The Medical Leader

Jason Booher comments

booher

At Pikeville

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

BHS (16-9)…..6  14  25  30 — 65

SV (27-4)…..17  34  33  16 — 100

Scoring:

BHS (65) — Jordan Varney 1(2) 2-2 10; Morgan Bentley 7 5-6 19; Thomas Varney 1(1) 0-0 5; Joey Pinson 8 5-6 21; and Jordan Hairston 3 4-5 10. Totals: 20(3) 16-19 65.

SV (100) — Elisha Justice 4 6-6 14; Ashley Hatfield 5(3) 5-7 24; Taylor Newsome 1(2) 0-0 8; Cody Varney 4(1) 1-4 12; Tyler Newsome 6 2-4 14; Jacob Robinson 2 0-0 4; Logan Lucas 1 0-0 2; Zach Ramey 3(2) 0-0 12; Colton Damron 1 0-0 2; Rusty Roberts 1 0-0 2; Tanner Tackett 1 0-1 2; and Dillon Tackett 2 0-0 4. Totals: 31(8) 14-22 100.

Next up: Shelby Valley (27-4) vs. Betsy Layne, 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, 15th Region championship.

Fourth Quarter

SV 100, Belfry 65 Final

Third Quarter

SV 84, Belfry 45 after 3

Second Quarter

SV ahead 51-20 at the half

5:41 Joey Pinson putback ends bleeding for Belfry, 25-8.

5:38 Cody Varney free throw extends SV lead to 25-6. Valley starts quarter 8-0 run.

5:58 Tyler Newsome basket puts it at 25-6.

First Quarter

Valley leads 17-6 after one. Valley ended quarter with 13-2 run.

2:31 Ashley Hatfield dunk puts SV ahead 8-4. Hatfield has 6 of Valley’s first eight points.

3:45 Thomas Varney layup…. Belfry up 6-4

at Pikeville

15th Region Semifinals

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

BL (20-6)…10  11  19  24 — 64

LC (21-7)..18   7  13  20 — 58

Scoring:

BL (64) — Nathan Martin 1(1) 2-2 7; Bryce Adkins 2(1) 3-4 10; Casey Adkins 7 2-3 16; Jordan Newman 5 6-7 16; Adam Howell 0(2) 1-2 7; Steven Johnson 1 2-2 4; and Colt Stumbo 1 2-3 4. Totals: 17(4) 18-23 64.

LC (58) — Wade Skaggs 2(5) 5-6 24; Joel Baldwin 08-10 8; Blake Bradley 2 2-6 6; Lucas Frasher 5 1-2 11; Michael Adkins 1 1-2 3; Larry West 1 1-2 3; and Matt Marcum 0(1) 0-0 3. Totals: 11(6) 18-28 58.

Next up: Betsy Layne (20-6) vs. Shelby Valley/Belfry winner, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, 15th Region championship.

Fourth Quarter

BL 64, LC 58 Final!

Game is on ice… Betsy Layne in the regional finals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:15.7 Bryce Adkins hits a free throw 62-58.

:24.1 Wade Skaggs’ 3-pointer puts it to within three at 61-58

:36 Nathan Martin 2 free throws extends BL’s lead to 60-55

1:41 LC 2 free throws 58-55

1:48 Casey Adkins basket extends BL’s lead to five at 58-53

2:12 BL Adam Howell 3-pointer 56-53… Interesting note: On the prior play, BLHS head coach Junior Newsome tried to take Howell out of the game. The official did not let it hapen because the ball was already in play.

2:28 Wade Skaggs drives to the basket,… ties the game at 53. LC 7-0 run

3:22 Licas Frasher off BL turnover cuts it to two 53-51

3:47 Wade Skaggs’ 3-pointer makes it a four-point game…. BL 53, LC 49

4:10 Colt Stumbo’s 2 free throws puts BL ahead 53-46

4:22 LC’s Lucas Fraser hits a free throw…. BL 51, LC 46….  LC has hit one field goal this quarter

4:29 Joel Baldwin’s 2 free throws trims LC’s margin to six at 51-45

4:50 Steven Johnson jumper gives BL a 49-42 lead

6:25 Jordan Newman hit four straight free throws to give BL its biggest lead of the game at 46-40.

