center, added eight points and five blocks – as Elizabethtown was held to its lowest-scoring output in its last 83 games. The last time Elizabethtown failed to break to 40-point mark was in a 34-20 victory against Johnson Central on Dec. 30, 2009.
Elizabethtown didn’t record its second offensive rebound until there was just 5:21 left Sunday after Goodin-Rogers powerfully swatted a Lady Panther shot out of bounds across the baseline near Elizabethtown’s bench.
Goodin-Rogers overcame a rough shooting night to finish with 10 points to go along with game-highs in rebounds (13), blocks and steals (three). She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by junior guard and tournament MVP Makayla Epps (15 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals), senior guard Bre Elder (12 points, game-high four assists) and junior forward Logan Powell (game-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds).
Powell entered the region semifinals averaging just 8.1 points per game and scored just five points combined in the teams’ two previous meetings.
“She can score, she’s very strong under the basket and she’s a wide body who is hard to get around defensively,” Milby said. “She’s steadily improved and she’s been a big asset to us.”
The ending put a damper on a marvelous season for Elizabethtown. The Lady Panthers matched the overall 17th District record with a seventh straight district tournament title and earned 12 wins against teams which won at least 17 games – including five victories against programs which won at least 21 games.
“Our season was still really good and I think we did all we could, especially after some people didn’t expect us to make it back here,” Cleaver said. “Our goal was to win tonight and we didn’t do it, but some of us still have a few years left, so we have to keep our heads up and play through it.”
Led by Boley and Cleaver, Elizabethtown should bring back 11 players next season who saw action in more than half the contests.
“I think we will learn from this game,” Boley said. “Before the game, I wasn’t thinking about the future because I was focused on the game. But we have a lot of good players coming back. We’ll learn from this game and get better for next year.”
Mudd, meanwhile, praised the two seniors who played Sunday in Ditto and guard Kaylyn Cecil. Those two kept the team from unraveling in a season in which eight players missed games because of injuries and illnesses and three players – senior guard Tara Gilpin, senior forward Taylor Bridges and junior forward Alexis Powell – didn’t finish the season because of such injuries.
“I know it’s cliché to say, but this has been such a fun year,” Mudd said. “It’s an oxymoron to say that because everything we’ve had happen this year. But it’s been really fun watching these girls grow up this year. It’s just been enjoyable.
“We’re going to miss those two seniors,” he added. “They mean a lot to our team and our program, but they mean a lot to me. This has been a really fun group and I’m very proud of them.”
Jill Pickett
Elizabethtown head coach Tim Mudd hugs seniors Kaylyn Cecil, left, and Darian Ditto, as they come off the court in the closing minutes of the 5th Region Girls' Basketball Tournament championship game Sunday against Marion County at Central Hardin High School. Marion County defeated the Panthers.
Buy this photo
1 of 5
Led by their upperclassman foursome, the second-ranked Lady Knights led from wire-to-wire against the ninth-ranked Lady Panthers, pulling away for a 56-39 win in the championship game of the 38th annual Girls’ 5th Region Basketball Tournament.
It was the fourth straight meeting by the teams in the final and it ended the way the previous two did, with the Lady Knights (31-4) hoisting the championship trophy and the Lady Panthers (27-5) a win away from would have been a record seventh berth in the Houchens Industries/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16 Basketball Tournament.
Instead of the local team, it’s the Lady Knights who will travel to Western Kentucky University’s E.A. Diddle Arena to take on the Walton-Verona Lady Bearcats (29-6) at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in the first round at State. Marion County matched its 1980-83 school record of four consecutive region finals appearances and broke a tie with Elizabethtown with its seventh region title (1975, ‘80, ‘82, ‘95, 2010-12).
While Sunday was Elizabethtown’s second chance to beat the Lady Knights this season – Marion County earned a 68-62 win over the Lady Panthers on Feb. 2 — the Lady Knights didn’t allow Elizabethtown many second chances Sunday.
Marion County held Elizabethtown without an offensive rebound in the first half and the Lady Knights turned the ball over just once in the first 16 minutes en route to a 24-15 halftime lead.
After spotting Marion County a 4-0 lead in the opening 2 minutes, Elizabethtown rallied from as many as eight points down in the first quarter and nine points down in the second quarter to twice cut its deficit to two points at 15-13 and 17-15.
But unlike their semifinal game a day earlier in which the Lady Panthers climbed out of a big early hole to rout Green County, they never got over the hump Sunday.
Elizabethtown had eight possessions in the game to tie or take the lead, all coming within the first 13:33. Those eight trips down the floor amounted to 0-for-4 shooting (including one of a game-high six blocks from Marion County junior forward Kyvin Goodin-Rogers) and four of their 11 turnovers on the night.
