43rd District Tournament
Lafayette
High School
Lexington, Kentucky
March 3, 4, 6, 8 2003
Copyright © 2003 Ron Harrison
The 43rd District regular season boys’ race ended up in a three-way tie for the top spot between Henry Clay, Lafayette and Tates Creek. Lafayette was awarded the top seed on a blind draw and Henry Clay will meet Tates Creek in one semifinal. Lafayette will face the winner of Paul Dunbar vs. Bryan Station in the other semifinal.
The 43rd District girls’ tourney seems to be well balanced with number one seed Henry Clay being a slight favorite. Henry Clay has won 32 consecutive district games and claimed the last two tournament titles. One semifinal will pit Lafayette versus Bryan Station. The other semifinal will pit Henry Clay against the winner of the Paul Dunbar vs. Tates Creek matchup.
Monday, March 3rd
Tates Creek (12-7) vs. Paul L. Dunbar (17-9) (Girls)
Tates Creek coach Jim Masters started the following lineup: 6-0 So. Kristen Pendleton, 5-8 So. Derrica Morton, 6-2 So. Brittany Pittman, 5-7 So. Philnisha Lindsey, and 5-1 Sr. Nicole Figueroa. Paul L. Dunbar coach Rick Griffith countered with 5-10 Jr. Dominique Rowe, 5-10 Sr. Jessica Hanson, 5-9 So. Adaeze Azubuike, 5-8 Sr. Brooke Marnitz, and 5-7 7th grader Brianna Greene.
Paul L. Dunbar led 35-31 at the end of the third quarter and outscored Tates
Creek 22-5 in the final period to claim a 57-36 victory. Dunbar held a 44.2%-28.6% edge in field
goal shooting and outrebounded Tates Creek 37-26. Dunbar was led tonight by Jessica Hanson with 15
points and 10 rebounds. Brooke
Marnitz added 14 points and eight rebounds. Brianna Greene chipped in with 11 points. Tates Creek was paced tonight by Brittany
Pittman with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocked shots. Derrica Morton and Philnisha
Lindsey added 10 and eight points respectively.
|
Tates Creek |
7 |
12 |
12 |
5 |
- |
36 |
|
Paul L. Dunbar |
16 |
12 |
7 |
22 |
- |
57 |
Tates Creek |
(36) - |
Pendleton 2, Morton 10, Pittman 15, Lindsey 8, Figueroa 0, Dowlen 1. |
Paul L. Dunbar |
(57) - |
Rowe 4, Hanson 15, Azubuike 0, Marnitz 14, Greene 11, Hilliard 2, Tamaji 3, Napier 6, Clark 2. |
Bryan Station (4-23) vs. Paul L. Dunbar (12-15) (Boys)
Bryan Station coach Champ Ligon started the following lineup: 6-5 Sr. Raymond Ross, So. Alex Harless, 6-6 Sr. George Fishter, Martin Ashford, and 5-6 So. Martino Washington. Paul Dunbar coach Eddie Oakley countered with 6-2 Sr. Kenny Hale, 6-3 Jr. Jason Azubuike, 6-2 Jr. Sekoe White, 5-10 Sr. Jamie Adams, and 6-1 Sr. Marcus Conner.
Paul Dunbar’s Marcus Conner hit a buzzer beater in the lane to give Dunbar a 72-71 victory over Bryan Station tonight. Bryan Station had lost to Dunbar by 22 and 18 points earlier this season but came within seconds of claiming a big upset tonight. Dunbar shot 46.9% from the field, was 26 of 38 from the free throw line, and pulled down 30 rebounds tonight. Bryan Station shot 48.3% from the field, connected on 10 of 18 free throws, and pulled down 36 rebounds.
Dunbar was led tonight by Jason Azubuike with 17 points. Sekoe White added 16 points and
pulled down seven rebounds. Marcus
Conner and Jamie Adams chipped in with 11 and 10 points
respectively. Bryan Station was led by George Fishter with 15
points and six rebounds. Alex
Harless added 14 points and 11 rebounds, while D. J. Adams chipped
in with 11 points.
|
Bryan Station |
17 |
20 |
16 |
19 |
- |
72 |
|
Paul L. Dunbar |
24 |
19 |
11 |
19 |
- |
73 |
Bryan Station |
(72) - |
Ross 7, Harless 14, Fishter 15, Ashford 9, Washington 7, Sandusky 4, Coy 5, Adams 11. |
Paul L. Dunbar |
(73) - |
Hale 7, Azubuike 17, White 16, Adams 10, Conner 11, Frees 4, J. Sok 1, Buckner 7. |
Tuesday, March 4th
Lafayette (18-9) vs. Bryan Station (14-10) (Girls)
Lafayette coach Allison Denton started the following lineup: 5-9 Sr. Mollie Kelly, 6-1 So. Lori Colson, 6-4 Sr. Kara Hamilton, 5-8 Fr. Susie Owens, and 5-6 Fr. Katie Kelly. Bryan Station coach Jackie Williams countered with 6-0 Sr. Tracy Harbut, 5-10 So. Brittney Clark, 6-2 Fr. Crystal Leach, 5-6 Fr. Carley Blankenship, and 5-7 Fr. Bradli Stinson.