Third Quarter

BL 40, LC 38 after 3

4:20 BL 33, LC 30

Second Quarter

LC 25, BL 21 at half

4:42 Dunk by Betsy Layne’s Jordan Newman. Bringing Betsy Layne to their first lead of the game 21-20

6:44 Lawrence County 20- Betsy Layne 15 after two missed FTs by LC’s Bradley.

First Quarter

Buzzer BL’s Nathan Martin hits shot at buzzer to cut margin to eight at 18-10.

2:32 Casey Adkins 3-point play ends drought… shrinks BL’s margin to 6 at 13-7.

3:02 Lucas Frasher putbak puts LC up 13-4. 7-0 LC run.

4:00 Wade Skagg’s 3 puts LC ahead 11-4

Betsy Layne is going for its 20th win tonight. The Bobcats (19-7), the 58th District champions, are led senior Bryce Adkins (15 ppg.), junior Nathan Martin (14 ppg.) and senior Jordan Newman (10 ppg.).

The two teams did not meet in the regular season.

Lawrence County (21-6), the defending two-time 57th District champions, will look to earn a spot in the regional championship for the second consecutive year. The Bulldogs are led by junior Wade Skaggs (17 ppg.) and senior Lucas Frasher (14 ppg.).

Lawrence Oounty has the edge in this game. The Bulldogs’ speed leads to many transition baskets and allows them to create many turnovers. Betsy Layne must contain the pressure and avoid falling into the trap of running with the Bulldogs.

Stay tuned… The field of four will be two by the end of the night.

In a letter sent out to statewide coaches by Shelby Valley High School head basketball coach Jason Booher encouraging them to vite for Elisha Justice for Mr. Basketball, Booher quoted Louisville men’s coach Rick Pitnio referring to Justice as the “bullet.”

Booher said Pitino, who signed Justice to his Louisville team this year, is as fast as a bullet.

If Justice has a solid regional tournament, wins the title and has a good state tournament showing, he could be in the thick of the Mr. Basketball chase.

What Elisha has accomplished is incredible. Bringing the state’s top basketball honor back to the mountains will solidify his stance as one of the best to ever play the game in eastern Kentucky.

Check out more photos of the championship at www.flickr.com/medicalleader

Rick Mounts

coach-rick-mounts

Alexis Howard

alexis

Check out up-to-date photos at www.flickr.com/medicalleader

For a subscription to the Medical Leader’s e-edition, log on to www.medicalleader.org and register your e-mail address. It’s as easy as opening a PDF document

JJ Bevins, Tournament MVP. Will post all-tournament later. WOrking on photos and audio of Rick Mounts and Alexis Howard, who hit game-winning shot with :01.2 left in the game.

At Pikeville

(15th Region Championship)

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

PCC (14-13)…..8  12  12  7 — 39

BHS (23-7)…..5  9  13  13  — 40

Scoring:

PCC (39) — Holly Harris 4 5-7 13; Hannah Thompson 0 2-5 2; Reagan Clark 3 0-0 6; Taylor Murphy 2 2-2 3; Kassidy Prater 1 0-0 2; Mia Coleman 1 0-0 2; Savannah Fields 1(2) 1-2 9. Totals: 12(2) 9-15 39.

BHS (40) — Alexis Howard 1(2) 0-1 8; JJ Bevins 2(1) 9-9 16; Amy McCoy 3 3-6 9; Meghan Staten 2 0-0 4; Caitlyn Woolum 1 1-4 3. Totals: 9(3) 13-20 40.

Next up: Belfry vs. Region 11 winner, Sweet Sixteen, Western Kentucky University, TBA.

Fourth Quarter

Belfry wins 40-39…. Scoring forthcoming.

