2002 Fayette County Invitational Tournament

Paul L. Dunbar High School, Lexington, Kentucky
January 12-17, 2002

Copyright © 2002 Ron Harrison

There are eight teams entered in this tourney:  Lafayette, Estill County, Paul L. Dunbar, Wheaton Academy (IL), Bryan Station, Nelson County, Henry Clay, and Woodford County.  Three of the top teams (Bryan Station, Henry Clay, and Woodford County) are in the lower bracket as a result of the blind draw format.  The key match-up in the opening round should be Woodford County (14-0) vs. Henry Clay (13-2).

Some of the top players expected to perform are Jessica Puckett (Estill County), Nastassia Alcius, Katie Columbus, Mary Tobin, and Johnna Carlisle (Henry Clay), Kara Hamilton (Lafayette), Brooke Marnitz and Melanie Anderson (Dunbar), Tracy Harbut and Sharia Young (Bryan Station), and Destiny Mattingly (Woodford County).

Who will win this tournament?  The favorite will probably be Henry Clay, who has an excellent inside-outside game.  However, Woodford County comes in undefeated and Bryan Station has plenty of firepower in Tracy Harbut and Sharia Young.

 
 Saturday January 12 - Day 1

Game 1  Estill County (7-7) vs. Lafayette (6-8)

Estill County coach Kevin Turpin started the following lineup:  5-8 Jr. Kara Newton, 5-8 Sr. Jessica Puckett, 5-9 Sr. Miranda Turpin, 5-5 So. Casey Berryman, and 5-6 Jr. Amber Birchfield.   Lafayette coach Allison Tate Denton countered with 5-11 Jr. Lori Alexander, 5-9 Sr. Lauren Staed, 6-4 Jr. Kara Hamilton, 5-9 Jr. Mollie Kelly, and 5-4 Sr. Britini Buchignani.

Lafayette used a strong performance by Kara Hamilton and some hot free throw shooting to defeat Estill County 47-39.  Lafayette, behind 16 points by Hamilton, led 25-22 at the intermission.  The Lady Generals survived a late rally by Estill County to claim the victory.  Lafayette was 11 of 13 from the free throw line.  They were led today by Kara Hamilton with 20 points and 10 rebounds.  Estill County was led today by 5-6 So. Kayla Harper and Jessica Puckett with 11 and 10 points respectively.   

Estill County

10

12

6

11

-

39

Lafayette

11

14

12

10

-

47

 

Estill County

(39) -

Newton 2, Puckett 10, Turpin 6, Berryman 0, Birchfield 6, K. Harper 11, Neal 2, Barnes 2.

Lafayette

(47) -

Alexander 1, Staed 3, Hamilton 20, Kelly 6, Buchignani 3, Fowler 5, Chestnut 8, Clark 1.

Game 2  Wheaton Academy (IL) (12-5) vs. Paul L. Dunbar (4-9)

Wheaton Academy coach Ed Willis started the following lineup:  5-10 Sr. Katie Clum, 5-11 Sr. Kaila Kamerlander, 5-11 Sr. Melissa McDonald, 5-9 Sr. Maggie Ritchie, and 5-9 Sr. Brittany Long.  Dunbar coach Jud Brown countered with 5-9 Jr. Jessica Hanson, 5-7 Jr. Becky Napier, 6-1 Sr. Melanie Anderson, 5-7 Jr. Brooke Marnitz, and 5-6 Jr. Allison Timaji.

Dunbar led 36-31 at the end of three quarters but Becky Napier scored 11 points in the final period, including three three-pointers to break open the game and give Dunbar a 57-41 victory.  Dunbar was led today by Becky Napier and Brooke Marnitz with 19 and 15 points respectively.  Wheaton Academy was led by Kaila Kamerlander who turned in an excellent performance with 18 points.   

Wheaton Academy (IL)

9

10

12

10

-

41

Paul L. Dunbar

10

15

11

21

-

57

 

Wheaton Academy (IL)

(41) -

Clum 0, Kamerlander 18, McDonald 10, Ritchie 3, Long 2, Thomas 2, Trautwein 4, Rufo 2.

Paul L. Dunbar

(57) -

Hanson 4, Napier 19, Anderson 9, Marnitz 15, Timaji 2, Weinfurtner 3, Wiant 5.

Game 3  Nelson County (2-10) vs. Bryan Station (9-4)

Nelson County coach Herbie Phelps started the following lineup:  5-10 Jr. Candace Littlejohn, 5-9 Jr. April Metcalfe, 5-9 Sr. Krissy Yocum, 5-6 Sr. Kelly Hughes, and 5-8 Jr. Jessica Ball.  Bryan Station coach Jackie Williams countered with 5-10 Sr. Ashlee Crump, 6-0 Jr. Tracy Harbut, 5-9 Sr. Mimi Combs, 5-9 Sr. Diana Arnett, and 5-9 Sr. Sharia Young.

