Kentucky High School Boys
State Tournament
Rupp
Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
March 19-22, 2003
Copyright © 2003 Ron Harrison
Wednesday March 19th - Session No. 1
Powell County (25-5) (Region 14) vs. Oldham County (25-6) (Region 8)
Powell County coach Greg Coldiron started the following lineup: 6-3 Sr. (14.1 ppg) Dwayne Hatton, 6-2 Sr. (12.4 ppg) Jon Brewer, 6-3 So. (3.1 ppg) Ryan Stewart, 6-1 Sr. (7.3 ppg) Micah Drake, and 6-1 Sr. (22.6 ppg) Jeremy Jones. Oldham County coach Gary Forrest countered with 6-4 Sr. (15.0 ppg) Brock Neal, 6-5 Sr. (17.0 ppg) Matt Jacobson, 6-7 Jr. (9.0 ppg) Max Kuiper, 5-10 Sr. (12.0 ppg) Jarriot Huddleston, and 6-0 So. (7.3 ppg) John McCarthy.
Oldham County utilized a strong inside game and a staunch defense to defeat Powell County 69-46. Oldham County held a 49.1%-31.7% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded Powell County 41-32. Oldham County’s defense held Powell County to 30 points below their season average. Oldham County was 12 of 19 from the free throw line while Powell County visited the charity stripe nine times connecting on four shots.
The victors were led by Max Kuiper with 23 points and nine rebounds. Brock Neal added 14 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Powell County was led by Jeremy Jones with 15 points. Jon Brewer and Dwayne Hatton added eight points each.
|
Powell County |
11 |
8 |
14 |
13 |
- |
46 |
|
Oldham County |
16 |
19 |
15 |
19 |
- |
69 |
|
Powell County |
(46) - |
Hatton 8, Brewer 8, Stewart 2, Drake 3, Jones 15, Martin 6, Goodwin 2, Anderson 2. |
|
Oldham County |
(69) - |
Neal 14, Jacobson 8, Kuiper 23, Huddleston 1, J. McCarthy 8, Berry 3, Gathof 6, Phillips 4, Beaumont 2. |
Mason County (31-2) (Region 10) vs. St. Henry (30-4) (Region 9)
Mason County coach Kelly Wells started the following lineup: 6-3 Jr. (13.4 ppg) Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Jr. (10.4 ppg) Jarrod Litzinger, 6-1 So. (12.4 ppg) Wesley Jones, 6-0 Sr. (11.4 ppg) Nathan Myrick, and 6-3 Jr. (20.5 ppg) Chris Lofton. St. Henry coach Dave Faust countered with 6-4 Sr. (14.9 ppg) Todd Vieth, 6-4 Sr. (11.8 ppg) Matt Otte, 6-3 Sr. (12.5 ppg) Michael Schmidt, 6-1 Sr. (5.4 ppg) Ross Czarnik, and 5-10 Sr. (9.2 ppg) Matt Fabiani.
Mason County forced St. Henry into 15 turnovers in the second half including a key interception by Nathan Myrick in the closing seconds to preserve a 59-57 victory. St. Henry’s chances were hampered by a knee injury to Michael Schmidt who tallied 13 points in the first half before leaving the court midway through the second quarter. Schmidt did return to action midway through the third quarter. Mason County was 44.4% from the field, six of 10 from the free throw line, and grabbed 25 rebounds. St. Henry was 48.9% from the field, eight of 10 from the free throw line, and pulled down 32 rebounds. Mason County scored 18 points off 23 St. Henry turnovers.
The victors were led by Chris Lofton and Wesley Jones with 17 points each. St. Henry was led by Michael Schmidt with 17 points and eight rebounds. Matt Otte added 16 points and 10 rebounds while Todd Vieth chipped in with 12 points and seven rebounds. .
