This tournament is in its sixth year and a good field has been assembled to play for the championship.  This year's field will consist of the following teams:  Bourbon County, Franklin County, George Rogers Clark, Lafayette, Scott County, Shelby Valley, Simon Kenton, and West Jessamine.  There will also be a special Toyota Community Invitational game matching the Gibson Southern Lady Titans (IN) against the Scott County Lady Cardinals.

January 24th - Day 1

Game No. 1  Simon Kenton (11-4) vs. Bourbon County (9-4)

Simon Kenton coach Scott Humphrey started a lineup of 6-6 So. Eric Reed, 6-3 Sr. Kevin Cristello, 6-7 So. Mike Brock, 6-1 Sr. Jordan Stowers, and 5-8 Jr. Brent Hopkins.  Bourbon County coach Robert Ward countered with 6-3 Sr. James Rodriguez, 6-3 Jr. Donnie Spencer, 6-6 So. Craig Williams, 6-2 Sr. Aaron Rupard, and 6-3 Jr. Preston LeMaster.

Simon Kenton took a 36-28 halftime lead and increased their margin in the second half to win by a score of 68-54.  Both teams shot well as Simon Kenton was 59.5% from the field and Bourbon County was 51.6%.  Simon Kenton was led tonight by Jordan Stowers and Kevin Cristello with 15 points each.  Mike Brock added 14 points and 5-11 Sr. Donnie Baker came off the bench to nail four three-pointers for 12 points.  Bourbon County was led by Preston LeMaster with 29 points.
 

Simon Kenton	12	24	21	11	-	68
Bourbon County	14	14	11	15	-	54

Simon Kenton	(68) -	Reed 6, Cristello 15, Brock 14, J. Stowers 15, Hopkins 3, Baker 12, Ben Harris 3.
Bourbon County	(54) -	Rodriguez 6, Spencer 6, Williams 9, Rupard 0, LeMaster 29, Wells 4.

Game No. 2  Lafayette (10-7) vs. Franklin County (11-2)

Lafayette coach Don Adkins started the following lineup:  6-6 Sr. Dudley Hall, 6-3 Sr. Robert Madison, 6-7 Sr. Vernard Hazard, 5-9 Sr. James Gentry, and 6-0 Sr. Quinton Roberts.  Franklin County coach Gary Moore countered with 6-2 Sr. Brandon McKee, 6-1 Sr. Marcus Thomas, 6-1 Sr. Daniel Scott, 6-0 Sr. Justin Durham, and 5-9 Sr. Gordon Miles.

Franklin County led Lafayette 15-13 after the first quarter but Lafayette outscored Franklin County 30-12 in the second quarter to take command 43-27 at halftime.  Franklin County cut the lead to 61-54 in the final period but Lafayette rallied to win by a score of 84-64.  Lafayette shot 65.5% from the field and outrebounded the shorter Franklin County squad 35-19.  Lafayette was led tonight by Robert Madison, 6-1 Sr. Jeff Floyd, and Dudley Hall with 22,16, and 15 points respectively. Hall had 9 of his points in the decisive second quarter and also pulled down 8 rebounds for the game.   Franklin County was led by ultra quick Gordon Miles with 18 points.   Marcus Thomas and 5-9 Sr. Casey Hayden added 11 points each.
 

Lafayette	13	30	13	28	-	84
Franklin County	15	12	16	21	-	64

Lafayette	(84) -	Hall 15, Madison 22, Hazard 8, Gentry 12, Roberts 2, Riley 9, Floyd 16.
Franklin County	(64) -	McKee 1, Thomas 11, Scott 9, Durham 7, Miles 18, Hayden 11, D. Moore 2, Assibey-Mensah 3, Johnson 2.

