2003 Houchens Industries/KHSAA
Girls State Basketball Tournament

E. A. Diddle Arena, Bowling Green, Kentucky
March 26-29, 2003

Copyright © 2003 Ron Harrison

Wednesday March 26th – Session No. 1

Perry County Central (27-3) (Region 14) vs. Lexington Catholic (29-4) (Region 11)  

Perry County Central coach Randy Napier started the following lineup:  5-10 Jr. (15.8 ppg) Brittany Baker, 6-0 So. (12.3 ppg) Britta Maggard, 6-0 Sr. (8.2 ppg) Kayla Combs, 5-7 Jr. (6.3 ppg) Chasity Napier, and 5-6 Jr. (14.2 ppg) Polly Sebastian.  Lexington Catholic coach Greg Todd countered with 6-0 Sr. (15.9 ppg) Chelsea Chowning, 6-0 Fr. (7.0 ppg) Anaris Sickles, 6-2 So. (13.8 ppg) Shannon Novosel, 5-8 Jr. (4.9 ppg) Megan Mendenhall, and 5-11 Sr. (9.4 ppg) Sarah Schell.

Lexington Catholic survived an excellent effort by Perry County Central to capture a 65-60 decision in overtime.  The score was tied 49-49 in regulation when Perry County Central got the ball as a result of a held ball with 10 seconds remaining on the clock.  However, Lexington Catholic got the defensive stop and forced the overtime period.  Perry County Central held a 53.7%-49% field goal advantage and outrebounded Lexington Catholic 33-21.  Lexington Catholic scored 20 points off 20 Perry County Central turnovers.  

The victors were led by Chelsea Chowning and Shannon Novosel with 17 points each.  Sarah Schell added 14 points including seven points in overtime.  5-8 Fr. Nikki Davis had an excellent game off the bench with eight points.  Perry County Central was led by Polly Sebastian with 23 points and eight rebounds.  Sebastian had eight of her points in the overtime period.  Brittany Baker added 12 points and seven rebounds while Britta Maggard chipped in with eight points.   

Perry County Central 

17

6

14

12

11

-

60

Lexington Catholic

15

12

10

12

16

-

65

 

Perry County Central

(60) -

Baker 12, Maggard 8, Combs 6, Napier 6, Sebastian 23, Young 2, Brashear 3.

Lexington Catholic

(65) -

Chowning 17, Sickles 2, Novosel 17, Mendenhall 3, Schell 14, Server 2, Davis 8, Bell 2.

Butler (21-10) (Region 6) vs. Shelby County (28-3) (Region 8)  

Butler coach Stephanie Greathouse started the following lineup:  5-8 Jr. (7.9 ppg) Megan McGrath, 5-7 Jr. (8.3 ppg) Mandy Evans, 6-0 Jr. (20.6 ppg) Ashley Lewallen, 5-4 Jr. (6.9 ppg) Jenna Hedges, and 5-2 Fr. (7.3 ppg) Nicole Holman.  Shelby County coach Sally Zimmerman countered with 6-1 Sr. (15.9 ppg) Toni Slaughter, 5-10 Sr. (16.8 ppg) Charlotte Marshall, 5-8 Sr. (5.5 ppg) Dawn Schlotterbeck, 5-5 Jr. (5.5 ppg) Natoya Railey, and 5-7 Fr. (8.4 ppg) Amanda Green.

Butler took an 11-0 lead but Shelby County tied the score at 32 late in the third quarter and used this momentum to win by a score of 51-43.  Shelby County held a 54.3%-29.3% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded Butler 35-28.  Shelby County was guilty of 21 turnovers but Butler could only capitalize for 13 points while Shelby County scored 15 points off 10 Butler turnovers. 

Shelby County was led by Amanda Green with 19 points and six rebounds.  Toni Slaughter added 16 points, six rebounds, and four blocked shots.  Charlotte Marshall chipped in with nine points and pulled down 12 rebounds.  Butler was led by Ashley Lewallen with 19 points and 13 rebounds.  Lewallen was the only player to reach double figures for Butler.

Butler 

17

9

6

11

-

43

Shelby County

8

14

14

15

-

51

 

Butler

(43) -

McGrath 4, Evans 6, Lewallen 19, Hedges 6, Holman 3, Pendleton 1, Cummings 4.