|
Mason County |
13 |
11 |
25 |
10 |
- |
59 |
|
St. Henry |
13 |
15 |
14 |
15 |
- |
57 |
|
Mason County |
(59) - |
Grutza 2, Litzinger 5, Jones 17, Myrick 6, Lofton 17, Vice 5, Gilbert 7. |
|
St. Henry |
(57) - |
Vieth 12, Otte 16, Schmidt 17, Czarnik 0, Fabiani 7, Lageman 5. |
Wednesday March 19th - Session No. 2
Hopkinsville (31-2) (Region 2) vs. North Hardin (25-7) (Region 5)
Hopkinsville coach Terry Hayes started the following lineup: 6-4 So. (15.0 ppg) Curtis Pulley, 6-3 Sr. (20.0 ppg) Rontreal Braxton, 5-11 Jr. (7.6 ppg) Josh Artis, 6-3 Jr. (8.9 ppg) Keon Grant, and 5-9 Sr. (15.0 ppg) Lartavious Banks. North Hardin coach Ron Bevars countered with 6-6 Sr. (15.5 ppg) Andre Woodson, 6-5 Jr. (14.7 ppg) Demetrius Guions, 6-1 Sr. (8.1 ppg) K. B. Fulks, 5-10 Sr. (12.0 ppg) Maurice Sanders, and 5-6 Sr. (5.8 ppg) Greg Hampton.
North Hardin tied the score 62-62 with 90 seconds remaining on the clock but remained scoreless the rest of the way as Hopkinsville claimed a 69-62 victory. Hopkinsville shot 41.7% from the field, connected on 15 of 17 free throws, and pulled down 28 rebounds. North Hardin shot 45.3% from the field, connected on 12 of 15 free throws, and grabbed 38 rebounds. The Trojans were guilty of 17 turnovers.
The victors were led tonight by Rontreal Braxton and Curtis Pulley with 21 and 16 points respectively. Lartavious Banks added 12 points, six rebounds, and four assists. North Hardin was led by Andre Woodson with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Demetrius Guions added 21 points and 10 rebounds while Maurice Sanders chipped in with 11 points.
|
Hopkinsville |
15 |
21 |
14 |
19 |
- |
69 |
|
North Hardin |
10 |
16 |
23 |
13 |
- |
62 |
|
Hopkinsville |
(69) - |
Pulley 16, Braxton 21, Artis 5, Grant 8, Banks 12, Lynch 2, Lopez 5. |
|
North Hardin |
(62) - |
Woodson 25, Guions 21, Fulks 3, Sanders 11, Hampton 0, Soileau 2. |
Cumberland (16-13) (Region 13) vs. Daviess County (26-6) (Region 3)
Cumberland coach Bill Scott started the following lineup: 6-2 Sr. (9.2 ppg) Rodney Sturgill, 6-4 Sr. (13.3 ppg) Matt Haynes, 6-5 So. (6.0 ppg) Kevin McIllinguham, 6-0 Sr. (14.8 ppg) Eddie Creech, and 6-0 Jr. (11.5 ppg) Brandon Smith. Daviess County coach Curtis Turley countered with 6-0 Sr. (6.6 ppg) John Davis, 6-3 Jr. (15.3 ppg) Johnny Worth, 6-3 Jr. (10.6 ppg) Seth Oldham, 5-8 Sr. (11.7 ppg) Blake Wiggins, and 6-4 Sr. (16.5 ppg) Matt West.
Daviess County scored 28 points off 27 Cumberland turnovers and held a 49.1%-30.2% edge in field goal shooting to gain a 68-35 victory tonight. Daviess County also held a 36-28 rebounding advantage. Daviess County appeared to change their defensive strategy often enough to keep Cumberland off balance all evening.
The victors were led by Johnny Worth and Matt West with 21 and 20 points respectively. Seth Oldham added 12 points, eight rebounds, and dished out four assists. Matt Haynes led Cumberland with 10 points and eight rebounds. Brandon Smith and Eddie Creech added nine and eight points respectively.
|
Cumberland |
8 |
6 |
11 |
10 |
- |
35 |
|
Daviess County |
18 |
12 |
15 |
23 |
- |
68 |
|
Cumberland |
(35) - |
Sturgill 3, Haynes 10, McIllinguham 3, Creech 8, Smith 9, Massey 2. |
|
Daviess County |
(68) - |
Davis 4, Worth 21, Oldham 12, Wiggins 5, West 20, John Janes 4, Barr 2. |
Thursday March 20th - Session No. 3
Henry Clay (26-4) (Region 11) vs. Iroquois (25-8) (Region 6)
Henry Clay coach Kirk Chiles started the following lineup: 6-1 So. (8.4 ppg) Bryan Turnage, 6-2 Sr. (14.5 ppg) Joe Harden, 6-9 Sr. (11.6 ppg) John Patterson, 5-8 Sr. (7.8 ppg) Branden Bowman and 5-10 Sr. (12.5 ppg) Lamont Campbell. Iroquois coach Jim Just countered with 6-0 Sr. (15.3 ppg) Derrick Goodloe, 6-2 Sr. (9.0 ppg) Demetrius Fuqua, 6-3 Jr. (12.6 ppg) Melvin Beasley, 6-0 Sr. (13.0 ppg) Terrence Walker, and 5-8 Sr. (3.7 ppg) Chesimon Jones.