BHS’ Meghan Staten basket puts Belfry to within two at 35-33 with 2:24 left

PC’s Savannah Fields makes a free throw with 2:5q left to extend lead to 35-31

JJ Bevins makes 2 free throws to trim Belfry’s margin to 34-31 with 3:39 left.

Belfry timeout 4:00 left. PC 34, BHS 29. PC starting to stall the ball.

Belfry’s Caitlyn Woolum’s 2 free throws cuts it to 34-27

PC’s Cassidy Prater 15-foot jumper with 5:47 left gives them a 34-25 lead

Third Quarter

PC 32, Belfry 27 after 3

Photos of first half on our flickr page at www.flickr/medicalleader

PC’s Taylor Murphy’s 3-point play  with :55.7 gives the Lady Hawks a 32-26 lead

2:46 PC Megan Clark putback 26-24 PC

3:05 Belfry’s JJ Bevins makes two free throws to tie the game at 24. Third tie of the game

PC ahead 24-22 with 3:20 left

HAFTIME NOTES: Pike Central’s Savannah Fields had eight points off the bench, all in the second quarter. The Lady Hawks did not trail in the second half.

The margin at halftime (four points) was PC’s largest lead.

The 1985 Johnson Central Lady Eagles were honored at halftime of the championship game.

Second Quarter

PC 20, Belfry 14 at half

:07.5 PC’s Holly Harris makes 2 free throws, 20-14 PC.

1:03 Amy McCoy free throw puts BHS to within four at 18-14

1:22 Harris layup pus PC ahead 18-13

1:57 Belfry’s Alexis Howard picks up second foul

2:20 Belfry’s JJ Bevins picks up her third foul…leaves the game

First Quarter

Belfry goes 7:30 without a basket in the first.

PC 8, Belfry 5 after one

What’s more difficult than beating a team three times?

Beating them four times.

That’s the task in front of the Belfry Lady Pirates tonight as they go for their first regional title in 11 seasons.

Belfry (22-7) comes into tonight’s game with a 22-7 mark. They defeated Pike Central last week in a 67-66 thriller in the 60^th District title game at the BHS gymnasium. The Lady Bucs’ other two wins against Central (14-12) came in a 75-66 decision at home on February 5 and a 71-69 overtime victory on January 16 at the Hawks’ Nest.

“We know that when we play, we are going to get their best shot,” Belfry coach Rick Mounts said. “They [Pike Central] are playing very well, and this is the time of year when you want to play your best basketball.”

Pike Central, led by senior guards Holly Harris and Hannah Thompson, will be going for its third regional title in six years. The Lady Hawks won regional titles in 2004 and 2007. In 2007, the team earned a spot in the state semifinals.

MY THOUGHTS: It’s going to take more than JJ Bevins for Belfry. The sharpshooting junior had 26 points in a win over Lawrence County in the semifinals, and Meghan Staten added 10 points, most of them came early in the game.

The Lady Pirates must storm out of the gate, avoid playing from behind and control the tempo of the game.

For Pike Central, it comes down to experience. Holly Harris and Hannah Thompson has played in big games. Their careers have spanned seven seasons, six regional championship game appearances and two regional titles.

The two guards have showed poise and leadership throughout the tournament.

As these two players go, so does the Lady Hawks.

If Thompson and Harris combine for 35 points, it could be a “sweet” ending and another Sweet Sixteen appearance.

Here are some tidbits on tomorrow’s girl’s championship.

Pike Central won the regional title in 2004 and 2007. During its 2007 tournament run, they made it to the final four. Senior guards Holly Harris and Hannah Thompson played on both teams.

When I worked in Williamson, W.Va., I interviewed Holly and Hannah during the 2004 Sweet Sixteen where they dressed and sat on the end of the bench as sixth-graders at Johns Creek Grade School.

In the Lady Hawks’ regional wins in 2004 and 2007, they beat Belfry.

The Lady Pirates last won a regional title in 1999 under current Pikeville coach Cindy Halbert.

See ya at the games…