Shalyn Sprinkles scored 27 points to lead the Lady Red Devils to a 51-34 win over a strong Lady Panthers team. This victory means OHS will make their return to the district championship where they will face off against reigning champions and rivals Owensboro Catholic on Feb. 29.
Sprinkles kicked things off with a three pointer to open the scoring. Unique Carter-Swanagan’s hustle early on set the tone for OHS after she poked the ball free and went diving to save the ball from going out. Owensboro head coach Jansen Locher made it a point for the team to come out and play as hard as they could for the whole game as he felt they lacked the intensity in their previous meeting with the Lady Panthers.
“We honestly felt like the first two times we played them we lacked energy,” he said. “We played just a little nervous and we didn’t play how we could. Coming into tonight, we had to bring energy for 32 minutes. No matter what’s going on. If we’re winning, losing, missing shots or making shots, bring energy and the rest will take care of itself.”
Daviess County then got their first points on the board with two back-to-back drives to the basket to take the lead 4-3. This would go on to be their only points in the quarter as the Lady Red Devils’ defense began to shut down the Lady Panthers to gain a foothold by the end of the first quarter at 12-4.
Zoey Beehn started the second quarter off with a strong block for Daviess County. After OHS added 3 more free throws to the score, Carter-Swanagan kept the scoring run from the first quarter going as she made an open three at the top of the key. Kennedy Lane got the Lady Panthers offense moving again by answering back with a three of her own to put the score at 18-7. Following a three from Sprinkles off an assist by Keeley Harris, the Lady Panthers’ offense pushed back with 7 points in a row that ended with a 3 from Briley Henry. Sprinkles answered with a bucket, and she followed it up with a steal that led to another easy layup. The halftime score saw OHS leading 27-14.
Sprinkles continued to be a pain for DCHS as she opened the second half with a quick steal that turned into another easy basket for her. Daviess County began to find their rhythm on offense as their ball movement led to an open three for Emme Roberts. Lily Hoagland’s steal on the inbound pass led to another wide open three at the top of the key, but this time for Beehn. After a step-back three from Harris, Lane drew a foul on her drive through the lane and sank the free throw to end the third quarter at 37-28.
Beehn’s bucket in the post opened the final quarter and brought the gap between the two teams to just 7 points at 37-30. Aside from a corner three by Hoagland, OHS held DCHS back on defense while they secured a comfy lead to close out the game on. After she made 2 free throws, A’Lryica Hughes got a steal and a quick basket with 5 minutes left in the game. She then assisted on a contested three by Sprinkles and forced a jump ball to put the nail in the coffin. Sprinkles made a final free throw to close out the game at 51-34.
Sprinkles’ 27 points, 3 threes, 6 steals and 6 out of 8 free throws led the Lady Red Devils. Carter-Swanagan followed behind with a three to go along with her 9 points. Leading the Lady Panthers in scoring was Lane with a three to go along with her 11 points. Hoagland followed behind with a three and 8 points as well.
Despite an early end to their postseason, Daviess County still boasts an impressive 21-8 record on the season and they finished as one of the top teams in Region 3. This game also concluded Lady Panthers head coach Natalie Payne’s first season at the helm. She expressed her pride in the team achieving the program’s first 20+ win season since the 2015-2016 season after quickly buying into a new coaching system.
“Tonight showed that there are some things that we need to work on to get better for next year,” she said. “Hats off to Owensboro, they were the tougher team tonight. Overall, I am proud of this team and how much we have grown throughout the course of this season. This is the team’s first 20+ winning season since 2015-2016. It’s been a blessing to coach this group. They have stayed committed and trusted the process. With me being a new coach, I couldn’t have asked for more buy in. They bought in from day one, have shown up every day eager to learn and get better. You can’t ask for more than that.”
“We will continue to build upon what we accomplished this season,” she continued. “I wouldn’t want to go to battle with any other crew. This team, this culture that we are building is special. I love this team.”
Locher and the Lady Red Devils will make their return to the district championship game where they will have their rematch of last year’s final against Owensboro Catholic. Locher said the team’s goal this year is to be the one’s cutting the net down after all is said and done.
“We got a taste of it last year,” he said. “It didn’t end how we wanted it to, but we made it to the finals. We’re taking it one game at a time. We want to try to cut down nets here for district. That’s been a goal for us. As excited as we are for regionals, we’re excited for Thursday night. Two of the better teams in the region, in my opinion, are going to go at it. I think it’s going to be a nice crowd here that night, and I just hope everybody enjoys the atmosphere. It could be a preview of what’s to come in region.”