January 25th - Day 2

Game No. 3  Consolation Round  Franklin County (11-3) vs. Bourbon County (9-5)

Franklin County coach Gary Moore started the following lineup:   6-2 Sr. Brandon McKee, 6-1 Sr. Marcus Thomas, 6-1 Sr. Daniel Scott, 6-0 Sr. Justin Durham, and 5-9 Sr. Gordon Miles.   Bourbon County coach Robert Ward countered with 6-3 Sr. James Rodriguez, 6-3 Jr. Donnie Spencer, 6-6 So. Craig Williams, 6-2 Sr. Aaron Rupard, and 6-3 Jr. Preston LeMaster.

Bourbon County defeated Franklin County tonight by a score of 69-60.  This game was highlighted by the 40 point explosion by Bourbon County's Preston LeMaster.  LeMaster was 12 of 19 from the field and 15 of 18 from the free throw line.  The 40 point outburst set a Toyota Classic single game record.  Franklin County was led by a pair of 6-1 Seniors, Daniel Scott and Marcus Thomas with 14 and 13 points respectively.
 

Franklin County	15	10	11	24	-	60
Bourbon County	18	11	15	25	-	69

Franklin County	(60) -	McKee 5, Thomas 13, Scott 14, Durham 2, Miles 1, Hayden 7, D. Moore 8, Sheridan 7, Johnson 3.
Bourbon County	(69) -	Rodriguez 6, Spencer 9, Williams 4, Rupard 4, LeMaster 40, Cundiff 1, Wells 5.

Game No. 4  West Jessamine (5-8) vs. Scott County (12-3)

West Jessamine coach Tim Peterson started  6-3 Sr. Travis Spann, 6-1 Sr. Adam Gilchrest, 6-4 So. Scott Tarvin, 5-8 So. Daniel Thompson, and 6-1 So. Cameron Jackson.  Scott County coach Billy Hicks countered with  5-8 So. Nick Reed, 6-3 Jr. Coy Zerhusen, 6-8 Sr. Nate Austin, 5-9 Jr. "C-3" Brown, and 5-11 Fr. Tyler Hicks.

Scott County raced out to an early lead and took a 62-39 advantage after three quarters.  Scott County substituted liberally in the final period and West Jessamine rallied to cut the lead to 68-59 with 1:08 remaining on the clock.  Coach Hicks returned his starters and Scott County closed out a 72-61 victory.  "C-3" Brown led Scott County with 15 points.  Nate Austin added 13 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocked shots.  Scott Tarvin led West Jessamine with 17 points. Adam Gilchrest pulled down 10 rebounds.
 

West Jessamine	8	16	15	22	-	61
Scott County	21	21	20	10	-	72

West Jessamine	(61) -	T. Spann 11, Gilchrest 5, Tarvin 17, Thompson 0, Jackson 12, Morton 7, Zunker 4, B. Spann 1, Adams 4.
Scott County	(72) -	N. Reed 5, Zerhusen 9, Austin 13, Brown 15, Hicks 10, Mazzoni 4, Travis 4, Christman 2, Nettles 2, Lee 8.

Game No. 5  Shelby Valley (15-0) vs. George Rogers Clark (Clark Co.) (8-5)

Shelby Valley coach Rodney Rowe started the following lineup:  6-0 Jr. Jeremy Akers, 6-0 Sr. Mike Riddle, 6-1 Sr. Shannon Akers, 5-11 Sr. Brandon Stevens, and 5-9 Sr. Terry Wright.   Clark County coach Guy Strong countered with 6-0 Jr. John Baldwin, 6-5 Sr. Greg Wood, 6-4 Sr. Chris Frazier, 6-0 So. Marc Midden, and 5-11 So. Jake Barnes.

Clark County scored a big victory tonight by defeating Shelby Valley 64-54 and handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season.  Clark County's inside duo of  Chris Frazier and Greg Wood proved too much for the shorter Shelby Valley team as they led the Cardinals with 22 and 19 points respectively.  Clark County outshot Shelby Valley 57.1%-34.5% from the field and held a 33-21 rebounding edge.  Shelby Valley  was led by Shannon Akers with 23 points.
 

