A handful of the top teams in Kentucky will be in town this week as the 9th District boys’ and girls’ basketball squads host the annual Owensboro Invitational Tournament sponsored by Evansville Teachers Federal Credit Union.
The tournament will be played Thursday through Saturday, with all games in the first two days being played at the Owensboro Sportscenter. Saturday’s morning and afternoon games will be played at each host school’s respective gym, while the girls’ and boys’ championships will be played back-to-back beginning at 6 p.m. at the Sportscenter.
The Owensboro Times will provide real-time coverage of 9th District action on Thursday and Friday. Follow us online, on Facebook or on Twitter @OwensboroSports. See the full schedules here: Boys (click here), Girls (click here). See below for information on the tournament as well as a quick preview of each team.
TOURNAMENT BREAKDOWN
With eight total teams in both the boys’ and girls’ brackets, the groups are divided into two pools, with a pair of 9th District teams in each. Winners from Pool A and Pool B will meet in the championship games on Saturday.
In addition to the four local teams, the boys’ field includes perennial powers Bowling Green, Hopkinsville and John Hardin, along with a tough Monroe County team.
On the girls’ side, the 9th District teams will face Webster County (last year’s OIT champion and 2nd Region champion), as well as Hopkinsville, Madisonville-North Hopkins and Calloway County.
Friday will feature all-local matchups beginning with a pair of girls’ games in Apollo vs. Daviess County and Owensboro Catholic vs. Owensboro. They same boys’ pairing will follow to close out the second day of competition.
Tournament manager and Owensboro High School athletic director Todd Harper said he is pleased with the partnership they have created with ETFCU, who is the tournament sponsor for the fifth consecutive year.
“Without their help, we would not be able to have this event, which allows all of our basketball teams to stay home for a high-quality basketball tournament and play in front of friends and family over the holidays,” Harper said. “We have a top-notch tourney field.”
ABOUT THE TEAMS – BOYS
Apollo (1-8)
The Eagles haven’t won since their season-opener against Hancock County. With a young, inexperienced roster, they’re still learning with each game as they search for another victory. Facing some top-tier teams, the Eagles will have a good opportunity to learn from their opponents.
Daviess County (2-4)
Dakota Walden has been tearing through opposing defenses at will. But, the Panthers won only their second game of the season on Monday, so they’ve got to get more consistent help from others. Back-to-back strong performances leading up the tournament could be a good boost for them.
Owensboro (4-4)
The Red Devils got their record back to .500 with a double-overtime win over Ohio County, and it was their second victory in a row. Darrion Wimsatt and Gavin Wimsatt have been playing especially well as of late. They’ll need to keep it up, as the Red Devils have a tough draw with three teams that have combined for four losses.
Owensboro Catholic (6-0)
The Aces haven’t lost yet, and they’ve only really been tested twice. Senior transfer John Parker has been the go-to guy, though Catholic has gotten contributions from a handful of players. An aggressive defense has been key to success so far, and it could mean the difference in staying perfect or dropping their first game this weekend.
Bowling Green (4-1)
The Purples suffered their first loss of the season earlier this week. Trevor Dennis is a sharp shooter with 22 made 3-pointers and he scores 18 points per game, while two others also average at least 12 points per game.
Hopkinsville (5-2)
The Tigers do a lot of scoring inside, and they get production from several players. Alijah Watts leads the team with 20 points per game, though three others add at least 11 points on average each night.
John Hardin (5-0)
The Bulldogs have outscored opponents by 161 points through five games, and they’ve got four players averaging at least 10 points per game. Alex Matthews is the star of the team, scoring 19.4 points per game to go along with 12.6 rebounds per game.
Monroe County (6-2)
The Falcons have been up and down both in scoring and points allowed, but they’ve come out ahead in most of their contests. Their offense runs through Chandler Clements, who posts 25.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.
ABOUT THE TEAMS – GIRLS
Apollo (6-2)
The E-Gals have rattled off four consecutive wins after a tough loss to Owensboro Catholic. Good shooting from the field and at the free throw line have been crucial in pulling away. Lexi Shadowen and Kassidy Daugherty have led the team in scoring, with Zoe Floyd providing a big presence on the boards.
Daviess County (0-7)
The Lady Panthers are still looking for their first win of the year. A young and undersized roster has come close, but they haven’t been able to finish games just yet. They’ll have a tall task against some quality opponents, and they’ll have to rely on outside shooting to hang close.
Owensboro (6-3)
After a 6-0 start, the Red Devils have dropped the last three games. They’ve got a few players to rely on for production, as Amaya Curry and Tayonna Greer are averaging double-digit scoring. Owensboro will need to find a way to score after drawing three teams that have lockdown defenses.
Owensboro Catholic (4-2)
The Lady Aces lost in overtime after a holding a big second-half lead on Saturday. When Catholic’s defense is on point, they can create turnovers and score in bunches in a hurry. They’ve had some inconsistency, though, and it’s limited them in a handful of situations. Though Mackenize Keelin is the leading scorer, they have plenty of options on the floor.
Calloway County (5-1)
The lone loss so far was in the season-opener to Hopkinsville, so the Lady Lakers will get a shot at redemption on Friday. They haven’t had a close game since, and Charlee Settle leads the team with 25.7 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
Hopkinsville (8-2)
Aside from their two losses, the Lady Tigers have totally blown out the competition. A trio of players averages at least 15 points per game, though little offensive production comes from the rest of the team.
Madisonville-North Hopkins (6-1)
The Lady Maroons needed a big fourth quarter to pull away from Daviess County on Monday to avoid a second consecutive loss. Most of their scoring comes from Courtney Peyton and Camryn LaGrange.
Webster County (8-0)
The defending OIT and 2nd Region champions enter without a blemish on their record. They’ve outscored opponents by 175 points and allowed no more than 44 points all season. Karlie Keeney and Marissa Austin are both dangerous from long range and lead the team with 21.4 and 19.9 points per game, respectively.
