GIRLS' 5TH REGION BASKETBALL: LaRue County feeling no pressure against No. 1 Marion (03/05)

During practice Monday afternoon before the biggest game of their high-school careers, the LaRue County Lady Hawks were foot-loose and fancy-free.

The way they look at it, they’ve already achieved their main goal of advancing to the Girls’ 5th Region Basketball Tournament’s championship game for the first time in the program’s 39-year history. So whatever happens at Green County High School at 7:30 tonight against the 20th District Tournament champion Marion County Lady Knights (34-0) will be icing on an already delicious cake for the Lady Hawks (27-5).

“I’m just anxious,” said LaRue County sophomore point guard Alexis Brewer, who is averaging 21.3 points per game in the postseason. “There’s been a lot of big games, but I think in this one, we’re going to come out more ready than we ever have.”

That would be a change from their previous three games in which the Lady Hawks led by one point early in the third quarter against Caverna in the district final and let Adair County and Nelson County have chances to tie or take the lead in the final minute in their region tournament quarterfinal and semifinal games, respectively.

Maybe the Lady Hawks felt pressure the other games. They swept Caverna in the regular season, were looking to atone for a home loss to Adair County and had already beaten Nelson County once this season.

Now there is no pressure. As previously mentioned, LaRue County is in the final for the first time. Marion County is in it for the 13th time overall – matching Elizabethtown for most – and the Lady Knights are playing for the title for the fifth straight year, which is second in the girls’ region only to Elizabethtown’s seven-season run of three championships and four runner-up finishes from 2006-12.

“We are pressure free because no one though we would get there and everyone doubted us,” Brewer said. “And we are there. They’re like No. 6 (actually No. 7) in the nation, so they’re supposed to smash everybody. So we have no pressure. All the pressure’s on them. We have nothing to lose.”

Not to mention, Marion County:

* Is ranked No. 1 in the state by The Associated Press.

* Has the Naismith Award National Coach of the Year in Trent Milby.

* Has three NCAA Division-I signees in point guard Makayla Epps (Kentucky) and forwards Kyvin Goodin-Rogers (Kentucky) and Logan Powell (Norfolk State).

* Has two other upperclasswomen, senior guard Patrice Tonge and junior forward Alexus Calhoun (yet to accept offer from Morehead State), who are considering D-I possibilities.

* Has an underclasswoman, eighth-grade guard Haeli Howard, who is ranked ninth in her class nationally by writer Bret McCormick of the All-Star Girls Report.

* Has the region’s first girls’ McDonald’s All-American (Epps).

* Has two of the five Kentucky Miss Basketball finalists (Epps and Goodin-Rogers).

* Has won its last 41 games against region foes.

With everything Marion County has going for it, plus everything LaRue County has going against it, Lady Hawks senior forward Haley Holt said she is pretty relaxed heading into tonight.

“I’m excited to be in the final still and I guess I’m just ready to get there,” said Holt, who has been a second-half spark in her team’s last two wins and said the pressure is all on Marion County. “I guess it’s because no one expects us to go out there and beat them. We have nothing to lose and just everything to gain.”

On the other hand, Marion County is facing a red-hot, star-studded team in its own right. The Lady Hawks have won nine straight games and 16 of their last 17. They also feature two players who have been scouted by D-I coaches in Brewer and junior wing Ivy Brown.

“They’re good. I mean, they’re really good, but I think we can give them a shot,” said Brown, who has led her team in scoring in all four postseason games. Brown’s postseason scoring average moved to 26.3 points per game after her 27-point effort against Nelson County. “I think if we play like we can, I think we can handle them. But we’ve just got to come out ready.”

The Lady Hawks have to be ready to handle Marion County’s defense. Down three points early in the second half, Marion County forced Elizabethtown into 22 eventual turnovers – 19 by the Lady Panthers’ guards – in their semifinal Sunday evening. Elizabethtown turned it over seven times in an eight-possession stretch in which Marion County began its run to pull away.

“As a point guard, I have stay mentally focused and have composure and not let them get to me,” Brewer said.

Like Brewer, Holt and fellow front-line player Alley Evans, Brown said she’s not nervous.

“I wouldn’t say that we’re looking as this game as, ‘Oh, we’re going to get beat,’” Brown said. “We’re looking at it as there’s no pressure on us since we’re not supposed to win. But we’re still going to go out and play like we should win. We’re not just going to give the game to them just because they’re Marion County. … We’re going to fight.”

Nathaniel Bryancan be reached at (270) 505-1758 or nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com.

 

 

GIRLS' 5TH REGION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME SCORES

YEAR: CHAMPION SCORE, RUNNER-UP SCORE

1975: Marion County 31, Meade County 26

1976: West Hardin 49, Bethlehem 42

1977: Taylor County 60, Nelson County 45

1978: Fort Knox 50, Taylor County 42

1979: Fort Knox 54, North Hardin 31

1980: Marion County 68, North Hardin 46

1981: Elizabethtown 49, Marion County 34

1982: Marion County 40, Washington County 28

1983: Washington County 65, Marion County 61

1984: Nelson County 63, East Hardin 56

1985: Meade County 58, Fort Knox 46

1986: Meade County 65, Marion County 52

1987: Nelson County 59, Meade County 56

1988: East Hardin 56, Green County 44

1989: Nelson County 43, East Hardin 39

1990: Nelson County 51, West Hardin 50, OT

1991: Central Hardin 73, Green County 40

1992: Adair County 52, Marion County 41

1993: Central Hardin 53, Meade County 50

1994: Meade County 62, Central Hardin 38

1995: Marion County 66, Nelson County 51

1996: Central Hardin 46, Elizabethtown 37

1997: Elizabethtown 65, Caverna 54

1998: Elizabethtown 65, Central Hardin 47

1999: Central Hardin 60, Hart County 58, OT

2000: Hart County 42, Elizabethtown 17

2001: Hart County 60, Campbellsville 37

2002: Hart County 51, Campbellsville 44

2003: Washington County 48, Nelson County 46

2004: Central Hardin 49, Elizabethtown 43

2005: Washington County 55, Nelson County 45

2006: Elizabethtown 54, Central Hardin 51

2007: North Hardin 57, Elizabethtown 55

2008: Elizabethtown 58, North Hardin 50

2009: Elizabethtown 51, Marion County 46

2010: Marion County 54, Elizabethtown 40

2011: Marion County 53, Elizabethtown 52

2012: Marion County 56, Elizabethtown 39

2013: LaRue County vs. Marion County

 