The score was tied 25-25 at the half but Bryan Station pulled away in the second half for a 56-41 victory.  Bryan Station was led today by Tracy Harbut with 22 points and 11 rebounds.  Sharia Young added 20oints.  Nelson County was led by Krissy Yocum with 13 points. 

Nelson County

12

13

6

10

-

41

Bryan Station

14

11

16

15

-

56

 

Nelson County

(41) -

Littlejohn 8, Metcalfe 8, Yocum 11, Hughes 4, Ball 3, Reiter 2, Mercer 2, Chesser 3.

Bryan Station

(56) -

Crump 6, Harbut 22, Combs 2, Arnett 0, Young 20, Leach 2, Blankenship 2, Graham 2.

Game 4  Woodford County (14-0) vs. Henry Clay (13-2)

Woodford County coach Jay Lucas started the following lineup:  5-9 Sr. Emily Brown, 5-9 Jr. Erika Rasmussen, 5-11 Jr. Laura Swan, 5-7 Jr. Mallory Kirtley, and 5-8 Fr. Destiny Mattingly.  Henry Clay coach Scott Cromwell countered with 5-9 Sr. Katie Columbus, 6-1 Jr. Leah Hill, 6-0 So. Mary Tobin, 5-5 So. Johnna Carlisle, and 5-7 Sr. Nastassia Alcius.

Henry Clay utilized a fast start and excellent defense to hand previously undefeated Woodford County a 67-41 defeat.  Henry Clay was led by Mary Tobin with 18 points and nine rebounds.  Katie Columbus and Nastassia Alcius added 15 and 10 points respectively.  Woodford County was led by Destiny Mattingly and Mallory Kirtley with 10 points each.   

Woodford County

5

12

12

12

-

41

Henry Clay

19

12

16

20

-

67

 

Woodford County

(41) -

E. Brown 0, Rasmussen 4, Swan 0, Kirtley 10, Mattingly 10, Richter 6. B. Brown 6, Eckert 5.

Henry Clay

(67) -

Columbus 15, Hill 3, Tobin 18, Carlisle 2, Alcius 10, Sanders 2, Currens 4, Birdwhistell 5, Wilson 2, Bush 6.

 
 Monday January 14 - Day 2

Game 5  Estill County (7-8) vs. Wheaton Academy (IL) (12-6) (Consolation)

Estill County coach Kevin Turpin started the following lineup:  5-8 Jr. Kara Newton, 5-8 Sr. Jessica Puckett, 5-9 Sr. Miranda Turpin, 5-5 So. Casey Berryman, and 5-6 Jr. Amber Birchfield.   Wheaton Academy coach Ed Willis countered with 5-7 Jr. Jessica Thomas, 5-11 Sr. Kaila Kamerlander, 5-11 Sr. Melissa McDonald, 5-9 Sr. Maggie Ritchie, and 5-9 Sr. Brittany Long. 

Wheaton Academy took an early lead and maintained their advantage throughout the game to defeat Estill County by a score of 67-57.  Wheaton Academy was led by Kaila Kamerlander with 21 points and 11 rebounds.  Brittany Long and Melissa McDonald added 16 and 14 points respectively.  Estill County was led by Jessica Puckett and Kara Newton with 20 and 17 points respectively. 

Estill County

9

10

19

19

-

57

Wheaton Academy (IL)

14

17

16

20

-

67

 

Estill County

(57) -

Newton 17, Puckett 20, Turpin 0, Berryman 7, Birchfield 8, K. Harper 2, C. Harper 2, Fox 1.

Wheaton Academy (IL)

(67) -

Thomas 4, Kamerlander 21, McDonald 14, Ritchie 0, Long 16, Fichera 3, Trautwein 4, Learned 3, Clum 2.

Game 6  Woodford County (14-1) vs. Nelson County (2-11) (Consolation)   

Woodford County coach Jay Lucas started the following lineup:  5-9 Sr. Emily Brown, 5-9 Jr. Erika Rasmussen, 5-11 Jr. Laura Swan, 5-7 Jr. Mallory Kirtley, and 5-8 Fr. Destiny Mattingly.  Nelson County coach Herbie Phelps countered with 5-10 Jr. Candace Littlejohn, 5-9 Jr. April Metcalfe, 5-9 Sr. Krissy Yocum, 5-6 Sr. Kelly Hughes, and 5-8 Jr. Jessica Ball. 

