Wednesday, March 16, 2016

15 Games Left

Today the world's second-greatest sports event -- the Kentucky Boys' High School Basketball Tournament -- will tip off at Rupp Arena, in Lexington, Kentucky.  Here are today's games (all times Central):

11 A.M.
Buckhorn Wildcats (19-15) v. Murray Tigers (29-5)

The tournament opens with a match-up straight out of the 1950's -- two town teams from each end of the Commonwealth.  What's more Kentucky than that?

12:30 P.M.
(9) Lou. Trinity Shamrocks (29-6) v. Newport Cent. Catholic Thoroughbreds (28-4)

And then we start to see the big powers, as Louisville Trinity takes on a powerhouse from the Cincinnati suburbs.

5:30 P.M.
(5) Bowling Green Purples (30-2) v. Elliott Co. Lions (22-7)

Next up, Bowling Green struggled in the Fourth Region, but they shouldn't have too much trouble with the Sixteenth Region.

7:00 P.M.
(7) Lex. Dunbar Bulldogs (29-6) v. (2) Mercer Co. Titans (33-1)

And then the showcase of the evening -- a top-10 match-up between two Central Kentucky schools that are only 40 minutes apart.  Again, what could be more Kentucky than that?

Enjoy the games, everyone.

67 comments:

  1. It is 327 miles from Murray High School to the Buckhorn School. Here's how Google Maps would get you there:

    1. Follow KY-94 E to KY-80 E (9.5 miles)
    2. Continue on KY-80 E. Take US-68 E, I-65 N, Cumberland Pkwy and KY-80 E to KY-30 E in London (258 miles)
    3. Turn left onto KY-30 E (18.7 miles)
    4. Follow KY-30 E and KY-28 E to Buckhorn School Rd in Buckhorn (40.8 miles)
    5. Turn left onto Buckhorn School Rd (230 feet)

    The whole trip should take 5 hours and 55 minutes.

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  2. After one quarter, Murray leads Buckhorn 16 to 15.

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  3. Murray now starting to pull away. Tigers up 29-18 with 2:41 left in the second quarter.

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    1. I'm sure I've said this before, but Murray is coached by a good, old Class of '86er, Bart Flener, with whom I was part of a WKU program for high-schoolers in the summer of 1985. He went to Caverna, in Horse Cave. We went up to his house one weekend to do something--move something or help his dad with some project or something--and, on our way back to Bowling Green, he swung through the Dairy Queen drive in. That might've been in Glasgow.

      Anyway, that DQ there had a new product I'd never heard of, the "Blizzard." I'm pretty sure they had not come to the DQs in Paducah yet, but it could be that I just didn't know they had because our crowd worked the Taco Johns side of town more than the DQ part. Whatever, I got a Butterfinger Blizzard, and I just couldn't believe it when the person in the drive-through window handed out our Blizzards UPSIDE-DOWN WITHOUT LIDS! And then, of course, the Butterfingers Blizzard was one of the best things I had ever eaten.

      Per DairyQueen.com, mine and Coach Flener's were two of "more than 175 million Blizzard® Treats sold in its first year."

      Chase is I'm totally rooting for Murray in this tournament.

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  4. At the half, Murray leads 33-18. Buckhorn did not score in the last 5:40 of the first half.

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  5. Both teams are playing very hard, but they aren't accomplishing much. Murray leads 37-21 with 2:57 to go in the third.

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  6. After three quarters, Murray High leads 43 to 25.

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  7. Murray continuing to cruise. Tigers up 56-32 with 3:19 left in the game.

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  8. Murray High will be one of the last eight teams still dancing on Friday. The Tigers pound Buckhorn 62 to 35, in a game that really wasn't that close.

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    1. I listened to the game on Murray's 1340WNBS.com. They had an hour-long pregame and postgame, too, and I imagine they're planning same for tomorrow.

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  9. So that was a game for rural folks. The city kids get their turn next, with Trinity taking on Newport Central Catholic.

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  10. I'm picking Trinity to win this game. But, of course, I picked Jeb Bush to win the GOP Presidential Nomination.

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  11. Trinity led 11-7 after one, but NCC has opened the second quarter with a 7-0 run. With 5:44 left in the second quarter, NCC leads 14-11. Trinity has called time.