Shelby County

(51) -

Slaughter 16, Marshall 9, D. Schlotterbeck 4, Railey 3, Green 19.

Wednesday March 26th – Session No. 2

Campbell County (25-6) (Region 10) vs. Betsy Layne (26-5) (Region 15)  

Campbell County coach Alicia Griffin started the following lineup:  5-10 Jr. (12.8 ppg) Maria Sparks, 5-10 Jr. (3.8 ppg) Danielle Rose, 6-0 Jr. (10.3 ppg) Lindsey Bray, 5-6 Sr. (5.8 ppg) Alicia Griffin, and 5-4 Sr. (7.5 ppg) Stacy Barry.  Betsy Layne coach Cassandra Akers countered with 5-8 Jr. (14.8 ppg) Whitney Lykens, 5-7 So. (11.8 ppg) Kim Clark, 5-7 Sr. (16.8 ppg) Natasha Stratton, 5-6 Sr. (6.6 ppg) Tiffany Meade, and 5-10 Jr. (3.8 ppg) Tabetha Witt

The score was tied 34-34 in the third quarter but Betsy Layne outscored Campbell County 22-13 the remainder of the game to claim a 56-47.  Betsy Layne held a 51.3%-41.3% edge in field goal shooting and was 13 of 20 from the free throw line, while Campbell County visited the charity stripe 14 times, connecting on five shots.  Betsy Layne was led by Natasha Stratton with 21 points while Kim Clark and Whitney Lykens each added 14 points.  Maria Sparks led Campbell County with 19 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.  Lindsey Bray added 11 points and pulled down 12 rebounds.

Campbell County 

15

13

10

9

-

47

Betsy Layne

12

16

15

13

-

56

 

Campbell County

 (47) -

Sparks 19, Rose 4, Bray 11, Griffin 2, Barry 9, Brock 2.

Betsy Layne

 (56) -

Lykens 14, Clark 14, Stratton 21, Meade 5, Witt 0, Daniels 2.

Boyd County (24-6) (Region 16) vs. Clinton County (32-1) (Region 4)  

Boyd County coach Pete Fraley started the following lineup:  5-10 Jr. (9.0 ppg) Ashley Caniff, 5-10 Sr. (14.0 ppg) Brittany McClave, 5-8 So. (16.0 ppg) Kasi Mullins, 5-7 Jr. (9.0 ppg) Jennifer Swann, and 5-8 Sr. (5.0 ppg) Nikki Robbins.  Clinton County coach Gary Abbott countered with 5-10 Sr. (7.9 ppg) Staci Ross, 5-8 So. (11.3 ppg) Brittany Abbott, 6-5 Sr. (14.1 ppg) Angela Brown, 5-6 So. (13.9 ppg) Amber Guffey, and 5-7 So. (17.7 ppg) Paige Guffey

Clinton County utilized a very effective inside-outside offence to defeat Boyd County by a score of 74-54.  Clinton County was 58.7% from the field, 18 of 25 from the free throw line, and pulled down 29 rebounds.  Boyd County was 38.9% from the field, five of six from the free throw line, and pulled down 25 rebounds.  Clinton County was four of nine from the three point line while Boyd County was seven of 17 from beyond the arc. 

The victors were led tonight by Angela Brown with 20 points, eight rebounds, and seven blocked shots.  Paige Guffey and Amber Guffey added 19 and 14 points respectively.  Staci Ross chipped in with 13 points and six rebounds.  Nikki Robbins led Boyd County with 16 points and seven rebounds.  Robbins was four of four from the three point line.  Kasi Mullins and Brittany McClave added 11 and 10 points respectively.

Boyd County

15

10

14

15

-

54

Clinton County 

16

21

19

18

-

74

 

Boyd County

 (54) -

Caniff 3, McClave 10, Mullins 11, Swann 7, Robbins 16, McNurlin 3, Brown 2, Ashworth 2.

Clinton County

 (74) -

Ross 13, Abbott 8, Brown 20, A. Guffey 14, P. Guffey 19.

