Crestwood, KY – The South Oldham Dragons followed a familiar refrain in their game against the Anderson County Bearcats, falling behind by double digits and then rallying. But this time the Dragons made the rally count, coming from 13 down in the second period to win their ninth game of the season.
The two teams featured stark contrasts. Anderson County, coached by Glen Drury, is known for disciplined, physical, half-court basketball. Drury, the longest-tenured coach in the 8th Region other than Gary Forrest of Oldham County, had already led his Bearcats to victories over region contenders Shelby County, Grant County, and Bullitt Central, and had given Oldham County fits before losing by 13. South, on the other hand, featured a fast-paced attack featuring one of the best perimeter games in the state.
Anderson County’s top 2 scorers were out with injuries, but in Lawrenceburg, it’s not so much the players as the system that produces victories. And with talented players such as 6’4" guard Kasey Sutherland, freshman sensation Eric McKee, 6’7" Brandon Raeuchle, and 6’3" Seth Hunter, Drury had plenty of weapons still at his disposal.
Hunter broke open an early 6-6 tie with back-to-back buckets to give Anderson the lead just a couple of minutes into the first period. When Troy Schultz pulled South within 1 with a three-pointer, the tone was set: South had scored nine points on three shots from beyond the arc by three different players (Brad Cofer, Travis Foley, and Schultz), while Anderson was repeatedly hammering the ball inside.
The Bearcats slowly but steadily pulled out to leads of 15-11, 22-17, and then 26-19 at the end of the first period, when the 6’7" Reuchle ("Ri-klee") scored back-to-back baskets to end the quarter. South finished the period a smoking 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, but a much more pedestrian 2 of 6 from two-point range.
Sutherland opened the second period with a three – one of only two threes made by Anderson County all night as the inside-oriented Bearcats sought to use their height advantage to its fullest extent – and McKee followed with a free throw to extend the Bearcat lead to 11 at 30-19 with 5:21 left in the first half. And when McKee scored, was fouled, and hit a free throw with about three minutes left in the first half, Anderson had pulled out to their largest lead of the night at 37-24.
Enter junior point guard Travis Foley and senior forward T. J. Beisner. Over the next two minutes, each scored five points on a three pointer and a two pointer to pull South to within 37-34 with just 1:04 on the clock. Even though the Bearcats would score the last five points of the half and take a 41-34 lead into the locker room, the momentum seemed to have shifted the Dragons’ way.
At the half, South Oldham had shot a blistering 7 of 10 from beyond the arc, but was only 6 of 17 inside it. As a result of the perimeter barrage, the Dragons were generating points, but they weren’t generating fouls, and the Dragons had gone to the line just two times.
The third quarter was a nip-and-tuck affair, with Anderson County’s lead fluctuating between 9 and 3 points. Anderson went into the final period leading by 5, 51-46, but the Dragons were beginning to improve their interior pass defense and limited Anderson to just 10 third quarter points.
They had to; the Dragons hit just 4 of 18 third quarter shots, and their perimeter marksmanship deserted them, as they hit just 1 of 10 threes. Freshman phenom Brad Cofer had to have been particularly frustrated. Cofer had scored South’s first points of the game on a three. But he missed his last seven shots, including all five third-quarter attempts. He finished 1 of 8, including 1 of 6 from three-point land.
Anderson County opened the final quarter looking as if they were ready to put away the pesky Dragons. Three minutes into the period, the Bearcats had outscored their hosts, 6-3, to push the lead back to 8 points at 57-49. But a span of about 30 seconds changed the tone of the game completely.
It all started, fittingly, with a Matt Kennedy three pointer. The Dragons’ senior scoring leader had looked completely spent after three quarters. Kennedy had attracted a lot of attention from the Bearcats, who had held him to just seven points after three quarters. After watching him miss his last two shots of the third period – both three point attempts – badly, Coach Simpson had given him a short breather. It was all Kennedy needed, and the senior scored the Dragons’ first six points of the fourth period.
After Kennedy’s three, the Dragons got the ball back and Troy Schultz drained a three while getting fouled. The 6’3" senior hit the free throw to complete the rare four-point play, and South had suddenly pulled to within one at 57-56 with 4:08 to play, the closest they had been since 15-14. The final blow to Anderson may have come next: while dribbling upcourt, Seth Hunter collided with Travis Foley near mid-court. Although Foley was whistled for the foul, it was Hunter who got the worst of it when he twisted his ankle and had to leave the game with 4:04 to go. With Hunter – who scored eight points – gone, the Bearcats lost their spiritual leader on the court. Leaderless, Anderson County wilted under the South Oldham full-court pressure, and did not score another field goal.
Shortly after Hunter’s injury, Kennedy hit another three to put South Oldham on top, 59-57, the Dragons’ first lead since 6-4.
After Kennedy’s three, the Bearcats became completely unglued, missing the front end of two one-and-one situations, turning the ball over, and committing a charge with 1:01 left. Still, South led by only two at 59-57. Foley then hit three free throws, giving South Oldham a 62-57 lead with just 31 seconds left. Kasey Sutherland responded with the Bearcats’ only points of the final 4:04 on two free throws with 23 seconds left to pull Anderson County to within a three-pointer.
But the Dragons hit their free throws down the stretch, and South Oldham closed the victory out, 65-59.
South Oldham improved to 9-11; Anderson County fell to 10-8.
Unofficial scoring:
South Oldham – Kennedy 16, Foley 15, Beisner 14, Shultz 7, Hay 6, Cofer 5, Losik 2, Combest 0, Richard 0
Anderson County – Sutherland 15, McKee 14, Waldridge 10, Raeuchle 9,
Hunter 8, Taylor 2, Lloyd 1
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