Pressing early on defense, Owensboro Catholic jumped out to a quick 17-3 lead over Grayson County and never looked back – cruising to an impressive 74-38 win. The Lady Aces have clinched their spot in the 3rd Region Championship game on Sunday at 3 pm against Daviess County.
“I thought we came out and hit some shots early, helped us play defense really well and turn them over. We got some easy buckets and that led to a big lead which we were able to capitalize.”
Karmin Riley helped set the tone early, hitting two threes in the first few minutes. The senior knew immediately she was in for a terrific shooting night.
“Every single time I hit the first shot of the game, I automatically know my shot is on, and I am going to keep shooting,” Riley said.
Taylor Mannahan, Aubrey Randolph, and Claudia Munsey also caught fire from deep, making it virtually impossible for Grayson County to settle in on defense.
Taking a 22-9 lead into the second quarter, the Lady Aces led 42-16 at the half. Randolph finished with 12 points in the half, hitting a three in each quarter. Riley also entered the half with 12 points after hitting four threes.
Riley hit her fifth three of the game in the third quarter, finishing with 15 points on the night. After only scoring two points in the first half, Sophia Newby added seven of her nine points in the third, while Randolph added five points.
With the game out of reach in the fourth quarter, Owensboro Catholic was able to go deep into their bench, allowing the younger girls some playing time.
“I liked being able to see them get out there on the floor and play hard,” Owensboro Catholic head coach Michael Robertson said. “They did a good job of what we asked them.”
Randolph led the way with 17 points, while Riley (15) and Muncey (10) also finished in double figures.
Up next is Daviess County, who the Lady Aces are 3-0 against this year, with their most recent win coming in the 9th District Championship. Robertson is hoping tonight’s shooting performance will carry over to Sunday.
“We will need everybody,” Robertson said. “That is a big thing. If you look across the board, no one is scoring 20 points. We are getting multiple people in double figures. That is really hard to guard when you are getting three and four people in double figures because you can’t focus on one person.”
Daviess County takes down Breckinridge County
After her first shot of the game went through, Daviess County’s Zoey Beehn knew she was in the zone. The senior immediately affected the game on both sides of the court, allowing Daviess County to take a 20-7 lead into the second quarter. She finished with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds in the Lady Panthers’ 51-39 win over Breckinridge County to advance to the 3rd Region Championship.
“Zoey is playing her best basketball of her career this past month and not just with her scoring, but her ability to defend,” Daviess County head coach Natalie Payne said. “She can get key blocks and rebounds, and she helps us break presses. She is an all-around force for us.”
With all eyes on Beehn, the extra defensive attention allowed the Lady Panthers to find themselves open from deep, with Lily Hoagland, Kennedy Lane, and Riley Hayden combining for five threes in the first half.
After being held scoreless in the first quarter, the Lady Tigers’ Elizabeth Grimes started attacking the hoop, scoring six of her 15 points in the second quarter.
“We wanted to stay down on her because she is a good driver,” Lane said. “It was super important to stop her because she is their main player.”
Trailing 25-16 at the half, the Lady Tigers Rowan Radaszewski hit twice from deep in the third quarter, but Hoagland, Beehn, and Hayden all responded with threes of their own. In the fourth quarter, Grimes attempted to will her team to the finish line – scoring seven points, but Lane shut the door. The junior scored eight points, including a pair of clutch free throws to end the scoring threat.
“Kennedy gets pressed for scoring, and people look at her as just a scorer, but Lane was a warrior for me,” Payne said. “I told her in warmups you’re not just a scorer and to go out and prove to everyone in the gym that she is more than that. She stepped up big in key moments and made a lot of key plays.”
Lane led all scorers with 16 points, while Beehn (14) and Hoagland (12) also finished in double-figures. As a team, the Lady Panthers shot 10-16 from deep and 15-37 from the field, while holding the Lady Tigers to 14-41 shooting.
Next up is their fourth matchup with Owensboro Catholic and Beehn said her team needs to handle the pressure that will be thrown at them. She acknowledged that was an issue for the team early in the season, but not anymore.
“DC has never won a region, so it would be cool to do something that has never been done,” Beehn said. “And then just leave.”
