No. 2 Lexington Catholic makes a statement win and No. 6 Bowling Green gets a tough road victory
Lexington Catholic is one of the best teams in the state and a legitimate title contender at 27-2 while Warren Central knows what it takes to hold up that KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 championship trophy, making its run to glory inside Rupp Arena last March. Those two went head-to-head at the Knights’ historic alumni gym, the home team coming out and making a clear statement.
KSR’s Brady Byrdwell was in attendance to soak it all in. Elsewhere, Piper McCoun was at Muhlenberg County to watch No. 6 Bowling Green cruise to a tough road victory over the Mustangs.
Check out their game recaps below.
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Lexington Catholic Holds off Defending State Champions Warren Central
BY: Brady Byrdwell
There is something special about a historic, old gym. Maybe it’s the lore of Indiana high school basketball and Hoosiers. Perhaps it’s the endless tradition of the Alumni Gym and Memorial Coliseum in Lexington. On Friday night, reigning state champions Warren Central met the #2 Lexington Catholic Knights at their historic alumni gym. A lot of times, big-time basketball matchups draw the comparison of a “big fight feel” at this gym with an 8:39 tip-off; it was more than a big fight feel; it was good ol’ Kentucky basketball. Lexington Catholic has dominated all of Kentucky this season with their 27-2 record entering the matchup.
Warren Central hasn’t enjoyed the same success as last season, mainly due to injuries. Mostly, WKU commits, and Kentucky royalty Kade Unseld has faced injuries all season. Still, the Dragons entered with a 13-9 record and 7-3 within their district. Warren Central needed this win, but Lexington Catholic looked to prove that a state championship was on the horizon. The matchup was so big that Lexington Catholic regional rivals and the #1 team in the state, Great Crossing, were on hand for the game.
First Half Battle
From the get-go, it was evident that both teams understood what type of game they were entering into. This was a war, one that Lexington Catholic has enjoyed all year. Bellarmine commit Tyler Doyle spent the first half getting to the basket at will. Lexington Catholic enjoyed great production from their bigs; Rowan Williams, Miller Williams, Brody Turner, and Owen Kennedy all fought and scored to assist the usual suspects of Lexington Catholic’s offense.
However, Kade Unseld continued to do what he does, Elijah Starks got to the rim at will, and Drevin Bratton fought hard as Warren Central spent the first half trailing. It seemed that every time Warren Central cut the lead to three or six, then Lexington Catholic hit a few shots to get it back to ten. Lexington Catholic took a 41-28 lead into the half after an incredible Rowan Williams layup beat the buzzer.
In the second half, Warren Central started to really fight back, with Elijah Starks really starting to score; Kade Unseld also played great defense on Tyler Doyle as Warren Central got the lead all the way down to three. However, missed free throws and Lexington Catholic layups allowed the Knights to lead 55-47 after the third. Coach Salsman spoke highly of Unseld’s squad, “That’s the most, well, most well coached team I’ve ever coached against. I mean William does such a great job. There’s a reason he wins state championships. I mean they are they are tough, they’re solid and they’re strong. They’re athletic and they’re well coached. And that’s usually a recipe for disaster for most.”
Lexington Catholic’s Big Fourth Quarter
But Starks started the fourth quarter with an incredible layup, gliding with his right around three defenders. Then, Tyler Doyle glided past his defender and finished with his right. around three defenders. A minute later, Miller Williams splashed a three for the Knights, seemingly ending all hope for the Dragons. However, Elijah Starks soared for an offensive rebound for Warren Central, then put the ball back up for the and-one. Then, Starks got another and-one on the next procession. He knocked down the free throws to make it a four-point game with four minutes left.
