The 3rd Region girls’ basketball tournament kicks off today, and the field is about as even as it could possibly get. Every team has from 18 to 22 wins, and every team lost at least two games to region opponents over the course of the season.
“I think this year the tournament itself is really balanced,” said Owensboro Catholic head coach Michael Robertson. “I think all eight teams have a legitimate chance to win.”
As two-time defending champions, the Lady Aces (22-10 overall, 13-2 region) will have the biggest target on their back. They also enter this year’s tournament with the best record both overall and against region opponents.
Catholic’s success this year has stemmed from a stingy defense that has given up just 44.9 points per game. They are 20-1 when allowing 50 points or less, and they’ve given up less than 40 points 13 times.
“We just have to continue to play solid defense,” Robertson said. “We played really well in the second half against Apollo on Thursday (to win the district championship). If we can continue playing like that, I think we have a chance to hopefully go far. We need three more games to get to state. That’s our focus, but it’s one at a time. Grayson County is our one and only worry right now.”
The Lady Cougars are the only team in the tournament Catholic hasn’t played this year. They play at 7:45 p.m. tonight.
“It’s a quick turnaround, but it’s the same for them. They haven’t seen us live,” Robertson said. “It will be interesting. I know they are going to press and trap. It should be a really good game.”
The Lady Aces will rely heavily on their star Hannah McKay (19.0 ppg, 9.7 rpg), but they’ll need other players to step up if they want to make a deep run. Spencer Harvey (8.8 ppg) and Isabella Henning (7.2 ppg) proved up to the task by helping Catholic earn another district title, and they’ll have to do more of the same this week.
Apollo (21-9 overall, 13-3 region) should be one of the top candidates to contend for a region title, but so is their first-round opponent Muhlenberg County — the two square off at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The E-Gals and Lady Mustangs are the only two teams in the region to beat Catholic in the regular season.
In their matchup on Feb. 10, Apollo held off Muhlenberg for a 67-56 win at home. The E-Gals built a big lead early then held off a late push by the Lady Mustangs.
“It’s a tough matchup,” said Apollo head coach Natalie Payne. “They have the guard play, they have the inside game, they shoot the 3 well. They’re a veteran team. They’re very experienced, so it’s going to be a tough battle.”
Apollo has largely found success through a balanced offense and strong defense this season. They’ve allowed fewer than 40 points 10 times, and they are 15-3 when giving up 50 points or less.
Amber Dunn (11.0 ppg, 10.2 rpg) and Kassidy Duagherty (14.5 ppg) fuel the offense, but the E-Gals have one of the deepest rosters in terms of players capable of putting up big numbers. However, Apollo has also gone through stretches where the offense struggles. Payne said making sure they stay in rhythm and executing in all four quarters will be key in making a deep run.
“We really weren’t pleased with the second half against Catholic, and we made a lot of those unforced turnovers that we had been trying to stay away from,” she said. “More than anything else we have to focus on us. We’re going to try to take away the opponent’s strengths, but we really have to focus on execution and value possessions.”
See below for more info on the rest of the teams in the tournament. Click here for a tournament schedule.
TEAM INFO (by district)
Muhlenberg County (21-10 overall, 11-2 region) — 10th District champion
The Lady Mustangs are 4-5 over their last nine games, including an 11-point loss to Apollo. They don’t have a deep roster, but a trio of leaders have proven capable of leading Muhlenberg County to success — Destin Armour, Elisabeth Joines and Grace Hauslein combine for about 45 points per night. They own slim victories over Catholic and Meade County, but have also lost to Breckinridge County.
Ohio County (18-13 overall, 11-11 region) — 10th District runner-up
More than half of the Lady Eagles’ games were against region opponents this year, but they only went .500 in those contests. They went 0-7 in games against the four region teams with the best overall records (Catholic, Apollo, Muhlenberg, Breckinridge). Ohio County is fairly balanced in terms of production, and they are led by Kelsey Kennedy’s 13.8 points per game.
Meade County (19-11 overall, 12-3 in region) — 11th District champion
Led by the state’s leading scorer Kendall Wingler (31.0 ppg, 6.6 rpg), the Lady Waves have one of the most dangerous offenses in the region. They average a region-best 66.8 points per game, though they’re 7-10 when allowing 55 points or more. Of their 11 losses, 10 came by eight points or less. Meade County lost to the top three teams in the region — Catholic, Muhlenberg County, Apollo — by a combined 12 points.
Breckinridge County (20-10, 13-7 region) — 11th District runner-up
The Lady Tigers have had overall success this year, but they’ve struggled against the top teams in the region — they’re 1-5 against the top four teams in the standings. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games, scoring 50 points or less in seven of those contests. Isabel Grimes leads the team with 16.1 points per game, while Aleigha Mucker adds 12.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a night.
Edmonson County (20-10 overall, 7-5 region) — 12th District champion
The Lady Cats enter the region tournament on a six-game win streak and have won 14 of their last 17. They don’t have a prolific offense, but they limit teams and have found success in grinding out wins. Lauren Ballance and Emma Rose Vincent combine for 25 points and 14 rebounds per game to help lead Edmonson County.
Grayson County (20-12 overall, 11-8 region) — 12th District runner-up
The Lady Cougars have scored at least 70 points five times this season, but they’ve also scored less than 50 seven times. They went 1-5 over their last six games with a few blowout losses, but they can be a threat if they get hot. Most of their production comes from the duo of Kenzie Renfrow (21.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Rachael Snyder (12.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg).
Stay up to date on all your local sports coverage by following @OwensboroSports on Twitter and by liking us on Facebook.
