E-Gals looking for strong finish to regular season

February 4, 2019 | 12:02 am

Updated February 3, 2019 | 3:37 pm

Lexi Shadowen is the leading scorer for Apollo. | File photo by Ryan Richardson

Only two weeks remain in the regular season, and the Apollo girls’ basketball team is trending in the right direction.

They’ve won three games in a row, but even the most recent loss was a productive one in the eyes of head coach Natalie Payne.

The E-Gals lost 66-56 a couple of weeks ago against Owensboro Catholic, who until that point had torn through 3rd Region opponents without much challenge. It was a far cry from the first meeting, when Apollo trailed 22-0 en route to a 53-21 loss.

Even though it wasn’t a win, Payne said the most recent game against the Lady Aces was fruitful for the E-Gals. It gave them confidence, and the team wasn’t ashamed of the loss.

“I feel like that was somewhat of a turning point for us,” Payne said. “I know it’s weird to say that in a loss, but it gave our kids the ability to believe that we can compete with anybody in our region. We just have to put all our pieces together at the right time.”

This season has been a bit of a roller coaster for Apollo. After rattling off six consecutive wins early on, they closed 2018 with five losses. Now, Payne thinks they’re getting back to top form just in time for the postseason.

“I feel like we’re on the up,” she said. “I feel like we’ve been up and down all year. Especially around Christmas, we were probably the lowest of the low. We went back to the drawing board and we really focused on the sureness part of the game.”

While they’ve had a few games of scoring more than 60 points, they’ve also put up less than 30 on a couple of occasions. At the other end, the E-Gals have been reliable — they’ve allowed 53 or more points only three times, two of which were against Owensboro Catholic.

“Our defense has been pretty consistent all year,” Payne said. “It’s our offense that’s been up and down. We’ve started to do click at the right time.”

Without one overly dominant player, Apollo has a handful who can have a breakout performance on either end of the court. Even more important, Payne said, is everyone is unselfish and only wants the team to succeed.

“We’re pretty balanced,” Payne said. “On a given night, anybody can step up and be a contributor offensively or defensively. These kids are starting to buy into their roles, and that’s what’s really important.”

Lexi Shadowen and Kassidy Daugherty are the leading scorers for the E-Gals, and they’re also the most dangerous threats from long range. Shadowen is averaging 11.4 points per game (ppg) and 1.9 3-pointers per game (3pg).

Daugherty is close behind with 10.2 ppg and 1.5 3pg. She also has the 12th-best free throw percentage in the state at 82.8 percent.

Zoe Floyd has provided a strong presence down low, and she scores 7.1 ppg to go along with 6.5 rebounds per game (rpg). Amber Dunn has also been consistent at both ends, scoring 6.8 ppg and grabbing 4.5 rpg.

Payne has also been pleased with Addison Carter (3.3 ppg, 3.5 rpg), Brylee Rhodes (2.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg) and Shelbie Beatty (3.0 ppg), who all provide key minutes on a nightly basis.

As a team, Apollo ranks in the top 21 in both free throw and 3-point percentage, a big reason they’ve been able to win a few close games. The E-Gals are 19th in Kentucky in 3-point percentage (34.9) and 21st free throw percentage (68.7).

The E-gals have five games left on the schedule, including their final 9th District contest of the year at Daviess County. They’ve also got a tough task Tuesday when they host Ohio County (19-6). Apollo will close out the season against Madisonville-North Hopkins (18-6), who the E-Gals beat 51-47 in December.

Payne is hoping the team will continue to roll and make a deep run in the postseason. If they continue to play as a team, Payne said they can compete with anyone.

“I expect us to finish strong,” she said. “We have to. The ‘we’ mentality has been huge for us. When they’re playing with that mentality, we’re tough to beat.”

February 4, 2019 | 12:02 am

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