Lafayette defeated Bryan Station 43-40 to ensure themselves of a trip to the 11th Region tournament for the first time in eight years. Lafayette used an aggressive pressing defense to force Bryan Station into 23 turnovers for the game. Lafayette was 31.8% from the field and 15 of 24 from the free throw line, while Bryan Station was 32% from the field, and visited the free throw line 11 times connecting on seven shots.
Lafayette was led tonight by Susie Owens with 18 points, 10 coming in
the third quarter in which Lafayette outscored Bryan Station 16-10. Kara Hamilton added 10 points,
pulled down nine rebounds, and blocked four shots. Bryan Station was led tonight by Tracy Harbut with 17
points, 10 rebounds, four blocked shots, and three steals. Brittney Clark added eight points
and pulled down nine rebounds.
Crystal Leach added four points and pulled down a team-high 11
rebounds to help Bryan Station hold a 40-27 edge in team rebounds.
|
Lafayette |
9 |
4 |
16 |
14 |
- |
43 |
|
Bryan Station |
6 |
14 |
10 |
10 |
- |
40 |
Lafayette |
(43) - |
M. Kelly 1, Colson 2, Hamilton 10, Owens 18, K. Kelly 8, Clark 4. |
Bryan Station |
(40) - |
Harbut 17, Clark 8, Leach 4, Blankenship 5, Stinson 6. |
Tates Creek (21-5) vs. Henry Clay (21-4) (Boys)
Tates Creek coach Joe Pat Covington started the following lineup: 6-4 Sr. Jonas Adams, 6-2 Sr. Josh Bell, 6-6 Sr. Michael Cross, 5-8 Sr. Albert Hughes, and 6-2 Jr. Justin Taylor. Henry Clay coach Kirk Chiles countered with 6-1 So. Bryan Turnage, 6-2 Sr. Joe Harden, 6-9 Sr. John Patterson, 5-8 Sr. Branden Bowman, and 5-10 Sr. Lamont Campbell.
Henry Clay trailed 13-4 early but utilized their strong defense to earn a 60-55 victory over Tates Creek. Henry Clay took an eight point lead early in the fourth quarter but Tates Creek pulled within two points, 51-49, with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Henry Clay managed to hold on down the stretch to ensure themselves a trip to the 11th Regional Tournament. Both teams were hampered by foul problems, with Tates Creek’s Justin Taylor and Henry Clay’s Lamont Campbell both being saddled with early foul problems.
Henry Clay was led tonight by Joe Harden with 21 points on seven of
16 from the field and five of eight from the free throw line. Bryan Turnage added 13 points
and pulled down seven rebounds.
Tates Creek was led tonight by Michael Cross with 19 points and
13 rebounds. Josh Bell
added 15 points.
|
Tates Creek |
13 |
11 |
13 |
18 |
- |
55 |
|
Henry Clay |
8 |
17 |
18 |
17 |
- |
60 |
Tates Creek |
(55) - |
Adams 3, Bell 15, M. Cross 19, Hughes 8, Taylor 8, C. Cross 2. |
Henry Clay |
(60) - |
Turnage 13, Harden 21, Patterson 4, Bowman 7, Campbell 5, Mitchell 6, White 4. |
Thursday, March 6th
Paul L. Dunbar (18-9) vs. Henry Clay (21-5) (Girls)
Paul L. Dunbar coach Rick Griffith started the following lineup: 5-10 Jr. Dominique Rowe, 5-10 Sr. Jessica Hanson, 5-9 So. Adaeze Azubuike, 5-8 Sr. Brooke Marnitz, and 5-7 7th grader Brianna Greene. Henry Clay coach Scott Cromwell countered with 6-0 Jr. Mary Tobin, 5-8 Sr. Rachel Wilson, 6-2 Jr. Ashley Bush, 5-7 Jr. Jessie Birdwhistell, and 5-6 Jr. Johnna Lewis-Carlisle.
Paul Dunbar broke Henry Clay’s 32-game winning streak against district rivals with a 58-55 victory. Henry Clay was outmanned tonight as they lost 6-0 Sr. Leah Hill to a broken ankle two weeks ago and 6-1 Jr. Abby Currens to a knee injury in the second quarter tonight. Paul Dunbar once led 46-26 but Henry Clay mounted a furious rally to close the gap. Dunbar held a 55%-39.3% edge in field goal shooting. Paul Dunbar was 13 of 25 from the free throw line and pulled down 22 rebounds, while Henry Clay was six of 10 from the free throw line and grabbed 38 rebounds. Dunbar scored 24 points off 21 Henry Clay turnovers.