6-2 Jr. Chase Mitchell rebounded a missed shot and hit a falling-down shot in the lane to give Henry Clay an 81-80 victory over Iroquois. Iroquois got a good look at a game-winning three point shot at the buzzer from the left wing but the shot failed to find the mark. Henry Clay’s Lamont Campbell had drilled a three point shot with three seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game 73-73 to force overtime. This game proved to be a marathon event with a total of 56 personal fouls being called. Henry Clay shot 34.2% from the field, was 25 of 36 from the free throw line, and pulled down 49 rebounds. Iroquois was 40.7% from the field, connected on 30 of 46 free throws, and grabbed 46 rebounds.
The victors were led by Lamont Campbell with 28 points. Joe Harden and 6-2 Jr. Aubrey White added 14 and 11 points respectively. Bryan Turnage chipped in with 10 points and pulled down 15 rebounds. Iroquois was led by Terrence Walker and Derrick Goodloe with 24 and 22 points respectively. Melvin Beasley added 15 points and 12 rebounds while 5-8 Jr. Robert Taylor chipped in with 11 points.
|
Henry Clay |
15 |
19 |
22 |
17 |
8 |
- |
81 |
|
Iroquois |
20 |
14 |
17 |
22 |
7 |
- |
80 |
|
Henry Clay |
(81) - |
Turnage 10, Harden 14, Patterson 4, Bowman 4, Campbell 28, J. Gay 3, Mitchell 4, Coles 3, White 11. |
|
Iroquois |
(80) - |
Goodloe 22, Fuqua 3, Beasley 15, Walker 24, Jones 3, Mullins 2, Taylor 11. |
Warren Central (25-3) (Region 4) vs. Calloway County (19-11) (Region 1)
Warren Central coach Tim Riley started the following lineup: 6-6 Jr. (15.0 ppg) Lonnell DeWalt, 6-3 Jr. (13.0 ppg) Brock Whitney, 6-8 Jr. (11.0 ppg) Matt Maresca, 6-2 Sr. (11.0 ppg) Brandon Cummings, and 5-11 Jr. (10.0 ppg) Ryan Anderson. Calloway County coach Terry Birdsong countered with 6-3 Jr. (7.6 ppg) Seth Barrow, 6-1 Jr. (10.7 ppg) Terry Adams, 6-4 Jr. (8.0 ppg) Logan Walker, 6-1 Sr. (14.9 ppg) Mitchell McClure, and 5-10 Sr. (17.1 ppg) Jimmy Bynum.
Warren Central scored 20 points off 20 Calloway County turnovers on their way to a 70-47 victory. Warren Central held a 41.3%-36.0% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded Calloway County 42-33.
The victors were led by Brandon Cummings with 17 points. Lonnell DeWalt added 15 points and 12 rebounds. Ryan Anderson and Brock Whitney chipped in with 13 and 11 points respectively. 6-5 Jr. Roger Jones came off the bench to lead Calloway County with 17 points and eight rebounds. Mitchell McClure added 14 points.
|
Warren Central |
26 |
11 |
17 |
16 |
- |
70 |
|
Calloway County |
8 |
10 |
16 |
13 |
- |
47 |
|
Warren Central |
(70) - |
DeWalt 14, Whitney 11, Maresca 7, Cummings 17, R. Anderson 13, McFarland 3, Hall 5. |
|
Calloway County |
(47) - |
Barrow 6, Adams 3, Walker 0, McClure 14, Bynum 4, Futrell 3, Roger Jones 17. |
Thursday March 20th - Session No. 4
Rose Hill Christian (26-8) (Region 16) vs. South Laurel (27-5) (Region 12)
Rose Hill Christian coach Jeff Hall started the following lineup: 6-5 Sr. (12.3 ppg) Marques Dawson, 6-4 Sr. (8.7 ppg) Mark King, 6-3 Sr. (5.0 ppg) Josh Magnusson, 5-10 So. (10.7 ppg) Zach Gillum, and 6-5 8th grader (20.6 ppg) O. J. Mayo. South Laurel coach Steve Wright countered with 6-6 Sr. (12.5 ppg) Mark Parsons, 6-2 Sr. (9.9 ppg) Kevin Collins, 6-4 Fr. (10.0 ppg) Walt Allen, 6-0 Sr. (12.1 ppg) Jon Townsend, and 6-0 Jr. (12.9 ppg) Johan Rivera.