Shelby Valley	14	15	13	12	-	54
Clark County	13	19	16	16	-	64

Shelby Valley	(54) -	J. Akers 0, Riddle 7, S. Akers 23, Stevens 0, Wright 8, Branham 3, Goad 12, Prater 1.
Clark County	(64) -	Baldwin 10, Wood 19, Frazier 22, Midden 3, Barnes 3, Ervin 3, Gentry 4.

January 26th - Day 3

Game No. 6  Consolation Round  Shelby Valley (15-1) vs. West Jessamine (5-9)

Shelby Valley coach Rodney Rowe started the following lineup:  6-0 Jr. Jeremy Akers, 6-0 Sr. Mike Riddle, 6-1 Sr. Shannon Akers, 5-11 Sr. Brandon Stevens, and 5-9 Sr. Terry Wright.  West Jessamine coach Tim Peterson countered with 6-3 Sr. Travis Spann, 6-1 Sr. Adam Gilchrest, 6-4 So. Scott Tarvin, 5-8 So. Daniel Thompson, and 6-1 So. Cameron Jackson.

Shelby Valley rebounded from their first loss of the season to defeat West Jessamine by a score of 69-54.  Shelby Valley continued their long-range bombing and was 11 of 23 from behind the three point line.  Shelby Valley was led tonight by Terry Wright, Shannon Akers and Jeremy Akers with 21, 18, and 14 points respectively.  West Jessamine was led by 6-1 Sr. Josh Morton and Cameron Jackson with 12 and 10 points respectively.  Adam Gilchrest added 6 points and 15 rebounds.
 

Shelby Valley	23	14	17	15	-	69
West Jessamine	15	9	17	13	-	54

Shelby Valley	(69) -	J. Akers 14, Riddle 2, S. Akers 18, Stevens 2, Wright 21, Prater 2, Branham 6, Goad 4.
West Jessamine	(54) -	T. Spann 5, Gilchrest 6, Tarvin 8, Thompson 6, Jackson 10, Morton 12, Zunker 2, B. Spann 4, Adams 1.

Game No. 7  Semifinal No. 1  Lafayette (11-7) vs. Simon Kenton (12-4)

Lafayette coach Don Adkins started the following lineup:  6-6 Sr. Dudley Hall, 6-3 Sr. Robert Madison, 6-7 Sr. Vernard Hazard, 5-9 Sr. James Gentry, and 6-0 Sr. Quinton Roberts.   Simon Kenton coach Scott Humphrey countered with 6-6 So. Eric Reed, 6-3 Sr. Kevin Cristello, 6-7 So. Mike Brock, 6-1 Sr. Jordan Stowers, and 5-8 Jr. Brent Hopkins.

Simon Kenton shot 55.8% from the field and played excellent defense to subdue Lafayette by a score of 62-52.  Simon Kenton was led tonight by Kevin Cristello with 18 points.  Mike Brock added 17 points and 9 rebounds.  Jordan Stowers had a nice game with 16 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals.  Lafayette was led by James Gentry with 19 points.  Robert Madison added 13 points and 9 rebounds.
 

Lafayette	11	9	7	25	-	52
Simon Kenton	12	13	19	18	-	62

Lafayette	(52) -	Hall 2, Madison 13, Hazard 5, Gentry 19, Roberts 2, Floyd 8, Riley 3.
Simon Kenton	(62) -	Reed 0, Cristello 18, Brock 17, J. Stowers 16, Hopkins 6, Hurt 2, Baker 3.

Game No. 8  Semifinal No. 2  George Rogers Clark (Clark Co.) (9-5) vs. Scott County (13-3)

Clark County coach Guy Strong started the following lineup:  6-0 Jr. John Baldwin, 6-5 Sr. Greg Wood, 6-4 Sr. Chris Frazier, 6-0 So. Marc Midden, and 5-11 So. Jake Barnes.   Scott County coach Billy Hicks countered with  5-8 So. Nick Reed, 6-3 Jr. Coy Zerhusen, 6-8 Sr. Nate Austin, 5-9 Jr. "C-3" Brown, and 5-11 Fr. Tyler Hicks.