Nelson County led 24-23 at halftime and only trailed 39-37 after three quarters before Woodford County pulled away in the final period to gain a 63-50 decision.  Mallory Kirtley and Destiny Mattingly each scored nine points for Woodford County in the decisive final period.  The victors were led today by Destiny Mattingly with 17 points.  5-8 Jr. Megan Foster came off the bench to add 14 points including four three-pointers.  Mallory Kirtley and Erika Rasmussen added 14 and 13 points respectively.  Nelson County was led today by Krissy Yocum and April Metcalfe with 17 and 16 points respectively.

Woodford County

9

14

16

24

-

63

Nelson County

12

12

13

13

-

50

 

Woodford County

(63) -

E. Brown 0, Rasmussen 13, Swan 3, Kirtley 14, Mattingly 17, Richter 2, Foster 14.

Nelson County

(50) -

Littlejohn 6, A. Metcalfe 16, Yocum 17, Hughes 6, Ball 2, Mercer 3.

 
 Tuesday January 15 - Day 3

Game 7  Paul L. Dunbar (5-9) vs. Lafayette (7-8) (Semifinal)

Dunbar coach Jud Brown started the following lineup:  5-9 Jr. Jessica Hanson, 5-7 Jr. Becky Napier, 6-1 Sr. Melanie Anderson, 5-7 Jr. Brooke Marnitz, and 5-6 Jr. Allison Timaji.  Lafayette coach Allison Tate Denton countered with 5-10 Jr. Dawn Chestnut, 5-9 Sr. Lauren Staed, 6-4 Jr. Kara Hamilton, 5-9 Jr. Mollie Kelly, and 5-4 Sr. Britini Buchignani. 

Dunbar led 36-16 at halftime and withstood a second half rally by Lafayette to claim a 63-51 victory and advance to the championship game.  Jessica Hanson led a balanced Dunbar attack with 17 points and 10 rebounds.   Brooke Marnitz, Becky Napier, and Melanie Anderson added 16, 12 and 11 points respectively.  Lafayette was led by Kara Hamilton with 16 points and 14 rebounds.  Mollie Kelly and Britini Buchignani added 15 and 11 points respectively. 

Paul L. Dunbar

16

20

11

16

-

63

Lafayette

5

11

19

16

-

51

 

Paul L. Dunbar

(63) -

Hanson 17, Napier 12, Anderson 11, Marnitz 16, Timaji 5, Wiant 2.

Lafayette

(51) -

Chestnut 0, Staed 5, Hamilton 16, Kelly 15, Buchignani 11, Fowler 2, Alexander 2.

Game 8  Henry Clay (14-2) vs. Bryan Station (10-4) (Semifinal)

Henry Clay coach Scott Cromwell started the following lineup:  5-9 Sr. Katie Columbus, 6-1 Jr. Leah Hill, 6-0 So. Mary Tobin, 5-5 So. Johnna Carlisle, and 5-7 Sr. Nastassia Alcius.  Bryan Station coach Jackie Williams countered with 5-10 Sr. Ashlee Crump, 6-0 Jr. Tracy Harbut, Fr. Brittney Clark, 5-9 Sr. Aisha Briscoe, and 5-9 Sr. Sharia Young. 

Henry Clay led 51-48 at the end of three quarters and held on for a 79-69 victory over Bryan Station.  This was the typical hotly contested game between these two rivals.  Henry Clay was led tonight by their guard combination of Nastassia Alcius and Johnna Carlisle with 27 and 20 points respectively.  Mary Tobin added 15 points and Katie Columbus chipped in with 13 points.  Bryan Station was led by Sharia Young with 28 points including five three-pointers.  Tracy Harbut added 18 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. 

Henry Clay

18

20

13

28

-

79

Bryan Station

15

17

16

21

-

69

 

Henry Clay

(79) -

Columbus 13, Hill 0, Tobin 15, Alcius 27, Carlisle 20, Wilson 4.

Bryan Station

(69) -

Crump 7, Harbut 18, Clark 4, Briscoe 0, Young 28, Arnett 2, Combs 4, Stinson 2, Graham 2, Nichols 2.

 
 Wednesday January 16 - Day 4

Game 9  Nelson County (2-13) vs. Estill County (7-9) (Seventh Place)

Nelson County coach Herbie Phelps started the following lineup:  5-10 Jr. Candace Littlejohn, 5-9 Jr. April Metcalfe, 5-9 Sr. Krissy Yocum, 5-6 Sr. Kelly Hughes, and 5-8 Jr. Jessica Ball.  Estill County coach Kevin Turpin countered with 5-8 Jr. Kara Newton, 5-8 Sr. Jessica Puckett, 5-9 Sr. Miranda Turpin, 5-5 So. Casey Berryman, and 5-6 Jr. Amber Birchfield.   