Paul Dunbar was led by Jessica Hanson with 15 points and eight
rebounds. Brianna Greene
and Brooke Marnitz added 14 and 12 points respectively. Henry Clay
was led by Mary Tobin with 20 points and 14 rebounds. Rachel Wilson added 15 points
and nine rebounds, while Johnna Lewis-Carlisle chipped in with 13
points.
|
Paul L. Dunbar |
14 |
14 |
19 |
11 |
- |
58 |
|
Henry Clay |
12 |
10 |
15 |
18 |
- |
55 |
Paul L. Dunbar |
(58) - |
Rowe 4, Hanson 15, Azubuike 5, Marnitz 12, Greene 14, Tamaji 2, Napier 6. |
Henry Clay |
(55) - |
Tobin 20, Wilson 15, Bush 0, Birdwhistell 3, Lewis-Carlisle 13, Mehr 2, Sullivan 2. |
Paul L. Dunbar (13-15) vs. Lafayette (17-7) (Boys)
Paul L. Dunbar coach Eddie Oakley started the following lineup: 6-2 Sr. Kenny Hale, 6-3 Jr. Jason Azubuike, 6-2 Jr. Sekoe White, 5-10 Sr. Jamie Adams, and 6-1 Sr. Marcus Conner. Lafayette coach Damon Kelley countered with 6-6 Sr. Kevin Grantlin, 6-0 Sr. Gene Cotton, 6-8 Jr. Darnell Dialls, 6-0 Sr. Adam Coleman, and 6-0 Jr. Marcus Barron.
Lafayette led by a score of 29-23 late in the third quarter and then went on
a 20-3 scoring run on their way to a 54-34 victory over Dunbar. Lafayette held a 47.5%-27.3% edge in
field goal shooting and utilized their size advantage to claim a 39-23 rebounding
advantage. Lafayette was 13 of 22
from the free throw line while Dunbar visited the free throw line 10 times
connecting on six shots. The
victors were led tonight by Darnell Dialls with 21 points and 12
rebounds, while Kevin Grantlin added 11 points and 10 rebounds. 6-6 Jr. Nic Mullins added nine
points and five rebounds. Dunbar
was led by Kenny Hale with 10 points. Jason Azubuike and 6-5 Sr. Landry Buckner
added seven points each.
|
Paul L. Dunbar |
10 |
5 |
8 |
11 |
- |
34 |
|
Lafayette |
10 |
10 |
13 |
21 |
- |
54 |
Paul L. Dunbar |
(34) - |
Hale 10, Azubuike 7, White 4, Adams 0, Conner 6, Buckner 7. |
Lafayette |
(54) - |
Grantlin 11, Cotton 1, Dialls 21, Coleman 5, Barron 5, Mullins 9, Trahan 2. |
Saturday, March 8th
Championship Paul L. Dunbar (18-9) vs. Lafayette (19-9) (Girls)
Paul L. Dunbar coach Rick Griffith started the following lineup: 5-10 Jr. Dominique Rowe, 5-10 Sr. Jessica Hanson, 5-9 So. Adaeze Azubuike, 5-8 Sr. Brooke Marnitz, and 5-7 7th grader Brianna Greene. Lafayette coach Allison Denton countered with 5-9 Sr. Mollie Kelly, 5-9 So. Lucy Clark, 6-4 Sr. Kara Hamilton, 5-8 Fr. Susie Owens, and 5-6 Fr. Katie Kelly.
Lafayette took a 2-0 lead but it would be the last time they would hold the lead as Dunbar claimed a 55-43 victory and the district championship. Lafayette managed to cut the lead to five, 45-40, in the fourth quarter, but Dunbar closed out the game with a 10-3 run. Dunbar held a 46.2%-37.8% advantage in field goal shooting. Dunbar was 16 of 23 from the free throw line while Lafayette visited the free throw line 12 times, connecting on six shots.
Dunbar was led tonight by Jessica Hanson with 12 points. Brooke Marnitz added 11 points,
eight rebounds, six assists, and recorded four steals. Adaeze Azubuike and 5-8 Sr. Becky
Napier also added 11 points each.
Lafayette was led tonight by Kara Hamilton with 13 points, 10
rebounds, four assists, and six steals.