Scott County jumped out to an early lead and went on to soundly defeat Clark Co. by a score of 63-36.  The Scott County defense forced Clark Co. into 28 turnovers.  Scott County was led tonight by Tyler Hicks with 23 points, 14 of these points coming in the first quarter to jump start the Scott Co. offense.  Coy Zerhusen and "C-3" Brown each chipped in with 12 points.  6-3 So. Jeremy Nettles came off the bench to put in some quality work by scoring 4 points and pulling down a team high 8 rebounds.  Clark County was led tonight by Chris Frazier with 12 points and 7 rebounds.
 

Clark County	6	11	5	14	-	36
Scott County	21	17	18	7	-	63

Clark County	(36) -	Baldwin 0, Wood 4, Frazier 12, Midden 6, Barnes 1, Ervin 1, Hogan 4, Fulkerson 2, Bridgewater 1, Gentry 2, Burdell 1, Preston 2.
Scott County	(63) -	N. Reed 7, Zerhusen 12, Austin 0, Brown 12, Hicks 23, Smith 1, Travis 2, Nettles 4, Lee 2.

January 27th - Day 4

Game No. 9   Consolation Game   West Jessamine (5-10)  vs. Franklin County (11-4)

West Jessamine coach Tim Peterson started  6-3 Sr. Travis Spann, 6-1 Sr. Adam Gilchrest, 6-4 So. Scott Tarvin, 5-8 So. Daniel Thompson, and 6-1 So. Cameron Jackson.  Franklin County coach Gary Moore countered with 6-2 Sr. Brandon McKee, 6-1 Sr. Marcus Thomas, 6-1 Sr. Daniel Scott, 6-0 Sr. Justin Durham, and 5-9 Sr. Gordon Miles.

Franklin County led by a score of 15-8 at the end of the first quarter and managed to maintain that margin for most of the game to defeat West Jessamine by a score of 65-58.  Franklin County was led today by Marcus Thomas, 5-9 Sr. Casey Hayden, and Daniel Scott  with 15, 13, and 12 points respectively.  Scott also led Franklin County with 9 rebounds.  West Jessamine was led by Scott Tarvin with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
 

West Jessamine	8	20	16	14	-	58
Franklin County	15	20	19	11	-	65

West Jessamine	(58) -	T. Spann 9, Gilchrest 5, Tarvin 14, Thompson 1, Jackson 11, Morton 11, Zunker 3, Richardson 4.
Franklin County	(65) -	McKee 5, Thomas 15, Scott 12, Durham 0, Miles 6, Hayden 13, Assibey-Mensah 5, Briscoe 2, Sheridan 3, Johnson 4.

Game No. 10   Fifth Place Game   Shelby Valley (16-1) vs. Bourbon County (10-5)

Shelby Valley coach Rodney Rowe started the following lineup:  6-0 Jr. Jeremy Akers, 6-0 Sr. Mike Riddle, 6-1 Sr. Shannon Akers, 5-11 Sr. Brandon Stevens, and 5-9 Sr. Terry Wright.   Bourbon County coach Robert Ward countered with 6-3 Sr. James Rodriguez, 6-3 Jr. Donnie Spencer, 6-6 So. Craig Williams, 6-2 Sr. Aaron Rupard, and 6-3 Jr. Preston LeMaster.

Donnie Spencer hit a three pointer from the corner at the buzzer to give Bourbon County a thrilling 72-70 victory over Shelby Valley in double overtime.  The score was deadlocked at 57 after regulation and once again tied 65 all at the end of the first overtime. Shelby Valley took a 70-69 lead on two free throws by Mike Riddle before Spencer's last second heroics.  Bourbon County was led by Preston LeMaster with 26 points, giving him a three game tourney record of 95 points.  Donnie Spencer added 15 points and James Rodriguez pulled down a team high 12 rebounds.  Shelby Valley was led today by Shannon Akers and Terry Wright  with 25 and 20 points respectively.
 