“We had the people we wanted with the ball, but we turned it over too much,” said veteran Elizabethtown coach Tim Mudd, whose program set girls’ region records for consecutive (seven) and total (13) championship game appearances. “Marion County is a very good team and they’ll represent our region well at the state tournament. What they did to us is what they have done to a lot of good teams.”
“They are too good in transition to turn the ball over against,” Mudd added. “I thought live-ball turnovers hurt us in the first game. Without the live-ball turnovers, I thought we won the first game. They didn’t cost us (the game) tonight. We had too many, but they killed us rebounding. They had too many offensive rebounds.”
And Elizabethtown didn’t have enough.
By the time the Lady Panthers scored their first second-chance points on a putback by senior forward Darian Ditto with 7:42 left in the third quarter, Marion County had built a 24-17 lead.
“I think the difference was our defense,” said Marion County coach Trent Milby. “Our defense was stingy all night, especially in the first half. And I think we played tremendous man-to-man defense with our on-the-ball pressure.”
Marion County’s defense was so tremendous that no Lady Panther scored in double figures – eighth-grade forward Erin Boley led the way with nine points and nine rebounds, while fellow All-Tournament selection Reaunna Cleaver, a freshman center, added eight points and five blocks – as Elizabethtown was held to its lowest-scoring output in its last 83 games. The last time Elizabethtown failed to break to 40-point mark was in a 34-20 victory against Johnson Central on Dec. 30, 2009.
Elizabethtown didn’t record its second offensive rebound until there was just 5:21 left Sunday after Goodin-Rogers powerfully swatted a Lady Panther shot out of bounds across the baseline near Elizabethtown’s bench.
Goodin-Rogers overcame a rough shooting night to finish with 10 points to go along with game-highs in rebounds (13), blocks and steals (three). She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by junior guard and tournament MVP Makayla Epps (15 points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals), senior guard Bre Elder (12 points, game-high four assists) and junior forward Logan Powell (game-high 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds).
Powell entered the region semifinals averaging just 8.1 points per game and scored just five points combined in the teams’ two previous meetings.
“She can score, she’s very strong under the basket and she’s a wide body who is hard to get around defensively,” Milby said. “She’s steadily improved and she’s been a big asset to us.”
The ending put a damper on a marvelous season for Elizabethtown. The Lady Panthers matched the overall 17th District record with a seventh straight district tournament title and earned 12 wins against teams which won at least 17 games – including five victories against programs which won at least 21 games.
“Our season was still really good and I think we did all we could, especially after some people didn’t expect us to make it back here,” Cleaver said. “Our goal was to win tonight and we didn’t do it, but some of us still have a few years left, so we have to keep our heads up and play through it.”
Led by Boley and Cleaver, Elizabethtown should bring back 11 players next season who saw action in more than half the contests.
“I think we will learn from this game,” Boley said. “Before the game, I wasn’t thinking about the future because I was focused on the game. But we have a lot of good players coming back. We’ll learn from this game and get better for next year.”
Mudd, meanwhile, praised the two seniors who played Sunday in Ditto and guard Kaylyn Cecil. Those two kept the team from unraveling in a season in which eight players missed games because of injuries and illnesses and three players – senior guard Tara Gilpin, senior forward Taylor Bridges and junior forward Alexis Powell – didn’t finish the season because of such injuries.
“I know it’s cliché to say, but this has been such a fun year,” Mudd said. “It’s an oxymoron to say that because everything we’ve had happen this year. But it’s been really fun watching these girls grow up this year. It’s just been enjoyable.
“We’re going to miss those two seniors,” he added. “They mean a lot to our team and our program, but they mean a lot to me. This has been a really fun group and I’m very proud of them.”
03-07-2012, 10:30 PM
GIRLS’ 5TH REGION ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Marion County: Bre Elder, Makayla Epps (MVP), Kyvin Goodin-Rogers and Logan Powell.
Elizabethtown: Erin Boley, Kaylyn Cecil and Reaunna Cleaver.
Green County: Kali Hedgespeth and Micah Jones.
North Hardin: Chanel Roberts and Brianna Woodson.
Adair County: Mercedes Cox.
Hart County: Lindsey Burd.
Nelson County: Shelby Maupin.
Washington County: Kenya Turner.
Marion County: Bre Elder, Makayla Epps (MVP), Kyvin Goodin-Rogers and Logan Powell.
Elizabethtown: Erin Boley, Kaylyn Cecil and Reaunna Cleaver.
Green County: Kali Hedgespeth and Micah Jones.
North Hardin: Chanel Roberts and Brianna Woodson.
Adair County: Mercedes Cox.
Hart County: Lindsey Burd.
Nelson County: Shelby Maupin.
Washington County: Kenya Turner.
03-07-2012, 10:31 PM
03-07-2012, 10:31 PM
03-07-2012, 10:31 PM
03-07-2012, 10:31 PM
03-07-2012, 10:31 PM
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