Rose Hill Christian cranked up their defensive intensity tonight, holding South Laurel to 24 points below their average offensive output, on their way to a 65-46 victory. Rose Hill held a slight 42.4%-40.8% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded South Laurel 37-27.
Rose Hill was led tonight by Mark King with 17 points including three of five from the three point line. Marques Dawson added 15 points, nine rebounds, four assists, five blocked shots, and four steals. O. J. Mayo added 13 points and pulled down 12 rebounds. Walt Allen led South Laurel with 12 points. Kevin Collins added seven points and six rebounds. Jon Townsend also chipped in with seven points.
|
Rose Hill Christian |
15 |
15 |
19 |
16 |
- |
65 |
|
South Laurel |
9 |
6 |
15 |
16 |
- |
46 |
|
Rose Hill Christian |
(65) - |
Dawson 15, King 17, Magnusson 4, Z. Gillum 8, Mayo 13, Taylor 2, Frazier 4, Williams 2. |
|
South Laurel |
(46) - |
Parsons 4, Collins 7, Allen 12, Townsend 7, Rivera 6, Proffitt 2, Lester 2, Smith 6. |
Shelby Valley (20-8) (Region 15) vs. Ballard (24-7) (Region 7)
Shelby Valley coach Rodney Rowe started the following lineup: 6-1 So. (13.3 ppg) Kelsey Friend, 6-1 So. (9.6 ppg) Patrick Tackett, 6-0 Sr. (11.2 ppg) Phillip Akers, 6-1 So. (11.8 ppg) Seth Kiser, and 6-1 Sr. (14.7 ppg) Paul T. Fleming. Ballard coach Chris Renner countered with 6-1 Sr. (10.4 ppg) Sherman Gulley, 6-1 Sr. (13.7 ppg) Sean Booker, 6-3 So. (10.2 ppg) Ravon Lee, 6-0 Sr. (3.8 ppg) Dana Calhoun, and 5-11 Sr. (11.7 ppg) Jordan Whitaker.
Ballard finally wore Shelby Valley down in the fourth quarter and claimed a 66-48 victory. Ballard held a 50.8%-34.7% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded Shelby Valley 37-29. Ballard also scored 30 points off 26 Shelby Valley turnovers. Ballard was only three of 13 from the free throw line while Shelby Valley visited the charity stripe 17 times, connecting on 12 shots.
Ballard was led tonight by Sean Booker with 17 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Ravon Lee added 12 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Paul T. Fleming led Shelby Valley with 13 points. Seth Kiser added 12 points and six rebounds while Kelsey Friend chipped in with 10 points.
|
Shelby Valley |
12 |
11 |
18 |
7 |
- |
48 |
|
Ballard |
17 |
14 |
17 |
18 |
- |
66 |
|
Shelby Valley |
(48) - |
Friend 10, P. Tackett 6, Akers 6, Kiser 12, Fleming 13, Bartley 1. |
|
Ballard |
(66) - |
Gulley 6, Booker 17, Lee 12, Calhoun 2, Whitaker 7, Hedges 8, Reeves 4, Grimes 9, Willis 1. |
Friday March 21st - Session No. 5
Mason County (32-2) vs. Oldham County (26-6) Quarterfinal No. 1
Mason County coach Kelly Wells started the following lineup: 6-3 Jr. Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Jr. Jarrod Litzinger, 6-1 So. Wesley Jones, 6-0 Sr. Nathan Myrick, and 6-3 Jr. Chris Lofton. Oldham County coach Gary Forrest countered with 6-4 Sr. Brock Neal, 6-5 Sr. Matt Jacobson, 6-7 Jr. Max Kuiper, 5-10 Sr. Jarriot Huddleston, and 6-0 So. John McCarthy.
Mason County held a comfortable 35-14 lead midway through the second quarter but had to survive a furious Oldham County rally in which Oldham County pulled to within three, 39-36 in the third quarter, before Mason County claimed a 63-50 victory. Chris Lofton scored 10 points in the third quarter as Mason County regained control of the game to lead 53-40 at the end of the period. Mason County shot 51.1% from the field, including eight of 17 from the three point line and scored 24 points off 14 Oldham County turnovers. Oldham County shot 56.1% from the field, but was only one of six from beyond the arc.