Mollie Kelly added 11 points, including three three point
baskets.
|
Paul L. Dunbar |
12 |
16 |
9 |
18 |
- |
55 |
|
Lafayette |
9 |
8 |
11 |
15 |
- |
43 |
|
Paul L. Dunbar |
(55) - |
Rowe 2, Hanson 12, Azubuike 11, Marnitz 11, Greene 8, Napier 11. |
|
Lafayette |
(43) - |
M. Kelly 11, Clark 6, Hamilton 13, Owens 7, K. Kelly 0, Coats 2, Colson 2, Strobel 2. |
All Tournament Team (Girls)
|
Tracy Harbut |
6-0 |
Sr. |
Bryan Station |
|
|
Mary Tobin |
6-0 |
Jr. |
Henry Clay |
|
|
Brittany Pittman |
6-2 |
So. |
Tates Creek |
|
|
Susie Owens |
5-8 |
Fr. |
Lafayette |
|
|
Kara Hamilton |
6-4 |
Sr. |
Lafayette |
|
|
Brianna Greene |
5-7 |
7th |
Paul L. Dunbar |
|
|
Brooke Marnitz |
5-8 |
Sr. |
Paul L. Dunbar |
|
|
Jessica Hanson |
5-10 |
Sr. |
Paul L. Dunbar |
MVP |
Championship Henry Clay (22-4) vs. Lafayette (18-7) (Boys)
Henry Clay coach Kirk Chiles started the following lineup: 6-2 Jr. Aubrey White, 6-2 Sr. Joe Harden, 6-9 Sr. John Patterson, 5-8 Sr. Branden Bowman, and 5-10 Sr. Lamont Campbell. Lafayette coach Damon Kelley countered with 6-6 Sr. Kevin Grantlin, 6-0 Sr. Gene Cotton, 6-8 Jr. Darnell Dialls, 6-0 Sr. Adam Coleman, and 6-0 Jr. Marcus Barron.
Henry Clay withstood a late rally by Lafayette to claim a 60-53 victory and the 43rd District Tournament Championship. Henry Clay took a 31-22 halftime lead but Lafayette outscored the Blue Devils 13-4 in the third period to tie the game 35-35 at the end of the third period. Henry Clay took a 48-40 lead in the final quarter before Lafayette cut the deficit to four, 55-51, with 42 seconds remaining in the game. Henry Clay managed to hold on down the stretch to claim the title. Henry Clay shot 35.5% from the field, was 15 of 22 from the free throw line, and pulled down 50 rebounds. Lafayette only shot 28.1% from the field, connected on 18 of 31 free throws, and grabbed 45 rebounds.
Henry Clay was led tonight by Aubrey White with 14 points and eight
rebounds. Lamont Campbell added
13 points and 6-1 So. Bryan Turnage chipped in with 11 points and 11
rebounds. Lafayette was led by Darnell
Dialls with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Kevin Grantlin added eight points and eight rebounds,
while Marcus Barron chipped in with eight points.
|
Henry Clay |
18 |
13 |
4 |
25 |
- |
60 |
|
Lafayette |
9 |
13 |
13 |
18 |
- |
53 |
|
Henry Clay |
(60) - |
White 14, Harden 9, Patterson 4, Bowman 0, Campbell 13, Mitchell 4, Coles 5, Turnage 11. |
|
Lafayette |
(53) - |
Grantlin 8, Cotton 7, Dialls 14, Coleman 5, Barron 8, Mullins 2, Trahan 3, Chinn 4, Cadwell 2. |
All Tournament Team (Boys)
|
George Fishter |
6-6 |
Sr. |
Bryan Station |
|
|
Aubrey White |
6-2 |
Jr. |
Henry Clay |
|
|
Joe Harden |
6-2 |
Sr. |
Henry Clay |
|
|
Darnell Dialls |
6-8 |
Jr. |
Lafayette |
|
|
Kevin Grantlin |
6-6 |
Sr. |
Lafayette |
|
|
Marcus Conner |
6-1 |
Sr. |
Paul L. Dunbar |
|
|
Michael Cross |
6-6 |
Sr. |
Tates Creek |
|
|
Bryan Turnage |
6-1 |
So. |
Henry Clay |
MVP |
Conclusion
Congratulations to Coach Kirk Chiles and the Henry Clay Blue Devils for capturing their second consecutive 43rd District boys tournament title. The Blue Devils have played sound, fundamental basketball this season and own a 23-4 record going into regional play. Watch out for Coach Damon Kelley and the Lafayette Generals. This is a very talented squad that must be taken seriously. They are capable of beating anyone on a given night.
Also, congratulations to Coach Rick Griffith and the Paul L. Dunbar squad for winning the girls title. This was their first district title in six years. Coach Griffith has this veteran squad (eight seniors) peaking at the right time. Coach Allison Denton has led a resurgence in Lafayette girls’ basketball and will advance to the regional tourney with a 19-10 record.
Acknowledgements
A special thanks to Lafayette co-Athletic Directors Damon Kelley and Allison Denton for the hospitality extended me during the tournament. Also a note of appreciation to WL Stats for their usual superb job of providing statistics for all the tourney games.
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 https://www.angelfire.com/ky/prephoops.