Though the out-of-town teams fared a bit better than those from the 9th District, the Owensboro Invitational Tournament sponsored by Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union provided three full days of high-quality basketball.
Even the teams who went 0-3 pushed a couple of opponents to the limit, and there was no shortage of games that came down to the final minute.
The only local team to make it to a championship game was the Owensboro Catholic Lady Aces, who came up short against reigning champion Webster County. The Owensboro Red Devils were only a couple points away from making it to the boys’ title game, but a 47-45 loss to Hopkinsville kept them out.
Friday was by far the most attended day of competition, and rightfully so. With four games featuring 9th District teams squaring off, tournament manager and Owensboro High School athletic director Todd Harper said it was a good night of basketball for the community.
“It’s been a very successful tournament,” Harper said. “Friday night was definitely the highlight as it is every year with the four city teams playing each other. It was a good crowd and good atmosphere. Everybody in Owensboro that likes basketball was here. That’s a big reason why we do this.”
Logistics also play a big role in sticking with the OIT, as Harper said coaches and players have the luxury of staying home to play a fairly high-profile tournament.
“Another big reason we can do this is so our kids can stay home, sleep in their own beds, see their family, and their family can see them,” he said. “They’re not traveling all over the state.”
Both the boys’ and girls’ fields had some of the top teams in their respective regions. For the girls, Calloway County, Webster County and Owensboro Catholic represent some of the favorites from 1st, 2nd and 3rd Regions. For the boys, Hopkinsville, Owensboro Catholic, and John Hardin were top preseason picks from the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Regions.
“It’s been a very competitive tournament,” Harper said. “I’m pleased with with what’s going on there. There’s been some outstanding players.”
Saturday night’s championships wrapped up the fifth year of the OIT, and Harper said they’ve pretty well got the operating schedule as efficient as possible. Aside from the delay due to the lone overtime game Friday, all games started within a couple minutes of their scheduled start time.
It did take a learning curve after the first year and a small downsizing to get the OIT to a more manageable tournament, though.
“The first year we did it we had 24 teams,” Harper said. “It was huge, and that was a little big for us to take on. We cut it back to the 16 teams we have now, and I think 16 is a manageable number.”
All-in-all, Harper said there’s not much else he’d change about the tournament. Plus, he said, it brings in some revenue for the schools that could otherwise be an expense for an out-of-town tournament.
Harper said in the first four years, the schools each got about $2,500 from revenue (the total revenue is split among Apollo, Daviess County, Owensboro and Owensboro Catholic). For a tournament that costs about $15,000 to put on, Harper said that’s a pretty good return.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a win-win from the athletic department standpoint and the local fan standpoint,” he said. “I think it’s a great deal, and I hope we continue to do this.”