Mason County was led by Chris Lofton with 19 points. Wesley Jones, Dustin Grutza, and Jarrod Litzinger with 14, 12 and 12 points respectively. Grutza also pulled down seven rebounds. Matt Jacobson led Oldham County with 19 points and nine rebounds. Brock Neal added 15 points while Max Kuiper chipped in with 10 points and nine rebounds.
|
Mason County |
22 |
15 |
16 |
10 |
- |
63 |
|
Oldham County |
12 |
14 |
14 |
10 |
- |
50 |
|
Mason County |
(63) - |
Grutza 12, Litzinger 12, Jones 14, Myrick 2, Lofton 19, Tibbs 2, Gilbert 2. |
|
Oldham County |
(50) - |
Neal 15, Jacobson 19, Kuiper 10, Huddleston 1, J. McCarthy 5. |
Daviess County (27-6) vs. Hopkinsville (32-2) Quarterfinal No. 2
Daviess County coach Curtis Turley started the following lineup: 6-0 Sr. John Davis, 6-3 Jr. Johnny Worth, 6-3 Jr. Seth Oldham, 5-8 Sr. Blake Wiggins, and 6-4 Sr. Matt West. Hopkinsville coach Terry Hayes countered with 6-4 So. Curtis Pulley, 6-3 Sr. Rontreal Braxton, 5-11 Jr. Josh Artis, 6-3 Jr. Keon Grant, and 5-9 Sr. Lartavious Banks.
Hopkinsville’s Lartavious Banks hit a layup with no time left on the clock to give his team a very controversial 61-59 victory over Daviess County. After viewing the replay, many questioned whether the winning shot was released before time expired. Daviess County trailed 55-47 midway through the final period before they rallied to take a 59-58 lead with 35 seconds remaining on a field goal and free throw by Matt West. Curtis Pulley tied the score 59-59 as he connected on one of two free throws with 21.6 seconds left. The last frenetic sequence unfolded as Josh Artis slapped the ball away from Matt West and passed the ball to Banks who scored. The Daviess County faithful also strongly felt that West was fouled on the play.
Hopkinsville shot 41.7% from the field, was 18 of 27 from the free throw line, and grabbed 21 rebounds. Hopkinsville scored 24 points off 21 Daviess County turnovers. Daviess County was 59% from the field, connected on 12 of 17 free throws, and pulled down 26 rebounds. Daviess County also scored 19 points off 15 Hopkinsville turnovers.
Hopkinsville was led by Curtis Pulley, Keon Grant, and Rontreal Braxton with 14, 13 and 10 points respectively. Daviess County was led by Matt West with 20 points. Seth Oldham added 13 points and seven rebounds while Blake Wiggins tallied 12 points.
|
Daviess County |
8 |
17 |
16 |
18 |
- |
59 |
|
Hopkinsville |
12 |
19 |
17 |
13 |
- |
61 |
|
Daviess County |
(59) - |
Davis 8, Worth 6, Oldham 13, Wiggins 12, West 20. |
|
Hopkinsville |
(61) - |
Pulley 14, Braxton 10, Artis 6, Grant 13, Banks 5, Lopez 9, Willis 4. |
Friday March 21st - Session No. 6
Warren Central (26-3) vs. Henry Clay (27-4) Quarterfinal No. 3
Warren Central coach Tim Riley started the following lineup: 6-6 Jr. Lonnell
DeWalt, 6-3 Jr. Brock Whitney, 6-8 Jr. Matt Maresca, 6-2 Sr. Brandon
Cummings, and 5-11 Jr. Ryan Anderson. 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, fueled by two late blocks by Bryan Turnage and a 6-0 run over the last 2:50, slipped by Warren Central by a score of 55-48. Henry Clay shot 42.1% from the field, connected on five of nine free throws, and pulled down 38 rebounds. Henry Clay also scored 16 points off 18 Warren Central turnovers. Warren Central shot 42.5% from the field, was nine of 14 from the free throw line, and grabbed 24 rebounds.
