Fullcourt pressure from Meade County stifled the Lady Aces offense as the game progressed on Monday, resulting in a 59-42 loss.
It took a minute and a half before both teams got on the board, but a layup by junior Hailee Johnson after a steal from sophomore Aubrey Randolph followed by a three from Lady Waves standout Peyton Bradley really got things rolling. More so in Meade County’s favor early, as they proceeded to go on an 8-2 run to take an 11-4 lead halfway through the first.
Owensboro Catholic clawed back quickly though, going on a 7-0 run of their own that was capped off by a Karmin Riley three to knot things up at 11-11. However, the Lady Waves were able to break through Owensboro Catholic’s zone a few times in the final minute to take a 14-13 lead into the second quarter.
The Lady Aces were able to stifle Meade County in the second though, limiting them to nine points. Meanwhile, Riley had knocked down her second three of the night and had five points for the second straight quarter en route to a narrow 24-23 halftime lead for Owensboro Catholic.
The Lady Aces didn’t have much luck coming out of the locker room though, as Meade County’s defensive pressure made it hard for Owensboro Catholic to get deep into their offensive sets. This led to an eight-point quarter for the Lady Aces, as the Lady Waves lead grew to 42-32 with a buzzer-beating three sending the game into the fourth.
“I think we were open all night long, I just don’t think we were able to see the people cutting,” Head Coach Michael Robertson said. “Their ball pressure was so exceptional that they were running two and three people at us and instead of getting our head up and hitting that next person, we had our head down dribbling and you can’t see that person cutting with you’ve got your head down.”
Owensboro Catholic wasn’t able to correct their miscues in the fourth either, as Meade County’s offense continued to run smoothly as they used a 17-point fourth to close the door on a 59-42 win. Following the game Robertson tipped his cap to the Lady Waves, saying that their intensity led to winning loose balls, hitting timely shots and ultimately wearing down the Lady Aces.
“Our body language just got deflated,” Robertson said. “Let’s just be truthful with it. We didn’t like it when they were physical with us. Instead of taking it up strong we tried to get a foul call. We just gotta learn to play stronger.”
Johnson and Riley were the only players in double figures for Owensboro Catholic, finishing with 15 and 14 points. Riley hit the only two threes for the Lady Aces on the night, as they dropped their second third region matchup of the season and fell to 18-6 overall.
Knowing that they could potentially see Meade County down the road in the postseason, Robertson said it’s back to the drawing board. He went on to say that confidence will also be key as the regular season nears its end, saying that while the Lady Aces played hard it was Meade County’s confidence that they would win that pushed them to victory.
“I’m going to have to watch this one,” Robertson said. “I’ve gotta figure them out a little more. I like what they’ve got. They’re legit. Like I said, they’re connected. They know each other’s role and they don’t try to do too much.”
Owensboro Catholic now has a few days to regroup before its last regular season district game, as they are set to rematch Owensboro at home at 6 p.m. Friday.