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  12. Trinity's time helped their defense but not their offense. NCC leads 17-11 with 2:48 before halftime. The Shamrocks have not yet scored in the second quarter.

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  13. NCC pitches a 13-0 shutout in the second quarter. The Breds lead Trinity 20-11 at the half. Trinity is 4-20 from the field in this game.

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  14. Wow. So far, Trinity is doing about as well as Jeb Bush. With 2:47 left in the third period, the Shamrocks have only 13 points. They are 5-28 from the field and have scored only 2 points since the first quarter ended. NCC currently leads 28 to 13.

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  15. With eight minutes to go, Trinity trails NCC 32 to 18. The Shamrocks are now 7-32 from the field. I can't ever remember seeing a team from the Seventh Region being this frustrated in the State Tournament.

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  16. 4:20 left: NCC 39, Trinity 25

    The Rocks are 2-17 from three-point range in this game.

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  17. Wow. NCC CRUSHES Trinity, 48 to 33. The Shamrocks never came close to figuring out NCC's defense -- they went 12-46 from the field, and only got 5 free throws for the game.

    So the Seventh Region is out on Wednesday. That doesn't happen very often. Big day for the Populists.

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  18. Now I imagine myself poking around Lexington, looking for some UK gear, and maybe some good books on local history.

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  19. Here's how you get from Bowling Green High School to Elliott County High School:

    1. Get on I-65 N from Scottsville Rd and KY-880 E/Lovers Ln (5.0 miles)

    2. Follow I-65 N, KY-9002 E/Bluegrass Pkwy/Rte 9002 E and I-64 E to Morehead. Take exit 137 from I-64 E. (212 miles)

    3. Continue on KY-32 E. Take State Hwy 173 to KY-7 N in Sandy Hook. (29.5 miles)

    The whole trip should take four hours.

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  20. I was wrong about Trinity, but I'm right about BGHS. The Purples are up 36 to 23 with 3:23 to go in the second quarter.

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  21. With 2:20 left before half, Bowling Green leads Elliott County 38 to 25. BGHS has made 16 of 26 shots from the field.

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  22. Elliott puts on a mini-run at the end of the half. The halftime score:

    BGHS 38, ECHS 29

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  23. ECHS hung around gamely, but BGHS was just too much for them. With 2:42 left in the game, the Purples lead 68 to 51.

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  24. So we've had all blowouts so far:

    Murray 62, Buckhorn 35
    Newport Cent. Catholic 48, (9) Trinity 33
    (5) Bowling Green 75, Elliott Co. 59

    But the next game features two top ten teams: Number 2 Mercer County and Number 7 Lexington Dunbar. It should be good.

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  25. On the Dunbar/Mercer broadcast, they just said that this is the 99th KHSAA Boys' Basketball Tournament. That's really cool.

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  26. Mercer County's only loss of the year came to Lafayette last month. So far, Dunbar is giving them all kind of trouble -- Dunbar leads 11-3 with 3:41 left in the 1st quarter.

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  27. Mercer County is on a 10-0 run right now. With 2:34 left in the first half, the Titans lead Dunbar 19 to 18.

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  28. Dunbar steadied itself, and the Bulldogs lead Mercer 23 to 20 at the half.

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  29. The state tournament has not yet featured a game in which both teams had 30 points at the half.

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  30. In fact, we've only had one game (out of three) where both teams finished with more than 35 points.

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  31. Mercer County is suddenly showing its quality. Down 29-26, the Titans have gone on an 8-0 run to take a 34-29 lead with 2:22 left in the third. The Titans have outscored Dunbar 14-6 in this quarter so far. The Bulldogs call time.

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  32. 1:38 left in the 3d: Mercer 36, Dunbar 33.

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  33. Mercer outscores Dunbar 19-12 in the third quarter, and the Titans lead Dunbar 39-35 with one quarter to go. Mercer County is 15-30 from the field in this game, while Dunbar is 13-35.

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  34. I understand that some people may think it's a shame that these teams have to meet in the Sweet 16, but I will be blunt: I would not trust anyone to seed the state basketball tournament.

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    1. I would trust them to the extent that I think they would try in good faith to do a good job; I just don't think they could do as good of a job (consistently, anyway) as the blind draw gets you. I also like it that they draw the region pairings well in advance of the regionals.

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    2. I would not trust anyone to seed the state basketball tournament.