The victors were led by Lamont Campbell with 14 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. 6-2 Jr. Aubrey White came off the bench to add 12 points and nine rebounds. 5-11 Jr. Brandon Coles also came off the bench to add 11 points. Lonnell DeWalt led Warren Central with 19 points, eight rebounds, three blocked shots, and four steals. Brock Whitney and Brandon Cummings added eight and seven points respectively.
|
Warren Central |
19 |
9 |
10 |
10 |
- |
48 |
|
Henry Clay |
16 |
12 |
12 |
15 |
- |
55 |
|
Warren Central |
(48) - |
DeWalt 19, Whitney 8, Maresca 5, Cummings 7, R. Anderson 6, McFarland 3. |
|
Henry Clay |
(55) - |
Turnage 4, Harden 6, Patterson 4, Bowman 2, Campbell 14, Mitchell 2, Coles 11, White 12. |
Ballard (25-7) vs. Rose Hill Christian (27-8) Quarterfinal No. 4
Ballard coach Chris Renner started the following lineup: 6-1 Sr. Sherman Gulley, 6-1 Sr. Sean Booker, 6-3 So. Ravon Lee, 6-0 Sr. Dana Calhoun, and 5-11 Sr. Jordan Whitaker. Rose Hill Christian coach Jeff Hall countered with 6-5 Sr. Marques Dawson, 6-4 Sr. Mark King, 6-3 Sr. Josh Magnusson, 5-10 So. Zach Gillum, and 6-5 8th grader O. J. Mayo.
Ballard had to overcome an early 26-13 deficit to defeat Rose Hill Christian 83-78. Ballard sealed the victory by going nine of ten from the free throw line down the stretch. Rose Hill led 26-15 after the first quarter and 41-39 at the half behind 17 points including five three pointers by Mark King. Ballard broke a 64-64 tie early in the final period and never relinquished the lead. Ballard held a 53.4%-44.6% edge in field goal shooting and scored 20 points off 18 Rose Hill turnovers. Rose Hill held a 36-33 edge in rebounding and shot 35.7% (10 of 28) from the three point line.
Ballard was led by Jordan Whitaker with 22 points and Sherman Gulley added 15 points and seven rebounds. 6-3 Sr. Alex Hedges chipped in with 13 points and seven rebounds while Ravon Lee tallied 12 points and six rebounds. Rose Hill Christian was led O. J. Mayo with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Marques Dawson added 20 points, 10 rebounds, and six steals while Mark King scored all of his 17 points in the first half.
|
Ballard |
15 |
24 |
25 |
19 |
- |
83 |
|
Rose Hill Christian |
26 |
15 |
21 |
16 |
- |
78 |
|
Ballard |
(83) - |
Gulley 15, Booker 8, Lee 12, Calhoun 0, Whitaker 22, Baines 7, Hedges 13, Reeves 2, Grimes 4. |
|
Rose Hill Christian |
(78) - |
Dawson 20, King 17, Magnusson 8, Z. Gillum 3, Mayo 25, Frazier 5. |
Saturday March 22nd - Session No. 7
Hopkinsville (33-2) vs. Mason County (33-2) Semifinal No. 1
Hopkinsville coach Terry Hayes started the following lineup: 6-4 So. Curtis Pulley, 6-3 Sr. Rontreal Braxton, 5-11 Jr. Josh Artis, 6-3 Jr. Keon Grant, and 5-9 Sr. Lartavious Banks. Mason County coach Kelly Wells countered with 6-3 Jr. Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Jr. Jarrod Litzinger, 6-1 So. Wesley Jones, 6-0 Sr. Nathan Myrick, and 6-3 Jr. Chris Lofton.
Hopkinsville led 51-47 early in the fourth quarter but Mason County went on a 17-3 run to take a 64-54 lead on their way to a 75-63 victory. Mason County’s defensive pressure and deadly free throw shooting were instrumental in the Royals’ comeback and subsequent victory. Hopkinsville held a 54.2%-50% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded Mason County 30-25 but Mason County scored 29 points off 20 Hopkinsville turnovers. Mason County was 14 of 17 from the free throw line.
