Two teams with losing records squared off in the first game on Thursday night in the first round of the girls' 8th Region basketball tourney.  The Scott County Lady Cardinals came in at 11-19, but the Lady Cards had won their last two over strong teams from Owen County (two-time defending District champions) and Walton-Verona (winners of 23 games) to claim the 32nd District crown.  With four players averaging in double figures, the Lady Cards figured to be tough to handle.

Their opponents, the Anderson Co. Lady Bearcats, had lost to Shelby County by 13 in the 30th District final.  After tangling with the likes of the top-10 Lady Rockets (twice) during the season, the Lady Bearcats didn't figure to be intimidated easily.

Scott County broke out on front early, despite hitting less than 25% of thei first-quarter shots.  Anderson County repeatedly turned the ball over versus the Scott press, and midway through the first, Scott led, 8-2.  But Anderson battled back to cut the lead to one, 10-9, at the end of the quarter on a jumper by Angie Johnson.

The second quarter brought more of the same, as Anderson continued to turn the ball over (13 first-half turnovers), but the Lady Cards struggled to capitalize (24.2% first-half shooting).  Anderson briefly tied the game at 25 on a Cheri Neurohr basket, capping a 6-0 run.  Still, primarily behind a determined defense, and the penetration off the dribble by junior point guard L'erin Scott, the Lady Cards built a four-point lead at the intermission, 21-17.

Neither team gained an advantage in the third.  Anna Fraley, a 5-7 freshman, gave Scott County a five point lead at 37-32 going into the final quarter when she hit a three-pointer with :08 left in the period.

Fraley continued to have the hot hand in the fourth, hitting a two and a three, as Scott pushed out to a 42-36 advantage.  After Ashley Cunningham, who led Anderson in scoring with 13 points, cut the lead to four at 42-38 with about five minutes left, Scott County went on a 6-0 run to push the lead into double digits for the first time, 48-38, with 4:02 left.  During the Lady Cardinal run, the Lady Bearcats turned the ball over twice.

After an Anderson timeout, Angie Johnson was fouled and hit one of two shots.  Cunningham rebounded the second shot and scored on a putback, pulling Anderson to within seven, but Scott outscored the Lady Bearcats, 10-4, the rest of the way to win going away.  Ironically, the Lady Cardinals scored their final eight points at the line on 8 of 10 free throw shooting...this after hitting only 3 of 11 at the stripe in the first half.

UNOFFICIAL STATS:

Scott County              10    11      16      21      -       58
Anderson County         9       8     15      13      -       45

Scott County - Scott 23, Fraley 14, Stakelin 6, Washington 4, Tackett 4, Hawkins 3, Giles 2, Snowden 2
Anderson Co. - Cunningham 13, Phillips 9, C. Neurohr 8, S. Smith 4, Tackett 3, A. Johnson 3, Kays 2, Gibbs 2
 

With the 31st District runner-up Gallatin County Lady Wildcats the only team in the lower bracket of the girls' 8th Region tournament with a winning record (17-9), it was easy to see why many thought the Lady Wildcats would be the favorite to advance to the finals.  With 6-0 senior Tanisha Renecker on the inside, averaging 18.3 ppg and 11 rebounds, many thought the Lady Cougars of Bullitt Central would have a hard time stopping the inside game.

But coach Christy Coulter came in with a brilliant defensive scheme, and the Bullitt Central squad executed it to perfection, frustrating the Lady Wildcats all night long. The opening play should have given away the plot.

After the opening tap was knocked out of bounds, Gallatin County was awarded the ball out of bounds on the sideline in front-court.  But Mary Beth McCubbins intercepted the inbounds pass and dashed the length of the court for a lay-up and a 2-0 Bullitt Central lead.

Not surprisingly, Gallatin went to the inside game immediately, and Renecker scored on a bank shot to tie the game at 2.  What was surprising was that this was the last time the game would be tied.

With Liz Crigler scoring six points inside against the taller Renecker, the Lady Cougars outscored Gallatin County, 11-2 to close out the quarter, pushing the lead to 13-4.  Gallatin County was 1 for 12 from the floor, and only 2 of 4 at the line.

Bullitt Central continued to dominate in the first three minutes of the second quarter, and after a McCubbins layup with 5:07 left in the half, Gallatin called timeout, trailing 19-6.  Staci Hunt scored after the timeout to give BC their biggest lead of the half at 21-6, before Gallatin scored five unanswered points to pull within ten.  A key play during the mini-run was Renecker's rebound basket after a missed free throw by Jennifer Roberts.

At the half, it was Bullitt Central 25, Gallatin County 16.  Gallatin had been held to just 6 of 27 shooting for 22.2%, and had even struggled at the line, hitting only 3 of 7.  The talented trio of Tanisha Renecker (18.3 ppg), Jade Maxwell (16.8 ppg), and Jennifer Roberts (11.6 ppg) had combined for just 14 points on just 5 of 19 shooting.  BC, meanwhile, had hit 11 of 19 shots for 57.8%.

After going scoreless in the first half, Whitney LeGrand opened the second half with back-to-back baskets for Gallatin County to trim the lead to five at 25-20.  After a BC timeout, Crigler stopped the bleeding with a basket to push Bullitt Central back on top by seven.

The two teams traded baskets until Maxwell scored, and hit two free throws on the next Gallatin County possession to pull Gallatin to within two at 33-31, with 4:19 left in the third.

With the game getting away from them, the Lady Cougars re-grouped, and into the game came what every team needs, a "super-sub."  Kelly Profit, a 5-7 junior averaging just 3.3 points per game, scored to push BC back up by four.  She then hit a three, stretching the margin to seven at 38-31, before Roberts connected on one of two free throws for Gallatin.  After a Crigler basket for BC and a Roberts three-pointer for Gallatin, it was Profit again responding, this time hitting her second three that kept Gallatin in an eight point hole at 43-35.

LeGrand hit another three for Gallatin, but Tonia Younger's buzzer-beating basket left Bullitt Central still up by seven, 45-38, going into the final frame.

The Lady Cougars moved to settle the issue quickly in the fourth, outscoring Gallatin, 9-1, in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 54-39 lead with 4:24 to go.  After a Maxwell free throw, Staci Hunt of Bullitt Central scored eight straight unanswered points to put Gallatin away at 62-40, the largest lead of the night for the Lady Cougars.
 

With coach Coulter substituting freely, the Lady Wildcats outscored Bullitt Central, 9-3, over the final two minutes, but it was far too little, too late, and the Lady Cougars became the final semi-finalist in the tournament.

Interestingly, in each first-round game of the two 8th Region tournaments - boys and girls - the District winners have won each contest over their opponents, who were District runner-ups.

Bullitt Central improves to 15-14; Gallatin County finishes 17-10.  BC will now advace to the semi-final game against Scott County (12-19) on Monday night, immediately following the Oldham-Shelby game at Oldham Couty High
School.

WXLM 105.7 FM will broadcast both girls' semi-final games LIVE, beginning with a pre-game show at 5:30 pm.

UNOFFICIAL STATS:

Bullitt Central -       13      12      20      20      -       65
Gallatin Co. -            4     12      22      11      -       49

BC - Crigler 14, Hunt 12, Profit 12, Coy 8, McCubbins 6, Sanders 5, Younger 5, Freeman 1, TEAM 2
GC - Roberts 15, Renecker 10, Maxwell 9, LeGrand 9, Brown 2, A. Frasure 2, Gross 2

Reported by: Mike Montgomery