Thursday March 27th – Session No. 3

Christian County (27-3) (Region 2) vs. Mercer County (28-5) (Region 12)

Christian County coach Don Dillard started the following lineup:  5-10 Jr. (7.2 ppg) Jana Betts, 6-0 Fr. (18.5 ppg) Arnika Brown, 5-9 Sr. (10.3 ppg) D’Erica Jones, 5-9 Jr. (17.8 ppg) Corkey Stiger, and 5-5 Jr. (9.4 ppg) Shaleea Petty.  Mercer County coach Chris Souder countered with 5-8 Jr. (12.0 ppg) Leslye Johnson, 5-8 So. (9.0 ppg) Jillian Horn, 5-8 Sr. (10.0 ppg) Ashley Webb, 5-5 Jr. (11.0 ppg) Courtney Watts, and 5-4 Sr. (10.0 ppg) Nina Pike

Mercer County led 54-49 early in the fourth quarter before Corkey Stiger and D’Erica Jones led a comeback to give Christian County a 70-67 victory.  Jones scored 11 of Christian County’s final 15 points.  Christian County held a 43.7%-41.7% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded Mercer County 44-35.  Mercer County scored 30 points off 25 Christian County turnovers while Christian County scored 17 points off 27 Mercer County turnovers.  Mercer County was 13 of 20 from the free throw line while Christian County only visited the charity stripe eight times, connecting on five shots. 

The victors were led in scoring by D’Erica Jones with 20 points.  Arnika Brown recorded a triple double with17 points, 17 rebounds, and 10 assists.  Corkey Stiger chipped in with 12 points.  Mercer County was led by Ashley Webb with13 points and eight rebounds.  5-4 Fr. Chrystal Claunch and Nina Pike each added nine points.  6-0 So. Erica Lee added seven points and pulled down nine rebounds.  

Christian County

18

18

13

21

-

70

Mercer County

14

15

22

16

-

67

 

Christian County

(70) -

Betts 4, Brown 17, Jones 20, Stiger 12, Petty 7, Briggs 8, Riley 2.

Mercer County

(67) -

Johnson 6, J. Horn 6, Webb 13, Watts 5, Pike 9, Claunch 9, C. Alford 6, Goodman 6, Lee 7.

Jackson County (27-7) (Region 13) vs. Calloway County (21-9) (Region 1)  

Jackson County coach Greg Parrett started the following lineup:  5-8 Sr. (1.5 ppg) Jenna Lakes, 5-8 So. (10.8 ppg) Brittany Bingham, 6-6 Jr. (21.1 ppg) Sarah Elliott, 5-4 Sr. (9.6 ppg) Jeannena Hignite, and 5-3 Jr. (7.2 ppg) Whitney Moore.  Calloway County coach Scott Sivills countered with 5-9 So. (9.4 ppg) Kalyn Fox, 5-9 Jr. (8.6 ppg) Shameka Dial, 6-1 Sr. (3.7 ppg) Carley Williams, 5-4 Sr. (8.5 ppg) Felisha Prescott, and 5-5 Jr. (4.4 ppg) Katie Ross.

Jackson County took an 11-0 lead and led by as much as 20 points on their way to a 53-37 victory.  Jackson County shot 41% from the field, made18 of 28 free throws, and grabbed 37 rebounds.  Calloway County was 28% from the field, connected on five of nine free throws, and pulled down 23 rebounds. 

Jackson County was led by Sarah Elliott with 25 points and 13 rebounds, while Jeannena Hignite added 11 points.  Brittany Bingham chipped in with five points and pulled down nine rebounds.  Kalyn Fox led Calloway County with 12 points. Shameka Dial added eight points and seven rebounds.  

Jackson County 

13

17

6

17

-

53

Calloway County

3

14

8

12

-

37

 

Jackson County

(53) -

J. Lakes 0, B. Bingham 5, Elliott 25, Hignite 11, Moore 5, K. Lakes 6, Roaden 1.

Calloway County

(37) -

Fox 12, Dial 8, Williams 2, Prescott 4, Ross 2, White 3, Loveless 6.