Shelby Valley	16	13	15	13	8	5	-	70
Bourbon County	14	12	16	15	8	7	-	72

Shelby Valley	(70) -	J. Akers 12, Riddle 9, S. Akers 25, Stevens 2, Wright 20, Branham 2.
Bourbon County	(72) -	Rodriguez 7, Spencer 15, Williams 11, Rupard 11, LeMaster 26, Wells 2.

Game No. 11  Third Place Game  George Rogers Clark (Clark Co.) (9-6) vs. Lafayette (11-8)

Clark County coach Guy Strong started the following lineup:  6-0 Jr. John Baldwin, 6-5 Sr. Greg Wood, 6-4 Sr. Chris Frazier, 6-0 So. Marc Midden, and 6-0 Sr. Travis Ervin.   Lafayette coach Don Adkins countered with 6-6 Sr. Dudley Hall, 6-3 Sr. Robert Madison, 6-7 Sr. Vernard Hazard, 5-9 Sr. James Gentry, and 6-0 Sr. Quinton Roberts.

Lafayette led Clark Co. 32-22 at halftime and increased their lead in the second half to win by a score of 67-49.  The Generals shot 60.5% from the field for the game.  Lafayette was led by Quinton Roberts, James Gentry, and Robert Madison with 13, 12, and 10 points respectively.  Clark County was led by their inside duo of Chris Frazier and Greg Wood with 18 and 15 points respectively..
 

Clark County	8	14	11	16	-	49
Lafayette	14	18	16	19	-	67

Clark County	(49) -	Baldwin 6, Wood 15, Frazier 18, Midden 0, Ervin 6, Gentry 4.
Lafayette	(67) -	Hall 9, Madison 10, Hazard 8, Gentry 12, Roberts 13, Floyd 9, Riley 4, Smith 2.

Game No. 12  Toyota Community Invitational Game  (Girls) Gibson Southern (IN) (14-4) vs. Scott County (12-4)

Gibson Southern coach Jason Blackard started the following lineup:  5-7 Jr. Amy Heldt, 5-5 So. Leah Stormont, 6-0 Sr. Stephanie Nelson, 5-10 Jr. Ashley Nelson, and 5-10 Fr. Lindsey Compton..  Scott County coach Steve Helton countered with 5-4 Sr. L'erin Scott, 5-9 Jr. Tia Garrett, 5-11 Sr. Stacey Tackett, 5-11 Jr. Erin Brown, and 5-7 Sr. Lakeisa Washington.

Scott County Lady Cardinals defeated the Gibson Southern Lady Titans by a score of 81-61.  Both teams shot well from the field:  Scott County 50.8% and Gibson Southern 52.3%, but Scott County forced Gibson Southern into 31 turnovers.  Erin Brown led Scott County with 18 points and 7 rebounds and was named MVP.  L'erin Scott and Lakeisa Washington each added 12 points.  Gibson Southern was led by their MVP Stephanie Nelson with 24 points and 12 rebounds.
 

Gibson Southern	14	15	18	14	-	61
Scott County	22	20	23	16	-	81

Gibson Southern	(61) -	Heldt 0, Stormont 10, S. Nelson 24, A. Nelson 6, Compton 2, Hunt 3, Hale 7, Elpers 4, Field 5.
Scott County	(81) -	Scott 12, Garrett 2, Tackett 8, Brown 18, Washington 12, Lymon 4, Hamilton 7, Fraley 9, Hammons 5, Reliford 2, Giles 2.

Game No. 13  Championship Game  Simon Kenton (13-4) vs. Scott County (14-3)

Simon Kenton coach Scott Humphrey started a lineup of 6-6 So. Eric Reed, 6-3 Sr. Kevin Cristello, 6-7 So. Mike Brock, 6-1 Sr. Jordan Stowers, and 5-8 Jr. Brent Hopkins.  Scott County coach Billy Hicks countered with  5-8 So. Nick Reed, 6-3 Jr. Coy Zerhusen, 6-8 Sr. Nate Austin, 5-9 Jr. "C-3" Brown, and 5-11 Fr. Tyler Hicks.