 

MOST POINTS COMBINED IN 5TH REGION FINAL

TOTAL (CHAMPION SCORE, RUNNER-UP SCORE), YEAR

126 (Washington County 65, Marion County 61), 1983

119 (Nelson County 63, East Hardin 56), 1984

119 (Elizabethtown 65, Caverna 54), 1997

118 (Central Hardin 60, Hart County 58, OT), 1999

117 (Meade County 65, Marion County 52), 1986

117 (Marion County 66, Nelson County 51), 1995

115 (Nelson County 59, Meade County 56), 1987

114 (Marion County 68, North Hardin 46), 1980

113 (Central Hardin 73, Green County 40), 1991

112 (North Hardin 57, Elizabethtown 55), 2007

112 (Elizabethtown 65, Central Hardin 47), 1998

108 (Elizabethtown 58, North Hardin 50), 2008

105 (Taylor County 60, Nelson County 45), 1977

105 (Marion County 53, Elizabethtown 52), 2011

105 (Elizabethtown 54, Central Hardin 51), 2006

104 (Meade County 58, Fort Knox 46), 1985

103 (Central Hardin 53, Meade County 50), 1993

101 (Nelson County 51, West Hardin 50, OT), 1990

100 (Washington County 55, Nelson County 45), 2005

100 (Meade County 62, Central Hardin 38), 1994

100 (East Hardin 56, Green County 44), 1988

97 (Hart County 60, Campbellsville 37), 2001

97 (Elizabethtown 51, Marion County 46), 2009

95 (Marion County 56, Elizabethtown 39), 2012

95 (Hart County 51, Campbellsville 44), 2002

94 (Washington County 48, Nelson County 46), 2003

94 (Marion County 54, Elizabethtown 40), 2010

93 (Central Hardin 49, Elizabethtown 43), 2004

93 (Adair County 52, Marion County 41), 1992

92 (Fort Knox 50, Taylor County 42), 1978

91 (West Hardin 49, Bethlehem 42), 1976

85 (Fort Knox 54, North Hardin 31), 1979

83 (Elizabethtown 49, Marion County 34), 1981

83 (Central Hardin 46, Elizabethtown 37), 1996

82 (Nelson County 43, East Hardin 39), 1989

68 (Marion County 40, Washington County 28), 1982

59 (Hart County 42, Elizabethtown 17), 2000

57 (Marion County 31, Meade County 26), 1975

TBD (LaRue County vs. Marion County), 2013

 

 

SCORING MARGIN IN 5TH REGION FINAL

TOTAL (CHAMPION SCORE, RUNNER-UP SCORE), YEAR

33 (Central Hardin 73, Green County 40), 1991

25 (Hart County 42, Elizabethtown 17), 2000

24 (Meade County 62, Central Hardin 38), 1994

23 (Hart County 60, Campbellsville 37), 2001

23 (Fort Knox 54, North Hardin 31), 1979

22 (Marion County 68, North Hardin 46), 1980

18 (Elizabethtown 65, Central Hardin 47), 1998

17 (Marion County 56, Elizabethtown 39), 2012

15 (Taylor County 60, Nelson County 45), 1977

15 (Marion County 66, Nelson County 51), 1995

15 (Elizabethtown 49, Marion County 34), 1981

14 (Marion County 54, Elizabethtown 40), 2010

13 (Meade County 65, Marion County 52), 1986

12 (Meade County 58, Fort Knox 46), 1985

12 (Marion County 40, Washington County 28), 1982

12 (East Hardin 56, Green County 44), 1988

11 (Elizabethtown 65, Caverna 54), 1997

11 (Adair County 52, Marion County 41), 1992

10 (Washington County 55, Nelson County 45), 2005

9 (Central Hardin 46, Elizabethtown 37), 1996

8 (Fort Knox 50, Taylor County 42), 1978

8 (Elizabethtown 58, North Hardin 50), 2008

7 (West Hardin 49, Bethlehem 42), 1976

7 (Nelson County 63, East Hardin 56), 1984

7 (Hart County 51, Campbellsville 44), 2002

6 (Central Hardin 49, Elizabethtown 43), 2004

5 (Marion County 31, Meade County 26), 1975

5 (Elizabethtown 51, Marion County 46), 2009

4 (Washington County 65, Marion County 61), 1983

4 (Nelson County 43, East Hardin 39), 1989

3 (Nelson County 59, Meade County 56), 1987

3 (Elizabethtown 54, Central Hardin 51), 2006

3 (Central Hardin 53, Meade County 50), 1993

2 (Washington County 48, Nelson County 46), 2003

2 (North Hardin 57, Elizabethtown 55), 2007

2 (Central Hardin 60, Hart County 58, OT), 1999

1 (Nelson County 51, West Hardin 50, OT), 1990

1 (Marion County 53, Elizabethtown 52), 2011

TBD (LaRue County vs. Marion County), 2013