After leading through the first half of play, the Aces couldn’t stop Pikeville’s offensive showcase in the second half and fell 69-51 in the first game of the All A State Tournament.
Owensboro Catholic’s offense didn’t get off to a great start, but they were able to hold the Panthers to single digits and went into the second quarter owning an 11-7 lead.
Pikeville bounced back in the second quarter thanks to the duo of sophomore Heath Jarrell and senior Nick Robinson as they combined for 13 points.
While the Aces were outscored in the quarter, they remained out in front 23-22 at halftime.
Pikeville came out of the locker room firing from deep to open up the second half, getting 15 points from beyond the arc.
Junior Rylee Salmons (three) and senior Laithan Hall’s (two) combined five threes in the quarter accounted for nearly all of the Panthers points, as they took a 44-35 lead into the fourth.
Junior Ji Webb tried to give the Aces a spark in the final quarter of play, scoring 10 of the team’s 16 points.
However, Pikeville was able to crack the 20-point mark for the second straight quarter, as Owensboro Catholic had no answer and ultimately fell 69-51.
Salmons led all scorers with 24 points on the day, while Robinson (13) and senior Keian Worrix (10) both finished in double figures.
Junior Brian Griffith led the Aces with 17 points on the day, while Webb was the only other player in double figures with 16 points.
The loss snaps a three-game winning streak for Owensboro Catholic, as they fall to 11-10 before returning to action on Feb. 4 against Daviess County.