Thursday March 27th – Session No. 4

Washington County (24-2) (Region 5) vs. Muhlenberg North (26-5) (Region 3)

Washington County coach Bill Newton started the following lineup:  5-9 Fr. (12.0 ppg) Brittany Edelen, 5-8 Sr. (3.6 ppg) Kimberly Terrell, 5-9 Jr. (6.9 ppg) Alison Bartley, 5-6 Sr. (5.5 ppg) Ashley Filiatreau, and 5-6 So. (16.2 ppg) Katie Filiatreau.  Muhlenberg North coach Mike Harper countered with 5-10 Fr. (6.0 ppg) Candace Garrett, 5-7 Sr. (10.0 ppg) Ashley Wilcox, 6-2 Jr. (21.0 ppg) Jade Perry, 5-7 Jr. (5.5 ppg) Megan Whitaker, and 5-6 Fr. (3.5 ppg) Lauren Tatum.

Washington County’s 5-8 Sr. Lynn Railey nailed a three pointer with 49 seconds remaining to tie the score at 49-49.  Katie Filiatreau hit one of two free throws with 12 seconds remaining to give Washington County what proved to be the winning point in a 50-49 victory.  Washington County shot 45.5% from the field, eight of 14 from the free throw line, and pulled down 29 rebounds.  Muhlenberg North shot 38.6% from the field, was 15 of 24 from the free throw line, and grabbed 30 rebounds. 

The victors were led by Brittany Edelen with 24 points and 14 rebounds.  Alison Bartley and Ashley Filiatreau added 10 points each.  Jade Perry led Muhlenberg North with 29 points and seven rebounds.  5-7 So. Veronica Peercy added seven points.

Washington County

10

16

9

15

-

50

Muhlenberg North 

16

13

10

10

-

49

 

Washington County

(50) -

Edelen 24, Terrell 1, Bartley 10, A. Filiatreau 10, K. Filiatreau 2, Railey 3.

Muhlenberg North

(49) -

Garrett 4, Wilcox 0, Perry 29, Whitaker 2, Tatum 0, Peercy 7, Gunn 2, Olgesby 5.

Newport Central Catholic (25-8) (Region 9) vs. Sacred Heart Academy (33-1) (Region 7)  

Newport Central Catholic coach Christie McDonald started the following lineup:  5-8 Jr. (3.0 ppg) Tricia Bertke, 5-7 Jr. (7.3 ppg) Jenny Prigge, 5-9 Sr. (8.1 ppg) Heather Maudlin, 5-7 So. (13.3 ppg) Jayme Thiem, and 5-11 Jr. (17.8 ppg) Nicole Chiodi.  Sacred Heart Academy coach Donna Moir countered with 5-10 So. (6.6 ppg) Taylor Kopple, 5-8 Sr. (3.1 ppg) Kristina Kleinert, 6-3 Jr. (18.2 ppg) Crystal Kelly, 5-6 Jr. (7.2 ppg) Connie Ferch, and 5-7 So. (12.3 ppg) Carly Ormerod.

Sacred Heart Academy outscored Newport Central Catholic 20-5 in the fourth quarter to break open a close game and gain a 62-44 victory.  Sacred Heart held a 61%-43.9% advantage in field goal shooting and outrebounded Newport Central Catholic 25-18.  Sacred Heart also scored 25 points off 16 Newport Central Catholic turnovers. 

The victors were led today by Carly Ormerod and Connie Ferch with 19 and 16 points respectively.   Crystal Kelly added 16 points, eight rebounds, and three blocked shots.  Sacred Heart seniors 5-11 Becca Kopple and 5-8 Kristin Windchy were held out tonight for “personal reasons”.  Jayme Thiem led Newport Central Catholic with 17 points.  Nicole Chiodi added eight points.

Newport Central Catholic 

11

12

16

5

-

44

Sacred Heart Academy

18

9

15

20

-

62

 

Newport Central Catholic

(44) -

Bertke 0, Prigge 7, Maudlin 5, Thiem 17, Chiodi 8, Schout 3, Ziegler 2, Gemmer 2.

Sacred Heart Academy

(62) -

T. Kopple 6, Kleinert 2, Kelly 16, Ferch 17, Ormerod 19, McCarty 2. 

Friday March 28th – Session No. 5

Shelby County (29-3) vs. Lexington Catholic (30-4) Quarterfinal No. 1

Shelby County coach Sally Zimmerman started the following lineup:  6-1 Sr. Toni Slaughter, 5-10 Sr. Charlotte Marshall, 5-8 Sr. Dawn Schlotterbeck, 5-5 Jr. Natoya Railey, and 5-7 Fr. Amanda Green.  Lexington Catholic coach Greg Todd countered with 6-0 Sr. Chelsea Chowning, 6-0 Fr. Anaris Sickles, 6-2 So. Shannon Novosel, 5-8 Jr. Megan Mendenhall, and 5-11 Sr. Sarah Schell.