The victors were led today by Chris Lofton with 30 points including four of five from the three point line. Wesley Jones and Dustin Grutza added 19 and 12 points respectively. Hopkinsville was led by Rontreal Braxton with 22 points and eight rebounds. Lartavious Banks added 14 points, five rebounds, and six assists while Curtis Pulley chipped in with 13 points and seven rebounds.
|
Hopkinsville |
18 |
13 |
18 |
14 |
- |
63 |
|
Mason County |
17 |
13 |
17 |
28 |
- |
75 |
|
Hopkinsville |
(63) - |
Pulley 13, Braxton 22, Artis 1, Grant 8, Banks 14, Lopez 3, Willis 2. |
|
Mason County |
(75) - |
Grutza 12, Litzinger 8, Jones 19, Myrick 6, Lofton 30. |
Ballard (26-7) vs. Henry Clay (28-4) Semifinal No. 2
Ballard coach Chris Renner started the following lineup: 6-1 Sr. Sherman Gulley, 6-1 Sr. Sean Booker, 6-3 So. Ravon Lee, 6-0 Sr. Dana Calhoun, and 5-11 Sr. Jordan Whitaker. 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 led 37-33 at the half but Ballard outscored the Blue Devils 25-14 in the third quarter on their way to an 84-77 victory. Henry Clay got a scare in the second quarter as star point guard Lamont Campbell took a blow to the face midway through the second quarter but managed to return to the game early in the third quarter. Ballard shot 50.8% from the field, was 20 of 26 from the free throw line, and grabbed 33 rebounds. Henry Clay shot 45.1% from the field, was 28 of 34 from the free throw line, and pulled down 31 rebounds. Ballard scored 26 points off 27 Henry Clay turnovers while Henry Clay scored 28 points off 23 Ballard turnovers.
The victors were led by Sean Booker with 19 points, five rebounds, four assists, and seven steals. Ravon Lee added 16 points and 10 rebounds. Jordan Whitaker, 6-3 Sr. Alex Hedges, and 6-6 Jr. Greg Grimes added 12, 12, and 11 points respectively. Henry Clay was led by Lamont Campbell with 20 points, including 12 of 16 free throws, and dished out five assists. 5-11 Jr. Brandon Coles added 11 points and Joe Harden, 6-2 Jr. Aubrey White, and John Patterson chipped in with 10 points each. Bryan Turnage and Aubrey White pulled down eight and seven rebounds respectively.
|
Ballard |
17 |
16 |
25 |
26 |
- |
84 |
|
Henry Clay |
12 |
25 |
14 |
26 |
- |
77 |
|
Ballard |
(84) - |
Gulley 5, Booker 19, Lee 16, Calhoun 3, Whitaker 12, Baines 4, Hedges 12, Reeves 2, Grimes 11. |
|
Henry Clay |
(77) - |
Turnage 7, Harden 10, Patterson 10, Bowman 7, Campbell 20, Mitchell 2, Coles 11, White 10. |
Saturday March 22nd - Session No. 8
Ballard (27-7) vs. Mason County (34-2) Championship Game
Ballard coach Chris Renner started the following lineup: 6-1 Sr. Sherman Gulley, 6-1 Sr. Sean Booker, 6-3 So. Ravon Lee, 6-0 Sr. Dana Calhoun, and 5-11 Sr. Jordan Whitaker. Mason County coach Kelly Wells countered with 6-3 Jr. Dustin Grutza, 6-3 Jr. Jarrod Litzinger, 6-1 So. Wesley Jones, 6-0 Sr. Nathan Myrick, and 6-3 Jr. Chris Lofton.
The red-hot Mason County Royals (55.8% from the field and 60.9% from the three point line (14-23)) defeated Ballard 86-65 to claim the championship. Mason County led by 20 in the third quarter but Ballard cut the lead to 10, 68-58, in the final quarter before Mason County rallied to put the game out of reach.
Mason County was led by Chris Lofton with 39 points. Lofton was 11 of 17 from the field including nine of 12 from the three point line. Lofton’s nine “3s” tied a tourney record previously set by Richie Farmer of Clay County. Mason County’s 14 “3s” set a new single game team record. Dustin Grutza added 11 points. Ballard was led by 6-3 Sr. Alex Hedges and 6-6 Jr. Greg Grimes with 15 and 12 points respectively. 6-2 Sr. Quillan Grimes added nine points.
