Buckner, KY – On a scale of one to ten, Oldham County head coach Gary Forrest rated his team’s performance "low". The Colonels committed – unofficially – 25 turnovers. And Oldham County (15-3), led the surprising Panthers (8-6) of Carroll County by only nine points, 72-63, with just 4:43 to play.

Still, Oldham County found a way to win, with a suffocating defense that forced Carroll County into 33 turnovers and allowed the Panthers only two two points on two free throws over the final 4:43 (both coming with only 1.2 seconds left to play) and an offense that – despite the 25 turnovers – still found a way to score 83 points.

All things hinted at a big game by the Colonels. Oldham had been bounced unexpectedly from the semifinals of last year’s 31^st District Tournament by Carroll County after beating the Panthers, 67-46, earlier in the season. Seven of the eleven players who saw extensive action last year returned with the Colonels this year, and many saw this as a get-even opportunity.

Everything else was in Oldham’s favor as well. The Colonels have height – two 6’6" players and two 6’4" players see extensive action – and depth. At least nine players typically see a lot of action. The defensive pressure creates a number of transition opportunities for quick players such as Eric Johnson and Donta Smith. The Colonels shoot well (#11 in KY at 50.5%) and can hit the three-pointer (ranked #4 in three-point accuracy in KY).

And besides, the Colonels came into the game 8-0 at home during a season featuring big wins over quality programs, and only three losses by a total of eleven points. Carroll County had struggled to an 8-6 record against a very weak schedule of opponents.

But when two teams combine for 58 turnovers, things can get pretty dicey.

Oldham jumped out to a 3-0 lead as the Panthers turned the ball over 5 times in the first two minutes. But the visitors regrouped and took the lead at 7-6 on a bucket by talented junior point guard Johnny Leep. Leep, who came into the game as one of the state’s leaders in assists at 7.2 per game, had a miserable night trying to handle the ball against the Oldham defense. A star ballhandler who came into the contest with nearly a 2:1 assist to turnover ratio, Leep constantly found his passes contested, tipped, and stolen.

As Oldham County repeatedly obliged Carroll with unforced turnovers, the Panthers eased out in front, 14-9, midway through the first period. Six Panthers hit baskets during the first four minutes of the game, including three pointers from Brad Beach and Casey Mefford.

But Oldham County rallied, starting with a basket by Hank Garrett, which keyed a 10-0 Oldham County run. Eric Johnson gave the Colonels the lead for good at 15-14 with 2:16 to go in the first, and Marcus Smith capped the run with a bucket to give Oldham a 19-14 bulge. After Eric Dunn scored for Carroll, Donta Smith scored four straight points to give the Colonels aa 23-16 lead after one quarter.

The Carroll County coaching staff had stated before the game that when Carroll shot well, they had won all season, but that they didn’t have enough other weapons to overcome a poor shooting night. Tonight the Panthers shot a blistering percentage in the early going, and got a number of players involved. Carroll opened the second quarter with a 7-2 run to close the margin to two at 25-23, only to see the Colonels answer with a 10-2 run that pushed the lead to nine at 35-26. The Colonels settled for an eleven point margin at the half, with Nathaniel Johnson pushing the margin into double-digit territory for the first time with two free throws at the :59.5 mark of the half.

The Panthers came out inspired to start the second half, and Carroll slowly began eating into the Colonel lead. Senior guard Brad Beach, who came into the contest averaging 14.5 ppg, took matters into his own hands in the period, scoring 12 of his team-high 20 points in the period, including two three-pointers. His ninth and tenth points of the quarter pulled Carroll to within six at 58-52.

The Colonels pushed the lead back to 12 before Beach’s final basket of the period made it 65-55 after three quarters.

Two free throws by Nathaniel Johnson, a basket by Donta Smith, and a three-pointer by Alan Cotton – sandwiched around a field goal by the Panthers’ Matt Dalton – gave Oldham County its biggest lead of the night at 72-57 with just 5:55 left. But like a drunken prizefighter, the Panthers staggered to their feet again, and rallied. Six unanswered points in just 1:12 pulled Carroll County to within single digits again at 72-63 with just 4:43 left in the game.

Before the game, Oldham County Assistant Coach Tony Simpson said in an interview that the Colonels’ depth and defense might be their biggest assets come tournament time. Tonight, the defense rose tall in the final few minutes, and the fresh legs of the Colonels were a marked contrast to the fatigued Panthers.

Over the next 2:50, Oldham County outscored Carroll, 11-0, to put the game away for good. When Alan Cotton hit two free throws with just 1:53 to go, he staked Oldham to an 83-63 lead. Although that would wrap up the Colonels’ scoring, the Panthers continued to go scoreless until the 1.2 second mark, when Jordan Mefford sank two free throws to account for the final score.

The Colonels, by virtue of their 4-0 record against District opponents, will enter the 31^st District tournament as #1 seeds.

Oldham County improves its record to 16-3; Carroll County falls to 8-7.

UNOFFICIAL SCORING:

Oldham County – D. Smith 23, Eric Johnson 15, N. Johnson 12, Cotton 12, Liedtke 6, Viehmann 6, Heimke 5, Garrett 2, M. Smith 2,

Carroll County – Beach 20, Page 10, Dunn 10, Leep 8, Dalton 8, Sims 3, C. Mefford 3, J. Mefford 2, Corry 1

NEXT OLDHAM COUNTY BROADCAST: Friday, 2/2/01, Shelby County at Oldham County (boy/girl doubleheader). Pregame show beginning at 5:30 pm. On "Thunder" 101.7 FM. (Note the different frequency as this doubleheader will be aired on our sister station in Shelbyville, WTHQ "Thunder" 101.7 FM)

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