December 5, 2017 Knott County Central High School
David Leveridge- Bluegrass Sports Nation- High School Basketball
Girls Semi Finals – Game 1 – Leslie County Lady Eagles vs South Laurel Cardinals
The 31st annual WYMT Mountain Classic continued tonight with three exciting games. In the opening game of the Classic, 2 of the premiere girls teams in the area took the floor at Knott County Central High School. In the opening game of the night, the Leslie County Lady Eagles, who won the 2017 14th Region Girls Basketball Regional tournament, battled the South Laurel Lady Cardinals from the 13th Region.
First Quarter
Leslie County gets the tip and scores first in the game. The game would change leads several times in a very up-tempo game. The game is tied @ 1:14 remaining in the first quarter @ 17. Both teams feature a quick lineup that will push the ball into transition, and both have good three-point shooters. At the end of the first quarter South Laurel had a narrow lead of 2 points. South Laurel 19- Leslie County 17.
Second Quarter
Leslie County evens the score with 7:09 remaining in the half as #25 Hailey Simpson scores on the inside shot. The tie doesn’t last long as South Laurel hits a three- point basket on the other end, again giving the lady Cardinals a three- point lead. With 6:00 remaining in the first half South Laurel increases the lead to 26-19. South Laurel continues to hit the three- point basket and increases the lead to eight points with 5:05 remaining in the game, South Laurel 29- Leslie County 21. South Laurel continues the hot shooting from behind the arc and increased the lead to sixteen points South Laurel 40- Leslie County 24 with 2:45 remaining in the half. South Laurel leads at the half by thirteen points South Laurel Lady Cardinals 43- Leslie County Lady Eagles 30.
Third Quarter
South Laurel gets the ball to start the third quarter and score another three- point basket as #43 hits from the corner. #43 Hits another three- point basket and the lead is increased to nineteen points with 5:55 remaining in the third quarter. South Laurel 49- Leslie County 30. South Laurel starts the full court press and begins to turn Leslie County over allowing the Lady Cardinals to get easy baskets in transition. South Laurel leads by twenty- one points 57-36 with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter. The teams trade baskets the next couple of possessions, but South Laurel maintains a comfortable twenty-point lead. At the end of the third Quarter South Laurel is up to a commanding lead of 22 points, South Laurel Lady Cardinals 63- Leslie County Lady Eagles 41.
Fourth Quarter
With the game in hand South Laurel continues to push the ball into the front court and increases the lead to twenty- three points with 5:22 remaining in the game. South Laurel Lady Cardinals 71- Leslie County Lady Eagles 48. Although, Leslie County is down by a Significant margin, the Lady Eagles continued to compete and reduces the lead in the last couple of minutes of the game. Leslie County scores on a three- point basket and reduces the lead to 19 points with 3:06 left in the game. South Laurel puts in the reserves to finish out the game and goes onto to defeat the Lady Eagles by twenty- three points. South Laurel Lady Cardinals 77- Leslie County Lady Eagles 54.
South Laurel will play in the WYMT Championship gameagainst the winnerof the Knott County Central Lady Patriots and Harlan County Black Bears on Saturday December, 9th, 2017. Leslie County Lady Eagles will also advance to the consolation game of the WYMT Mountain Classic taking on the loser of the two teams.
Game # 2 Boys opening round: Wolfe County Wolves vs Knox County Central Panthers
First Quarter
Knox County Central gets the ball and scores on the opening possession. Knox leads 2- 0 over Wolfe with 7:30 remaining in the opening quarter. Devan Stone evens the score with 6:50 remaining with the jumper in the lane. Knox County Central takes an early ten- point lead, 15-5 with 4:06 remaining in the quarter. Knox County Central is a big and athletic and their defensive full court press causes the Wolves problems. The panthers are up to an early fourteen- point lead Knox County 19- Wolfe County 5 with 4:06 remaining in the quarter. Knox County Central continues to increase the lead and is up by eighteen points with 2:20 left in the quarter. Knox County Central 23- Wolfe County 5. Wolfe County goes cold and the defensive pressure from the Panthers continue to cause the Wolves problems. The lead grows to twenty- two points with 1:07 remaining. At the end of the first half Knox County Central is off to a commanding lead of twenty- five points. Knox County Central 33- Wolfe County 8.
Second Quarter
Wolfe County converts on the opening possession as Deven Stone scores a three- point basket. Knox County answers on the opposite end with an “and one” play and #22 makes the free throw. The size of the bigger Panther team continues to cause problems for the smaller Wolfe County team. The lead grows to twenty- seven points with 5:55 remaining in the half. Knox County Central 39- Wolfe County 12. The Wolves continue to compete with a valiant effort, but watching the game from the booth Knox County Central has control off the game. The size, athleticism, and defensive pressure makes the Panthers a favorite to win the WYMT Mountain Classic. The lead grows to twenty- seven with 1:45 remaining in the half. Knox County Central 52- Wolfe County 25. Knox County turns forces the Wolves into a turnover and scores on the opposite end as #12 Nick Martin slams the ball with a strong two hand slam. The Panthers are up twenty- eight points. Knox County Central 53- Wolfe County 25. At the end of the first half Knox County Central takes a commanding lead of thirty- four points over Wolfe County. Knox County Central 59- Wolfe County 25.
