Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Kentucky Minute: Second Region Boys' Basketball Championship

 




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65 comments:

  1. You’re looking live at Don Parsons Court at Madisonville-North Hopkins High School! It’s Lyon County vs. Hopkinsville for the Second Region boys’ championship and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen, the best basketball tournament in the world.

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    1. I sat on the top row of bleachers on the Hoptown/Perry-curious side. That big picture was about 10 minutes before planned tipoff (and about 25 minutes before actual tipoff--see next comments). The place filled in gradually throughout the first quarter, to the point that, even up in the rafters, I had to pull my coat closer to me to give people next to me more room. You could absolutely have stuffed more people in there, but you wouldn't want to. It was a big crowd.

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  2. There’s a problem with a rim, and we now have eight individuals and two ladders on the job to replace it. One of the end of the jewels is Marty Cline, who I believe was the leading score for university Heights when they won their state championship in 1993 or so.

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    1. Individuals, not end of the jewels—darn voice to text.

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    2. Kevin Patton noted Cline in a 2011 meditation in Henderson's Gleaner about the Second Region's all-time-great players:

      I wasn't surprised there would be debate regarding the Second Region's all-time top basketball players, which I wrote about last week.

      For those who can't get enough of the debate, there's more to chew on this week.

      For those who don't agree with the top 10 lists selected by a panel of current and former sports writers and broadcasters from around the region, I didn't agree either. Well, not completely.

      In the boys top 10, I voted for a pair of Union County guards who went on to play at Kentucky -- Larry Johnson and Dwane Casey. I also had Webster County's Joey Davenport on my ballot. Here's a taste of some of the others players who gathered votes but didn't crack the top 10 (in no particular order): Michael Fraliex of Caldwell County, Lamont Ware and Curtis Pulley of Hopkinsville, Dennis Johnson of Union County, Adrian Armstead of Henderson County, Lamont Barnes and Isiah Victor of University Heights and Chris Whitney of Christian County.

      I thought of some really good players who didn't even get a vote. How about Scotty Hopson of University Heights? Or Darren Allaway and Marty Cline, who led UHA to a state title in 1992?

      And for the old-timers out there, what about Don Ringstaff of Livingston Central or Jim Beshears of South Hopkins?

      The girls list might have been somewhat easier if only because there was 25 years less of history to consider.

      The only player who made my top 10 and didn't make the final list was Henderson County's Ashley Hawkins. To me, she was a complete player who might have been overshadowed by a Christian County team that had a collection of talent that this region has never seen. Three players from that Christian County squad received votes in the balloting -- Arnika Brown, who made the final list, Lydia Watkins and Shaleea Petty. That group also included Corky Stiger, who I considered putting on my ballot.

      Others who didn't make the final cut included Stacey Calhoun, who led Livingston Central to back-to-back regional titles in 1985 and 1986, Diane Oakley of Providence, Malissa Bush of Caldwell County, Shannon Belcher of Madisonville, Tammy Ratliff of West Hopkins and Kim Roberts of Christian County.

      The legends category for players prior to 1950 wasn't any easier, though Frank Ramsey was a clear choice. I felt strongly that Joe Fulks, who like Ramsey is a Naismith Hall of Famer, should have been the region's No. 2 pick. The "Kuttawa Klipper" was the innovator of the turnaround jump shot and ended his playing career as the NBA's second all-time leading scorer behind George Mikan.

      With so many worthy players to chose from, it's no wonder the region's basketball fans have plenty to debate.

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  3. Tip off was scheduled for 6 PM, but now they’ve shut off the clock counting down the seconds to the start of the game. Once installation of the new rim is complete, the orange and black Tigers of Hopkinsville and the purple and gold Lyons of Lyon County Will each have five minutes of shootaround on the refurbished goal before things get rolling.

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  4. The new rim is up, and the Lyons are taking their practice turn on it

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  5. The Tigers appear to have eschewed or not have been granted a five-minutes shootaround on the new rim Because we are now underway in Madisonville.

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  6. 6-6 with six to play in first…

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  7. 28-20, Hoptown, through one quarter.

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  8. Eddieville and environs appear to have filled one side of the Mmaroons’ gym.

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  9. Hopkinsville fans and unaffiliated others fill the opposite side

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  10. Initially, the Hopkinsville side seemed short on energy and confidence. I heard one man in an orange and black sweatshirt say to his friend, “I just hope we do better than County did.”

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  11. Not Long ito the game, the Tigers on the floor seem to be offended by Lyon County’s zone defense And started shooting over it and maneuvering through it with great zeal. The Hopkinsville fans quickly matched up their players’ intensity.