Lexington Catholic led by as many as 21 points, 49-28, on their way to a 57-43 victory over Shelby County.  This avenged an earlier loss as Shelby County defeated Lexington Catholic 50-45 in a regular season game.  Lexington Catholic shot 46.2% from the field, was 17 of 31 from the free throw line, and pulled down 28 rebounds.  Shelby County shot 31.7% from the field, was 15 of 23 from the free throw line, and grabbed 29 rebounds.  Lexington Catholic scored 30 points off 19 Shelby County turnovers.  Lexington Catholic utilized a very effective box and chaser defense in an effort to defend Shelby County’s Toni Slaughter and Charlotte Marshall. 

The victors were led today by Chelsea Chowning with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and three steals.  Sarah Schell added 12 points and Shannon Novosel chipped in with eight points and seven rebounds.  Shelby County was led by Charlotte Marshall with 13 points and eight rebounds.  Toni Slaughter added 11 points, 12 rebounds, and blocked five shots.

Shelby County 

11

4

10

18

-

43

Lexington Catholic

13

12

17

15

-

57

 

Shelby County

(43) -

Slaughter 11, Marshall 13, D. Schlotterbeck 7, Railey 4, Green 7, Craddock 1.

Lexington Catholic

(57) -

Chowning 18, Sickles 6, Novosel 8, Mendenhall 7, Schell 12, Rhule 1, Server 2, Carney 1, Bell 2.

Clinton County (33-1) vs. Betsy Layne (27-5) Quarterfinal No. 2

Clinton County coach Gary Abbott started the following lineup:  5-10 Sr. Staci Ross, 5-8 So. Brittany Abbott, 6-5 Sr. Angela Brown, 5-6 So. Amber Guffey, and 5-7 So. Paige Guffey.  Betsy Layne coach Cassandra Akers countered with 5-8 Jr. Whitney Lykens, 5-7 So. Kim Clark, 5-7 Sr. Natasha Stratton, 5-6 Sr. Tiffany Meade, and 5-10 Jr. Tabetha Witt.

Clinton County led 23-17 at halftime but exploded in the second half to pull away for a 66-36 victory.  Clinton County’s defense was a big factor in the second half as they held Betsy Layne to four field goals and a 17.4% field goal average.  Clinton County held a 49%-21.3% edge in field goal shooting for the game. 

The victors were led by Amber Guffey with 16 points.  Brittany Abbott and Paige Guffey added 15 points each, while Angela Brown chipped in with nine points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots.  Whitney Lykens led Betsy Layne with 18 points and seven rebounds.  Natasha Stratton added eight points and seven rebounds.  

Clinton County 

10

13

16

27

-

66

Betsy Layne

10

7

6

13

-

36

 

Clinton County

 (66) -

Ross 7, Abbott 15, Brown 9, A. Guffey 16, P. Guffey 15, Papineau 2, Riddle 2.

Betsy Layne

 (36) -

Lykens 18, Clark 2, Stratton 8, Meade 2, Witt 0, Daniels 6.

Friday March 28th – Session No. 6

Jackson County (28-7) vs. Christian County (28-3) Quarterfinal No. 3

Jackson County coach Greg Parrett started the following lineup:  5-8 Sr. Jenna Lakes, 5-8 So. Brittany Bingham, 6-6 Jr. Sarah Elliott, 5-4 Sr. Jeannena Hignite, and 5-3 Jr. Whitney Moore.  Christian County coach Don Dillard countered with 5-10 Jr. Jana Betts, 6-0 Fr. Arnika Brown, 5-9 Sr. D’Erica Jones, 5-9 Jr. Corkey Stiger, and 5-5 Jr. Shaleea Petty.

Christian County trailed 27-16 at halftime and 36-31 at the end of the third quarter before rallying for a 53-44 victory.  The Christian County defense forced 12 turnovers in the second half which gave them momentum for their comeback.  Jackson County held a 37.8%-35.7% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded. Christian County 35-31 but the Colonels scored 19 points off 18 Jackson County turnovers.