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  35. Taveion Hollingsworth, a junior guard for Dunbar, is keeping Bulldog hopes afloat. He has scored 24 of Dunbar's 41 points. He is 9-19 from the field; the rest of the team is 6-18. Thanks to Hollingsworth, Dunbar has clawed its way back into contention. With 6:46 to go, Mercer County leads 42 to 41.

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  36. Hollingsworth has 26.

    6 minutes left: Mercer 44, Dunbar 43.

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  37. 5 minutes left: Mercer 46, Dunbar 45 (someone else finally scored for Dunbar).

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  38. 4:11 left: Mercer 48, Dunbar 48. Great stuff right now, with both teams playing at a high level.

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  39. Hollingsworth has 28. He is firing in 15-footers from all over the floor.

    3:34 to go: Dunbar 50, Mercer 48.

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  40. TV time out with 2:59 left in the game:

    Dunbar 50, Mercer 49.

    Dunbar ball.

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  41. BGHS will have its hands full with either of these teams.

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  42. Hollingsworth shoot an airball, but Dunbar gets the rebound. Dunbar goes on to score, and the Bulldogs lead 52-49.

    But then Will Hager, who has 20 points for Mercer County (he's 8-11 on the night) cuts the lead to 52-51.

    2:06 left. Dunbar ball.

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  43. Hollingsworth hits another one of those Jack Givens jumpers. That's 30 points, and Dunbar leads 54-51.

    On the other end, Hager walks. And Dunbar has a 3-point lead and the ball with 1:20 to go.

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  44. With a minute to go, Hollingsworth misses a jumper, and Mercer gets the ball. But Mercer commits a turnover, and Dunbar gets the ball back.

    Dunbar 54, Mercer 51
    47.1 seconds left
    Dunbar ball

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  45. We're in a timeout so here is Hollingsworth's line:

    10-19 from 2-point range
    2-5 from 3-point range
    4-4 from the line

    30 points. 3 rebounds.

    The announcers tell us that the medium-range jumper is a lost art. Which, of course, it is.

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  46. OK, a wild sequence.

    Dunbar scored to go up 56-51.
    Hager immediately scored to make it 56-53.
    For reasons that no one understands, Dunbar took another shot with 17.4 seconds left -- and missed. Mercer got the rebound. Foul on Dunbar. Mercer going to the line.

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  47. Dylan James to shoot FT's for Mercer (one-and-one):

    1st FT: good!
    2d FT: good!

    Dunbar 56, Mercer 55.

    Dunbar inbounds the ball and Hollingsworth is fouled with 14.6 seconds left.

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    1. Wow. Nice job, Dylan James. Age-17 me would've thrown the front end short of the hoop, and age-47 me would've thrown it over the backboard.

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  48. Hollingsworth MISSES the front end of the one-and-one.

    Mercer comes streaming up the floor with the ball, but the Mercer coach calls time with 10.1 seconds left.

    Dunbar 56
    Mercer 55
    10.1 seconds left
    Mercer ball.

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  49. The broadcaster standing behind the Mercer bench tells us that Mercer is planning to do something very complicated. At least it sounded complicated to me.

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  50. It wasn't that complicated. They gave the ball to Hager, who drove to the basket. Dunbar did not foul him, and Hager ended up under the basket with nowhere to go. He threw the ball across the baseline, but no one could get it, and it skipped out of bounds. Dunbar takes over, still holding a one-point lead, with 5.6 seconds left.

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  51. Dunbar inbounds the ball to Hollingsworth, who dribbles off three huge seconds before being fouled.

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  52. Hollingsworth on the line with 2.3 seconds left.

    1st FT: good!
    2d FT: good! That's 32 points.

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    1. Good for Taveion Hollingsworth of Lexington Dunbar (and I love the comparison to Jack Givens of Lexington Bryan Station).

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  53. With 2.3 seconds left, trailing 58-55, Mercer heaves the ball to half court -- where it is STOLEN. Mercer commits one more foul with 0.2 seconds to go.

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  54. Dunbar misses the final free throw, and Mercer has a final heave from the lane. The ball sails through the air, and bounces off the back of the rim.

    Dunbar wins: 58 to 55.

    Mercer County takes its second loss of the year. The Titans have still never won a game in the State Tournament.

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