This game had all the electric atmosphere of a Sweet 16 game--noisy fans and excellent basketball.  Scott County built a 12 point lead in the fourth quarter but Simon Kenton refused to fold and Scott County held on for a 62-59 victory.  Scott County outrebounded Simon Kenton 38-26.

Scott County was led tonight by Tyler Hicks with 22 points and 7 rebounds.  "C-3" Brown added 14 points including 11 points in the final period.  Coy Zerhusen pulled down 9 rebounds for the Cards.  6-3 So. Jeremy Nettles again came off the bench to log some productive minutes with 6 points, 5 rebounds, and a key defensive deflection late in the game.  Simon Kenton was led by Jordan Stowers with 23 points. Mike Brock added 15 points.
 

Simon Kenton	10	16	11	22	-	59
Scott County	15	19	6	22	-	62

Simon Kenton	(59) -	Reed 4, Cristello 9, Brock 15, J. Stowers 23, Hopkins 5, Br. Harris 3.
Scott County	(62) -	N. Reed 2, Zerhusen 1, Austin 8, Brown 14, Hicks 22, Travis 2, Nettles 6, Mazzoni 7.

All Tournament Team
 

Marcus Thomas	6-1	Sr .	Franklin County	13.0 ppg	5.0 rpg
Shannon Akers	6-1	Sr.	Shelby Valley	22.0 ppg	6.0 rpg
Terry Wright	5-9	Sr.	Shelby Valley	16.3 ppg
Preston LeMaster	6-3	Jr.	Bourbon County	31.7 ppg
Chris Frazier	6-4	Sr.	Clark County	17.3 ppg	6.3 rpg
James Gentry	5-9	Sr.	Lafayette	14.3 ppg
Jordan Stowers	6-1	Sr.	Simon Kenton	18.0 ppg	5.7 rpg	4.0 apg
Kevin Cristello	6-3	Sr.	Simon Kenton	14.0 ppg
Mike Brock	6-7	So.	Simon Kenton	15.3 ppg	5.3 rpg
"C-3" Brown	5-9	Jr.	Scott County	13.7 ppg
Tyler Hicks	5-11	Fr.	Scott County	18.3 ppg	4.0 rpg
Nate Austin	6-8	Sr.	Scott County	7.0 ppg	6.3 rpg

Conclusion

Scott County and Simon Kenton proved that they both belong among the state's elite.  Both of these teams appear to be peaking at the right time and could make a lot of noise come tournament time.  Scott County has lost a lot of offensive firepower over the last two years but their defense still makes the "Red Machine" a team to fear.  This tournament, in my opinion, was the coming-out party for Tyler Hicks.  Tyler has improved by leaps and bounds and he is only a freshman.  Coach Hicks is getting his rotation together and some of his young players are making key contributions.

Simon Kenton has a solid team with a very good point guard, nice wing shooters, and a name to remember down the road:  6-7 So. center Mike Brock -- he comes to play.  Shelby Valley came in undefeated and and went 1-2 in the tournament, but will make some noise in their region.  When their three point attack is clicking they are hard to handle.  Lafayette is as dangerous as any team in the 11th region and could make a serious run in the regional tournament.

Bourbon County has a nice team and Preston LeMaster is a player -- 95 points in three games and a single game high of 40 points -- both tourney records.  West Jessamine has some nice young players and their best basketball is ahead of them.  Don't relax against Guy Strong's Clark County team or the Gary Moore coached Franklin County.  Both these wily, veteran coaches still have the competitive fire and will give you a battle.

Acknowledgments

Congratulations to the Toyota Classic Committee and all the volunteers who make this tournament such a success.  I would like to thank the WL stats crew and Ken Farley who make my job fairly simple.  I would also like to thank Billy Hicks, David Porter, and Sonny Denniston for the hospitality extended me during this event.  Once again, the Toyota Classic recognizes and gives award plaques to all participants with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.  This sends a message to all these young athletes, and probably more importantly to all us fans, that they are students first and athletes second.

Please feel free to send your comments and questions concerning the tournament, teams, or players to me at  prephoops@yahoo.com .