The victors were led by Arnika Brown with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five steals.  Corkey Stiger added 14 points while D’Erica Jones chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds.  Brittany Bingham led Jackson County with 15 points.  Sarah Elliott added 13 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocked shots. 

Jackson County

10

17

9

8

-

44

Christian County 

7

9

15

22

-

53

 

Jackson County

(44) -

J. Lakes 0, B. Bingham 15, Elliott 13, Hignite 8, Moore 0, Roaden 4, C. Bingham 4.

Christian County

(53) -

Betts 0, Brown 18, Jones 11, Stiger 14, Petty 8, Briggs 2.

Sacred Heart Academy (34-1) vs. Washington County (25-2) Quarterfinal No. 4

Sacred Heart Academy coach Donna Moir started the following lineup:  5-10 So. Taylor Kopple, 5-8 Sr. Kristina Kleinert, 6-3 Jr. Crystal Kelly, 5-6 Jr. Connie Ferch, and 5-7 So. Carly Ormerod..  Washington County coach Bill Newton countered with 5-8 Sr. Lynn Railey, 5-8 Sr. Kimberly Terrell, 5-9 Jr. Alison Bartley, 5-6 Sr. Ashley Filiatreau, and 5-6 So. Katie Filiatreau.

Sacred Heart raced out to a 29-8 lead on their way to a 55-24 victory over Washington County.  Sacred Heart got quite a scare as Crystal Kelly took a hard spill and apparently injured her knee with 4:24 to go in the first half.  Kelly remained on the bench for the rest of the game but is expected to play in the semifinals.  Sacred Heart held a 44.9%-26.3% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded their opponent 38-26.  Sacred Heart also scored 27 points off 24 Washington County turnovers.

The victors were led by Crystal Kelly and 5-9 So. Kelsey McCarty with 13 points each.   Carly Ormerod added 10 points.  Taylor Kopple only tallied three points but she pulled down a game high eight rebounds.  Washington County was led by 5-9 Fr. Brittany Edelen with 11 points.

Sacred Heart Academy 

14

15

8

18

-

55

Washington County

3

5

7

9

-

24

 

Sacred Heart Academy

(55) -

T. Kopple 3, Kleinert 4, Kelly 13, Ferch 2, Ormerod 10, Denbow 2, Distler 6, Hess 2, McCarty 13. 

Washington County

(24) -

Railey 4, Terrell 0, Bartley 0, A. Filiatreau 0, K. Filiatreau 4, Brewer 3, Edelen 11, Riley 2.

Saturday March 29th – Session No. 7

Clinton County (34-1)  vs. Lexington Catholic (31-4) Semifinal No. 1

Clinton County coach Gary Abbott started the following lineup:  5-10 Sr. Staci Ross, 5-8 So. Brittany Abbott, 6-5 Sr. Angela Brown, 5-6 So. Amber Guffey, and 5-7 So. Paige Guffey.   Lexington Catholic coach Greg Todd countered with 6-0 Sr. Chelsea Chowning, 6-0 Fr. Anaris Sickles, 6-2 So. Shannon Novosel, 5-8 Jr. Megan Mendenhall, and 5-11 Sr. Sarah Schell.

Lexington Catholic turned up the defensive pressure and pulled way to defeat Clinton County 58-36 and advance to the championship game.  Lexington Catholic scored 19 points off 21 Clinton County turnovers and held Angela Brown to only one field goal and one field goal attempt.  Lexington Catholic was 43.5% from the field, was 13 of 21 from the free throw line, and pulled down 28 rebounds.  Clinton County was only five of 21 from the three point line while Lexington Catholic was five of six from beyond the arc. 

The victors were led tonight by Chelsea Chowning with 14 points and eight rebounds.  Sarah Schell added 13 points, four rebounds, and four steals.  Shannon Novosel chipped in with 11 points and five rebounds.  Paige Guffey led Clinton County with 15 points.  Staci Ross added seven points and pulled down seven rebounds.  Angela Brown only tallied two points but pulled down a game high 13 rebounds. 

Clinton County 

14

8

8

6

-

36

Lexington Catholic

19

14

14

11

-

58

 

Clinton County

(36) -

Ross 7, Abbott 6, A. Brown 2, A. Guffey 3, P. Guffey 15, L. Brown 3.