The score was tied 8-8 at the end of the first quarter but Estill County outscored Nelson County 22-4 in the second quarter to take a 30-12 halftime lead.  Estill County continued to roll in the second half on their way to a 61-28 victory.  They were by led today by Kara Newton with 15 points including four three-pointers.    Nelson County was led by April Metcalfe with nine points. 

Nelson County

8

4

11

5

-

28

Estill County

8

22

19

12

-

61

 

Nelson County

(28) -

Littlejohn 2, Metcalfe 9, Yocum 7, Hughes 3, Ball 0, Sutton 3, K. Lemieux 2, Reid 2.

Estill County

(61) -

Newton 15, Puckett 9, Turpin 4, Berryman 2, Birchfield 9, K. Harper 8, Barnes 2, Neal 2, C. Harper 6, Tharpe 4.

Game 10  Woodford County (15-1) vs. Wheaton Academy (IL) (13-6) (Fifth Place)

Woodford County coach Jay Lucas started the following lineup:  5-9 Sr. Emily Brown, 5-9 Jr. Erika Rasmussen, 5-11 Jr. Laura Swan, 5-7 Jr. Mallory Kirtley, and 5-8 Fr. Destiny Mattingly.  Wheaton Academy coach Ed Willis countered with 5-6 Jr. Katie Fichera, 5-11 Sr. Kaila Kamerlander, 5-11 Sr. Melissa McDonald, 5-9 Sr. Maggie Ritchie, and 5-9 Sr. Brittany Long. 

Wheaton Academy led 48-45 at the end of three quarters but Woodford County rallied for a 63-58 victory.  Woodford County was led by Destiny Mattingly and Mallory Kirtley with 17 points each.  Kirtley had seven points in the decisive fourth quarter.  Wheaton Academy (IL) was led by Kaila Kamerlander, who tallied 18 points despite not being at full strength due to illness.   Melissa McDonald and Brittany Long added 14 and 10 points respectively. 

Woodford County

17

13

15

18

-

63

Wheaton Academy (IL)

10

20

18

10

-

58

 

Woodford County

(63) -

E. Brown 10, Rasmussen 8, Swan 6, Kirtley 17, Mattingly 17, Foster 3, Richter 2.

Wheaton Academy (IL)

(58) -

Fichera 0, Kamerlander 18, McDonald 14, Ritchie 7, Long 10, Clum 9.

 
 Thursday January 17 - Day 5

Game 11  Bryan Station (10-5) vs. Lafayette (7-10) (Third Place)

Bryan Station coach Jackie Williams started the following lineup:  5-10 Sr. Ashlee Crump, 6-0 Jr. Tracy Harbut, 5-9 Sr. Mimi Combs, 6-0 8th grade Crystal Leach, and 5-9 Sr. Sharia Young.  Lafayette coach Allison Tate Denton countered with 5-10 Jr. Dawn Chestnut, 5-9 Sr. Lauren Staed, 6-4 Jr. Kara Hamilton, 5-9 Jr. Mollie Kelly, and 5-4 Sr. Britini Buchignani.

Lafayette shot only 7 for 51 from the field and Bryan Station took an easy 47-24 decision to claim third place.  Tracy Harbut and Mimi Combs led Bryan Station with 17 and 10 points respectively.  Lafayette was led by Kara Hamilton with seven points and seven rebounds. 

Bryan Station

14

11

14

8

-

47

Lafayette

4

7

2

11

-

24

 

Bryan Station

(47) -

Crump 5, Harbut 19, Combs 10, Leach 2, Young 5, Graham 2, Briscoe 2, Smith 2.

Lafayette

(24) -

Chestnut 2, Staed 0, Hamilton 7, Kelly 6, Buchignani 0, Alexander 1, Clark 2, Strobel 3, Coats 2, Colson 1.

Game 12  Henry Clay (15-2) vs. Paul L. Dunbar (6-9) (Championship)

Henry Clay coach Scott Cromwell started the following lineup:  5-9 Sr. Katie Columbus, 6-1 Jr. Leah Hill, 6-0 So. Mary Tobin, 5-5 So. Johnna Carlisle, and 5-7 Sr. Nastassia Alcius.  Dunbar coach Jud Brown countered with 5-9 Jr. Jessica Hanson, 5-7 Jr. Becky Napier, 6-1 Sr. Melanie Anderson, 5-7 Jr. Brooke Marnitz, and 5-6 Jr. Allison Timaji.