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  12. I don’t know enough about basketball to say for sure like defense they are playing, but it appears to me that Hopkinsville is double teaming Travis Perry more often than not. And he probably has eight or 10 points in this game already, he but he has also missed three or four times.

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  13. 3:29 of q2: 35-33, Lyons.

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  14. Lyon county is playing man to man in the second quarter. Perry‘s old fashion three-point play makes it 38-33

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  15. On successive possessions, Hopkinsville simply out races Lyon County to the other end before they can establish any defense position, and it’s back to 38-37

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  16. With one minute left to play in the half and his team ahead by two, the Lyon County coach reaches into his khaki pocket for a folded over sheet of yellow legal paper, presumably a playlist. The Lions dribble in wait, and Hopkinsville’s defense obliges. The coach settles on a play, calls out instructions to his point guard, and the play ends with the coach’s son firing a three pointer from the corner in front of the Hopkinsville bench. 44-39, Lyon County, with about 35 seconds to go

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  17. Hopkinsville plays for the last shot. The Lyon County side of the gym rises and screams. The Hopkinsville side rises and screams.

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  18. The last five seconds before the break is a flurry of Contested shots, deflected passes and no points. Still 44-39.

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  19. I see no evidence of hotdogs, hamburgers or pizza being served here. Pretzels, nachos and Cokes are not going to get me to leave my seat

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  20. We are back underway in Madisonville. Two minutes into the second half, and I thought Lyon County might be ready to run away with it. He go to bed but Hoptown has a skinny legged guard, No. 3, who has an absolutely put out the fire with his clever play at both ends of the floor. He has been excellent all night, in fact. Perry is, of course, the best basketball player on the court, but Hoptown three might be the better one so far this evening.

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  21. Three free throws: 57-55

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  22. 1:39 … Lyons, 59-55 … getting loud

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  23. Three blocked … GETTING LOUD

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  24. Perry follow: 61-55… Hopkinsville again playing for the last shot…

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  25. Lyon miss … 61-58 through three quarters!WOW!!!

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  26. First minute of the fourth quarter… Hoptown Burns 32nd setting up three for a drive… Yes… Lion burns half a minute running a weave to set up Perry for a drive… Make…63-58 … Time out, Hoptown bench, six minutes 40 seconds.

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  27. Perry steel, drive and fouled to the floor. Make. Make. 67-60

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  28. Timeout Lyon county, three minutes 57 seconds…

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  29. Two presumably unaffiliated basketball Fans scoop up their coats and head to the stairs and the doors…

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  30. Lyon county comes out and runs a flawlessly executed, six pass possession ending with a three pointer by its number five. 10 point game.

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  31. Three minutes 26 seconds… Hoptown three to the line… Miss…make

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  32. Pop now now trapping Perry

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  33. Lyon county miss … Late foul call … Uptown side incensed that…

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  34. Yes… Make but lane violation… Tiger quick make at other end… Lyon county foul on pic to set up Perry out of inbounds… 70 to 63

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  35. Perry third foul at two minutes 17 seconds on reach on inbounds play at Hopkinsville end…

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  36. Tigers make and make …

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  37. Clock fails to run for about 10 seconds…

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  38. One minute 30 seconds… Still 70 to 65…

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  39. 115 to play… Hoptown number three’s fourth foul…

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  40. Perry misses the front end of a one and one, and the Tigers get a beautiful drive at the other end but can’t get the shot to fall… Perry is wrapped up with 35 seconds… The Lyon County side wants a flagrant, and so does his dad… Not coming… Make and make… 72 to 65.

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  41. Hopkinsville gets two free throws, and it’s 7267. Full tigers time out with 29.8 seconds to play.

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  42. Hopkinsville process and gets a deflection on the inbound, but possession remains with Wayne County. Coach Perry of Lyon county calls his owna time out. 28.6 seconds.

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  43. Perry run out out of the time out: 7467

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  44. But Hopkinsville number three immediately races to the other end for a three pointer: 74 to 70. 15.7 seconds, last tigers time out.

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  45. Stands still 90% full.

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  46. It turns out they had hot dogs the whole time!

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  47. The most interesting theory I heard posited on the way back out to the cars was a still rabid Lyon county fan who thought the second region was trying to hose his good shooting team by putting up a tight rim right before tip off.

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    1. I can see that. I wouldn't put anything past Hoptown.

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  48. They gave me a hotdog for free. And it was excellent.

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  49. Vanderbilt coach and former wizard Jerry Stackhouse was at tonight’s game. I thought I saw him across the gym, and I came home to find people posting about him on Facebook.

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