Lexington Catholic

(58) -

Chowning 14, Sickles 1, Novosel 11, Mendenhall 3, Schell 13, Server 8, Davis 5, Carney 2, Bruckner 1.

Sacred Heart Academy (35-1) vs. Christian County (29-3) Semifinal No. 2

Sacred Heart Academy coach Donna Moir started the following lineup:  5-10 So. Taylor Kopple, 5-11 Sr. Becca Kopple, 6-3 Jr. Crystal Kelly, 5-6 Jr. Connie Ferch, and 5-7 So. Carly Ormerod.  Christian County coach Don Dillard countered with 5-10 Jr. Jana Betts, 6-0 Fr. Arnika Brown, 5-9 Sr. D’Erica Jones, 5-9 Jr. Corkey Stiger, and 5-5 Jr. Shaleea Petty  

Sacred Heart raced out to a 16-2 lead, survived an early fourth quarter rally by Christian County which cut the lead to three points, and rallied to win by a score of 75-61.  Sacred Heart shot 57.4% from the field, connected on 11 of 16 free throws, and pulled down 20 rebounds.  Sacred Heart scored 19 points off 16 Christian County turnovers.

Sacred Heart was led by Crystal Kelly with 27 points, six rebounds, and five assists.  Connie Ferch and Carly Ormerod added 17 and 12 points respectively, and each dished out five assists.  Corkey Stiger led Christian County with 21 points including five of eight from the three point line.   Arnika Brown added 18 points and nine rebounds, while D’Erica Jones chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds. 

Sacred Heart Academy 

24

13

23

15

-

75

Christian County 

14

13

25

9

-

61

 

Sacred Heart Academy

(75) -

T. Kopple 7, B. Kopple 6, Kelly 27, Ferch 17, Ormerod 12, Distler 3, Kleinert 1, Windchy 2.

Christian County

(61) -

Betts 0, Brown 18, Jones 10, Stiger 21, Petty 7, Riley 5.

Saturday March 29th – Session No. 8

Sacred Heart Academy (36-1) vs. Lexington Catholic (32-4)  Championship Game

Sacred Heart Academy coach Donna Moir started the following lineup:  5-10 So. Taylor Kopple, 5-11 Sr. Becca Kopple, 6-3 Jr. Crystal Kelly, 5-6 Jr. Connie Ferch, and 5-7 So. Carly Ormerod.   Lexington Catholic coach Greg Todd countered with 6-0 Sr. Chelsea Chowning, 6-0 Fr. Anaris Sickles, 6-2 So. Shannon Novosel, 5-8 Jr. Megan Mendenhall, and 5-11 Sr. Sarah Schell.

Sacred Heart’s Carly Ormerod intercepted a pass and was fouled on the drive with eight seconds remaining on the clock.  Ormerod calmly canned two free throws to give Sacred Heart a 42-40 lead, then deflected a Lexington Catholic pass to her teammate Kristina Kleinert with two seconds remaining to preserve the victory.  Sacred Heart led by 14 in the third quarter before Lexington Catholic rallied to actually take the lead before Ormerod’s late heroics.  Sacred Heart held a 57.7%-29.8% edge in field goal shooting.  .  Sacred Heart scored 17 points off 19 Lexington Catholic turnovers, while Lexington Catholic scored 19 points off 26 Sacred Heart turnovers.

The victors were led by tourney MVP Crystal Kelly with 14 points and 10 rebounds.  Carly Ormerod added 13 points.  Lexington Catholic was led by Chelsea Chowning with 13 points, five rebounds, and four steals.  Shannon Novosel added 12 points and nine rebounds.   

Sacred Heart Academy

12

6

13

11

-

42

Lexington Catholic

5

6

13

16

-

40

 

Sacred Heart Academy

(42) -

T. Kopple 5, B. Kopple 2, Kelly 14, Ferch 6, Ormerod 13, Kleinert 2.

Lexington Catholic

(40) -

Chowning 13, Sickles 5, Novosel 12, Mendenhall 0, Schell 2, Server 6, Davis 2.

All Tournament Team 

Arnika Brown

 

6-0 

 

Fr.