Dunbar gave the favored Henry Clay Lady Blue Devils all they wanted for three quarters and entered the final period tied 46-46.  The Lady Bulldogs appeared to tire late and Henry Clay pulled away for a 70-57 victory.  Henry Clay was led by tourney MVP Nastassia Alcius and Mary Tobin with 18 points each. Katie Columbus added 10 points.  Dunbar was led by Brooke Marnitz with 20 points.  Becky Napier and Melanie Anderson added 14 and 11 points respectively. 

Henry Clay

19

16

11

24

-

70

Paul L. Dunbar

18

18

10

11

-

57

 

Henry Clay

(70) -

Columbus 10, Hill 6, Tobin 18, Carlisle 9, Alcius 18, Currens 2, Birdwhistell 2, Wilson 3, Sullivan 2.

Paul L. Dunbar

(57) -

Hanson 8, Napier 14, Anderson 11, Marnitz 20, Timaji 2, Weinfurtner 2.

All Tournament Team

Kara Newton

5-8

Jr.

Estill County

3 games 

11.3 ppg

 

 

Krissy Yocum

5-9

Sr.

Nelson County

3 games

11.7 ppg

 

 

Destiny Mattingly

5-8

Fr.

Woodford County

3 games

14.7 ppg

 

 

Kaila Kamerlander

5-11

Sr.

Wheaton Academy (IL)

3 games

19.0 ppg

 

 

Sharia Young

5-9

Sr.

Bryan Station

3 games

17.7 ppg

 

 

Mollie Kelly

5-9

Jr.

Lafayette

3 games

  9.0 ppg

 

 

Brooke Marnitz

5-7

Jr.

Paul L. Dunbar

3 games

17.0 ppg

 

 

Melanie Anderson

6-1

Sr.

Paul L. Dunbar

3 games

10.3 ppg

 

 

Katie Columbus

5-9

Sr.

Henry Clay

3 games

12.7 ppg

 

 

Mary Tobin

6-0

So.

Henry Clay

3 games

17.0 ppg

 

 

Nastassia Alcius

5-7 

Sr.

Henry Clay

3 games

18.3 ppg

 

 MVP

 

Conclusions
 
Congratulations to Paul L. Dunbar coach Jud Brown and the Lady Bulldogs booster club for an excellent job of hosting the Fayette County Invitational Tournament.  Also, congratulations to coach Scott Cromwell and his Henry Clay Lady Blue Devils for winning the championship.  They defeated Woodford County, Bryan Station, and Dunbar to claim the title – no easy task.  The Lady Blue Devils have an excellent team and should be one of the favorites to claim the 11th region title.  Bryan Station has a lot of firepower in Tracy Harbut and Sharia Young and could present a challenge for Henry Clay.  Coach Jay Lucas gets the most out of his Woodford County squad and rebounded from their first loss of the season to win two games in the tournament.  Dunbar had a good tourney run and first year Lafayette coach Allison Tate Denton brings youth, enthusiasm, and the determination to get the Lady Generals back on the winning track.

There were some good players in this tourney in addition to the players selected to the all tournament squad.  6-0 Jr. Tracy Harbut (Bryan Station) averaged 19.7 ppg for the tourney.  6-4 Jr. Kara Hamilton (Lafayette) averaged 14.3 ppg and 10.3 rpg, and Paul L. Dunbar’s 5-7 Jr. Becky Napier had an excellent tourney averaging 14.3 ppg.  The match-ups between Henry Clay’s Nastassia Alcius and Bryan Station’s Sharia Young are fun to watch – both can light up the scoreboard.  Woodford County has a good one in Fr. guard Destiny Mattingly.   Mary Tobin (Henry Clay) has improved her ball handling skills and added range to her shot to go along with an excellent inside game.  Don’t leave Katie Columbus (Henry Clay) open on the wing – you will get burned.  Dunbar has several girls capable of scoring points.  Jessica Puckett (Estill County) was named to the all tournament team of the prestigious Prime Time tourney played in December 2001.  I enjoyed watching Kaila Kamerlander, a slender 5-11 Sr. from Wheaton Academy in Chicago, perform this week.  Kamerlander works hard to get open for her shots and opposing defenses must hustle back on the break as she does run the floor well.

The statistics mentioned in this report are not official but were recorded by me personally.  I would like to express appreciation to the people at Paul Laurence Dunbar for the hospitality extended me this week.  I would also like to thank all the coaches who have taken time to educate me and bring me up to speed on the girls’ game.  I saw a lot of girls play this week that I’m confident can and will play at the college level.

Please feel free to send your comments and questions concerning the tournament, teams, or players to me at prephoops@yahoo.com .