Third Quarter
Knox County Central gets the ball to start the quarter and scores on the opening possession. Deven Stone of Wolfe County answers with a three- point basket. With 5:48 remaining in the third Quarter Knox County Central is up thirty- nine points. The game is now a running clock due to the mercy rule. On one play in the third quarter Knox County Central has the ball in transition electrifies the crowd with a strong one hand slam over the Wolfe County Wolves. 3:16 remains in the third quarter and Knox leads by forty- one points. Knox County 71- Wolfe County 30. At the end of the third quarter Knox County Central has an insurmountable lead up by forty- two points. Knox County Central 77- Wolfe County 35.
Fourth Quarter
Wolfe County opens the scoring with a three-point basket. The Wolves face a huge deficit, but continue competing. 6:00 remain in the game and Knox Central maintains a thirty- nine- point advantage. Knox County Central 79- Wolfe County 40. Knox County Central goes on defeat Wolfe County and advance to the winner’s bracket of the WYMT Mountain Classic. Knox County will face the winner of the Knott County Central Patriots vs the Pike Central Hawks. Wolfe County is still in the classic, falling to the loser’s bracket facing the loser of the KCC Pike Central game. Knox County Central 90 – Wolfe County 52.
Third Game Boys: Knott County Central Patriots vs Pike County Central Hawks.
First Quarter
Knott County Central gets the tip and hits a three point basket on the opening possession. Watching the second boys game it becomes apparent that the teams are more evenly balanced than the first game. Pike Central takes an early one- point lead with 4:29 remaining in the first half. Pike County Central 6- Knott County Central 5. Knott County Central #21 Caudill scores on the nifty lay up and Knott County Central regains the lead by one point. KCC 7- PCC 6. Knott County Central converts on back to back baskets and extends the lead 12-6 with 2:45 remaining in the quarter. Nick Caudill of Knott County Central scores a three point basket near the end of the first quarter extending the Patriot lead to 8 points. At the end of the first quarter Knott County Central 18- Pike County Central 10.
Second Quarter
Isaac Caudill of Knott County Central continues his impressive shooting and scores another three- point basket to open the scoring at the start of the second quarter. KCC increases the lead to 11 points with 7:20 remaining in the half. Knott County Central continues to attack the pressing defense of Pike Central and converts on several baskets in transition. Knott County Central leads 25- 12 with 5:44 remaining in the half. KCC continues to attack and Isaac Caudill scores two points on the basket and KCC increases the lead to thirteen points. KCC 32- Pike County Central 19 with 2:55 remaining in the half. Pike County Central goes cold shooting the ball and KCC continues to score baskets, through the strong play of Isaac Caudill. At the half Knott County Central leads by 14 points Knott County Central 37- Pike County Central 23.
Third Quarter
Knott County scores first in the third quarter and increases the lead to 16 points. 6:49 remains in the quarter KCC 39- Pike County Central 23. Pike County Central struggles to score the ball and is facing a scoring drought of approximately five minutes. Knott County is shooting the ball at a high percentage. KCC increases the lead to twenty- three points with 4:04 remining in the quarter. Knott County Central 46- Pike County Central 23. Pike County Central finally brakes the scoring drought as #23 scores one point on the free throw. KCC #21 Isaac Caudill scores on the drive and the lead is extended to twenty- seven points. Knott County Central 51-Pike County Central 24, 1:45 remains in the quarter. At the end of the third quarter Knott County Central has a large lead of twenty- nine points. Knott County Central 55- Pike County Central 26.
Fourth Quarter
Knott County Central continues to score the ball and increases the lead to thirty- one points. Pike County Central who struggled to score the ball in the third quarter hits two three- point baskets early in the quarter. Pike County Central reduces the deficit to twenty- six points with 4:59 remaining in the quarter. Knott County Central61- Pike County Central 35. With Knott County Central having a large lead and the game getting late in the fourth quarter, the Patriots slow down the ball and attempt to run time off the clock. Knott County maintains a twenty- six- point lead with 3:35 remaining. Knott County Central 61- Pike County Central 37. Knott County Central goes on to defeat the Pike County Central Hawks by twenty- seven points. Knott County Central 67- Pike County Central 40.
Knott County Central advances in the winner’s bracket to battle the Knox County Central Panthers on Friday December, 8th, 2017. Pike County Central drops to the loser’s bracket and will face the Wolfe County Wolves on Thursday December, 7th, 2017.