Four-point game, four minutes left, and the air was sucked out of the building. Most top teams would feel a ton of pressure, not the Knights. Lexington Catholic answered with an out-of-bounds lob from John Reinhart to Tyler Doyle. After a Kade Unseld hook shot hardly fell off the rim, Lexington Catholic came down with momentum teetering. What ensued was a play that makes the eardrums bobble. Owen Kennedy pulled up for a three in the corner, and as soon as the ball hit the net, the student section erupted. Nine-point lead in the blink of an eye.
Another Knights stop came, then Tyler Doyle knocked down a free throw to give Lexington Catholic the lead with two minutes to go. From there, Warren Central free throws didn’t fall, and the Knights held onto the ball for the victory. Lexington Catholic, then Sammy Smith knocked down a three, and Tyler Doyle finished with a thunderous dunk.
Lexington Catholic wins 73-57 in a statement to the whole of Kentucky, they’re back. Tyler Doyle led the Knights with 26 points, and Sam Smith also finished with 11 points on three triples. Elijah Starks led Warren Central with 22 points as Kade Unseld added 17 points, a great duo that will cause chaos over the next few weeks.
Coach Salsman spoke on his belief in his team, “We were able to find a couple stops at key moments that really helped us and come away with a couple of rebounds that seemed like we could never get them. But you know, when you’ve got Tyler Doyle and Johnny Reinhart and Sam Smith really stepped up tonight and made some big shots.”
No. 6 ranked Bowling Green bests Muhlenberg County in 90-73 win to end the regular season
BY: Piper McCoun
The No. 6 ranked Bowling Green Purples (25-5) capped off the regular season with a 90-73 victory over Muhlenberg County (7-21). Despite the contrast in records and RPI rankings, this game wasn’t just a “gimme” for the Purples.
With their “big fella” on the bench, the Purples had to adjust their defensive strategies without their senior forward Mason Ritter on the floor, who saved his legs for post-season play next week.
And despite the Mustangs’ record, Muhlenberg County is not short on effort or fundamentals. They fought until the clock ran out, but just couldn’t stop the Purples’ fast-paced offense generated by guards MJ Wardlow and Deuce Bailey, who shot lights out at 24 points a piece. Let’s break down the action featured in tonight’s game.
First Half
The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle. The Purples played loose, sharing the ball between Wardlow (who had an absolute poster within the first minutes), Bailey, and Braylon Banks. However, they were matched with the skills of Mustangs Kason Morris and Madix Jerrigan, who generated a lot of offense for Muhlenberg County in the first quarter.
After a bucket by Muhlenberg’s Madox Jerrigan gave the Mustangs the lead at 14-13, the Purples got back on track to close out the first leading 25-20.
The second quarter is when the Purples started to pull away, keeping their defense tight while creating offensive opportunities. The Purples kept feeding Wardlow and Bailey, keeping their pace high and raising their lead to 50-30 at the end of the first half.
Second Half
Muhlenberg came out of the locker room fueled. They had 26 points in the third quarter alone, which can be largely credited to sophomore guard Isaac Coats who tallied four 3s in the third. Once the Mustangs got their offense rolling, the basket kept getting bigger for them.
As the Purples’ defense got looser in the third, the Mustangs brought the gap down to single digits as the third quarter closed 65-56.
After Muhlenberg County clawed their way back into the game, Bowling Green regained their sense of urgency offensively and defensively. Braylon Banks and Luke Ideltt generated more looks for the Purples, which ultimately allowed them to finish on top 90-73.
As teams across the state are gearing up for district tournaments beginning next week, Bowling Green is shaping up to be the top contender in the 14th district, and likely the team that will come out of the 4th region.
But, a big part of the Purples’ success is due to their tenacity regarding their next game. They only look to the game right in front of them, leaving the past behind and the future to write itself.
“[Greenwood] will be a hard-fought basketball game,” head coach D.G. Sherrill shared after their win. “We’re not looking at anything but that basketball game, because now if you don’t show up, you’re done.”
Bowling Green takes on Greenwood in the first round of districts on Tuesday, Feb. 27 at South Warren High School.
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