 

Christian County 

3 games

17.7 PPG

11.7 RPG

4.7 APG

 

Corkey Stiger

 

5-9

 

Jr.

 

Christian County

3 games 

15.7 PPG

 

 

 

Paige Guffey

 

5-7

 

So.

 

Clinton County 

3 games

16.3 PPG

 

 

 

Sarah Elliott

 

6-6

 

Jr.

 

Jackson County 

2 games

19.0 PPG

 12.5 RPG

 3.0 RPG

 

Chelsea Chowning

 

6-0

 

Sr.

 

Lexington Catholic 

4 games

15.5 PPG

5.8 RPG

2.8 SPG

 

Sarah Schell

 

5-11

 

Sr.

 

Lexington Catholic 

4 games

10.3 PPG

 

 

 

Shannon Novosel

 

6-2

 

So.

 

Lexington Catholic 

4 games

12.0 PPG

7.0 RPG

 

 

Jade Perry 

 

6-2

 

Jr.

 

Muhlenberg North

1 game

29.0 PPG

7.0 RPG

4.0 BPG

 

Polly Sebastian

 

5-6

 

Jr.

 

Perry County Central

1 game

23.0 PPG

8.0 RPG

 

 

Crystal Kelly

 

6-3

 

Jr.

 

Sacred Heart Academy

4 games

17.5 PPG

6.8 RPG

2.2 BPG

 MVP

Carly Ormerod

 

5-7

 

So.

 

Sacred Heart Academy

4 games

13.5 PPG

4.0 APG

2.8 SPG

 

Connie Ferch

 

5-6

 

Jr.

 

Sacred Heart Academy

4 games

10.5 PPG

4.2 APG

 

 

Toni Slaughter

 

6-1

 

Sr.

 

Shelby County

1 game

13.5 PPG

9.0 RPG

4.5 BPG

 

Charlotte Marshall

 

5-10

 

Sr.

 

Shelby County

1 game

11.0 PPG

10.0 RPG

 

 

Brittany Edelen

 

5-9

 

Fr.

 

Washington County

2 games

17.5 PPG

9.0 RPG

 

 

 

Conclusion

Sacred Heart, Clinton County, Lexington Catholic, and Christian County were generally considered to be the top four teams in the state since the beginning of the season, although there was much discussion of which order.  This season, form held and all four were in the semifinals Saturday morning.  Lexington Catholic had a shot at the win in the closing seconds but the Sacred Heart defense came through and the Valkyries took home the big trophy.

Congratulations to Donna Moir and Sacred Heart Academy for capturing their second consecutive title.  They had a huge target on their back all year, coped with injuries, and continued to win with talent and class.  Everyone knew about Crystal Kelly and Carly Ormerod, but Connie Ferch but also came up big for Coach Moir.

Lexington Catholic had a great season but came up one win short of the big prize.  Chelsea Chowning and Sarah Schell finished up excellent careers but—make no mistake—Coach Todd will have this team back as he returns a lot of talent led by Shannon Novosel.  Don’t forget the season Clinton County put together.  They claimed the Class A title and Coach Abbott’s squad finished the season with a sparkling 34-2 record.  Coach Dillard will return a lot of talent next season at Christian County, led by one of the most exciting players in the state, Arnika Brown. 

This tourney also showcased three outstanding front line players being avidly pursued by college recruiters—6-6 Jr. Sarah Elliott (Jackson County), 6-3 Jr. Crystal Kelly (Sacred Heart), and 6-2 Jr. Jade Perry (Muhlenberg North).  The future of girls’ basketball looks extremely bright in Kentucky.  The 15 person all-tournament team was comprised of four seniors, six juniors, three sophs, and two freshmen.  

Acknowledgements

A special thanks to the KHSAA for maintaining an excellent website with tons of information about the tourney as well as comprehensive stats on each and every game.  Also a note of appreciation to WL Stats for all their hard work providing all the computerized stats for the various media and website.  I would also like to thank Bob Tonini of Sacred Heart Academy for all the stats, background info, and personal insights on the game, not only for just the state tourney but for the entire season.

Please feel free to send your comments and questions concerning the tournament, teams, or players to me at  prephoops@yahoo.com .
Ron Harrison’s reports on this and other basketball events appear on http://www.angelfire.com/ky/prephoops