|
Ballard |
16 |
12 |
20 |
17 |
- |
65 |
|
Mason County |
21 |
21 |
20 |
24 |
- |
86 |
|
Ballard |
(65) - |
Gulley 7, Booker 7, Lee 6, Calhoun 0, Whitaker 8, Baines 9, Hedges 15, Reeves 1, Grimes 12. |
|
Mason County |
(86) - |
Grutza 11, Litzinger 0, Jones 7, Myrick 8, Lofton 39, Vice 8, Gilbert 4, Tibbs 9. |
All Tournament Team
|
Dustin Grutza |
|
6-3 |
|
Jr. |
|
Mason County |
4 games |
9.3 PPG |
5.8 RPG |
|
|
Jordan Whitaker |
|
5-11 |
|
Sr. |
|
Ballard |
4 games |
12.3 PPG |
|
|
|
Rontreal Braxton |
|
6-3 |
|
Sr. |
|
Hopkinsville |
3 games |
17.7 PPG |
5.3 RPG |
|
|
Lamont Campbell |
|
5-10 |
|
Sr. |
|
Henry Clay |
3 games |
20.7 PPG |
4.7 RPG |
4.3 APG |
|
Lonnell DeWalt |
|
6-6 |
|
Jr. |
|
Warren Central |
2 games |
16.5 PPG |
10.0 RPG |
|
|
Marques Dawson |
|
6-5 |
|
Sr. |
|
Rose Hill Christian |
2 games |
17.5 PPG |
9.5 RPG |
5.0 SPG |
|
Max Kuiper |
|
6-7 |
|
Jr. |
|
Oldham County |
2 games |
16.5 PPG |
9.0 RPG |
|
|
Matt West |
|
6-4 |
|
Sr. |
|
Daviess County |
2 games |
20.0 PPG |
4.5 RPG |
|
|
Ravon Lee |
|
6-3 |
|
So. |
|
Ballard |
4 games |
11.5 PPG |
7.0 RPG |
|
|
Wesley Jones |
|
6-1 |
|
So. |
|
Mason County |
4 games |
14.3 PPG |
|
|
|
O. J. Mayo |
|
6-5 |
|
8th |
|
Rose Hill Christian |
2 games |
19.0 PPG |
11.0 RPG |
|
|
Andre Woodson |
|
6-5 |
|
Sr. |
|
North Hardin |
1 game |
25.0 PPG |
10.0 RPG |
|
|
Lartavious Banks |
|
5-9 |
|
Sr. |
|
Hopkinsville |
3 games |
10.3 PPG |
4.7 RPG |
3.7 APG |
|
Chris Lofton |
|
6-3 |
|
Jr. |
|
Mason County |
4 games |
26.2 PPG |
5.0 RPG |
M.V.P. |
|
Sean Booker |
|
6-1 |
|
Sr. |
|
Ballard |
4 games |
12.8 PPG |
5.3 RPG |
4.0 APG |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Conclusion
Many people discussed the teams that did not make it here this year, like Lexington Catholic, Pleasure Ridge Park, and Apollo, but let’s look at the accomplishments of the champion Mason County. They claimed the Fifth Third Holiday Classic, were runner-up in the King of the Bluegrass, captured the Mason County Invitational title, and topped their season with the big prize. Coach Kelly Wells’ squad finished 35-2 this season and some of their victories came over Eastern, North Hardin, Highlands, Lexington Catholic, Scott County, Hopkinsville, Ballard, etc. Their losses came at the hands of Apollo and Lexington Catholic. Tourney MVP Chris Lofton had a fantastic week. Lofton averaged 26.3 ppg on 36 of 61 field goals (59%), including 17 of 30 from the three point line (56.6%), and canned 16 of 17 free throws (94.1%). Lofton prefers substance over flash and lets his game speak for itself
Coach Chris Renner did an excellent job with Ballard but the Bruins had the misfortune to run into a very cohesive, well-coached Mason County and a buzzsaw named Chris Lofton. Western Kentucky gave us fine squads in Hopkinsville and Warren Central. Who can forget the agony of defeat Daviess County suffered on the last second disputed shot? Rose Hill had a good tourney but finally wore down against Ballard. Henry Clay was not even supposed to win their district but someone forgot to tell the “old fox” Coach Kirk Chiles. They kept scratching and clawing and made it all the way to the state semifinals before they lost.
I have written a rather simplistic approach about this event. There are no losers in the Sweet 16 and it is a great honor to walk out on the floor at Rupp Arena and represent your school and region. Congratulations to Coach Kelly Wells and the Mason County Royals for the championship. I had Mason County ranked in my top 15 to start the season with an excellent chance of moving into the top ten, but I thought the lack of size would keep them out of the top spot. This is another prime example of why the games are played on the court and not decided on paper.
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 special thanks to WL Stats for all their hard work providing all the computerized stats for the various media and website.
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.