Crestwood, KY – The Dragons of South Oldham entertained the Woodford County Yellow Jackets from the 11^th Region on Tuesday night, and the game lived up to the expectations created by two teams so similar on paper.

Both the Dragons and the Jackets came into the game as winners in five of their previous six contests. Since losing to archrival Oldham County to start the year, South had only dropped one game, to the Bullitt East Chargers on the road in overtime. They were also coming off a strong road win over Anderson County. But the Dragons had faced few individuals like Jerome Givens, the Jackets’ top player, who was one of the state’s leading scorers at 28.8 points per game.

Givens made his presence known early, scoring the first five points of the game. With Givens putting on a clinic, the visitors from the 11^th Region sprinted to leads of 7-0 and 14-4. The Dragons re-grouped with a 7-0 to pull within 14-11, but Givens scored at the buzzer to make it a 16-11 Yellow Jacket lead after one.

For the game, Givens was 16 of 19 from the floor, including 3 of 4 from beyond the arc, for a game-high 36 points.

The Dragons began getting into a groove offensively in the second period, and after Travis Foley scored, was fouled, and hit a free throw with 5:04 to go in the half, South trailed just 20-19. Moments later, the Dragons tied the game for the first time when a basket by Brad Cofer knotted the score at 22. The two teams pretty much traded punches the rest of the half, and Steve Combest’s basket before the half pulled South to within two at intermission, 32-30.

At the break, South’s top scorer, Brad Cofer, had just five points on 2 of 6 shooting, but six Dragons had scored, and South was 6 of 8 from the free throw line.

Combest opened the second half with a long jumper – his third straight basket for South – to tie the game for only the second time at 32. But the momentum swiftly switched back to Woodford nine seconds later at the 7:31 mark when Kenny Richard picked up his third foul and headed to the bench. Richard – South’s best, and quickest defender – had been charged with trying to defend Givens, and without him in the lineup, Givens ran amok.

A 6-0 Yellow Jacket run pushed the Jackets back out in front, 38-32. After a South time out, Kyle Jaracz stepped up for the Dragons, scoring on back to back baskets. But Givens continued to bedevil the Dragon defense with a variety of threes, mid-range jumpers, and driving layups. When the quarter ended, Woodford County led, 50-42. Of Woodford’s 18 third quarter points, Givens scored 12.

The Woodford run continued through the first three minutes of the fourth period. When the clock ticked under the 5:00 mark, Woodford had outscored South, 15-3, over the previous 3:37 to push out to their biggest advantage of the night at 60-45. South’s only points had come on a bucket and free throw from Brad Cofer, who suddenly came alive in the fourth.

South’s leading scorer had gone 2 for 10 in the first three quarters, including 1 for 4 from beyond the arc. But with 4:50 to go in the game, he scored on his second "old-fashioned" three-point play of the final period to pull South back to within 12. After a Woodford time out, Givens travelled, and Chris Osmer scored for the Dragons to cut the lead to ten. When Nick Delaney turned the ball over to South by committing a charge, Cofer burned the nets with a three pointer – his second of three threes on the evening – to give South new life, trailing by just seven at 60-53 with 3:40 to go.

Givens (who else?) scored and hit a free throw to briefly stall the South rally, and push the lead back to double digits at 63-53, but the Dragons scored 9 unanswered points over the next 1:16 to pull within 63-62. Along the way, Foley hit six of six free throws. For the game, the Dragons’ free throw ace would hit an amazing – even for him – 15 of 15 free throws, including 10 of 10 in the fourth period.

After Wesley Lakes scored at the 1:55 mark to give Woodford a 65-62 lead, Cofer hit his third three to pull South into just the third tie of the night.

Woodford County called time out at the 1:14 mark, and that’s when things got interesting.

With :54 left, Givens hit one of two free throws give Woodford a 66-65 lead. On the second shot – the miss – Bret Watson rebounded and was fouled by Lakes, who fouled out on the play. As the two teams walked to the other end of the court for Watson’s free throws, the Jackets’ Joey German complained a bit too much, and was hit with a technical foul. The reaction on the Jackets’ bench indicated a team out of control, and everything appeared to be going South’s way. Even though Watson missed both free throws, Foley hit the technical shots. Then, on the ensuing possession, Jacob Mattingly joined Lakes on the bench when he fouled out trying to stop Foley. Again, Travis connected on both shots.

The four point trip gave the Dragons a 69-66 lead with :43 left.

A Givens layup at :33 pulled the Yellow Jackets to within one. Jaracz countered for South with one of two free throws at the :23 mark to make it 70-68.

With the Dragons forced to contend with the possible three from Givens, Jaracz put pressure on the Jackets’ talented leader out front as Woodford brought the ball up court. Givens made a great move to get by Jaracz, scored on a layup, and was fouled by Chris Osmer. The free throw made it 71-70, Woodford with :11 to go.

The Dragons set up a play for either Cofer or Foley. Cofer got the ball to the right of the key, drove against pressure, and put up an off-balance one-handed jump shot that missed. Woodford rebounded, and Eric Roseberry hit two free throws for the final margin of 73-70 with just two seconds left. Chris Osmer’s desperation three-quarter court heave at the buzzer fell short.

South falls to 12-8; Woodford improves to 12-7.

South – Foley 23, Cofer 17, Jaracz 11, Combest 7, Richard 5, Osmer 5, Watson 2

Three pointers: Cofer 3, Richard 1, Osmer 1

Woodford – Givens 36, Lakes 14, Roseberry 14, Delaney 4, Stepp 3, Team 2

Three pointers: Givens 3, Stepp 1