Louisville Invitational Tournament (Girls) 

Bellarmine University, Louisville, Kentucky
January 28-February 1, 2003

Copyright © 2003 Ron Harrison

This tournament will include sixteen teams with four of the invited teams joining the tourney for the quarterfinal round.  The teams invited are:  Assumption, Ballard, Butler, Christian Academy of Louisville, DuPont Manual, Elizabethtown, Fairdale, Mercy Academy, Pleasure Ridge Park, Presentation Academy, South Oldham, and Sacred Heart Academy, with Christian County, Harrison County, Jackson County, and Wayne County entering the quarterfinals. 

January 28th - Day 1

Game No. 1  Ballard (10-5) vs. South Oldham (12-3)

Ballard coach Ken Smith started the following lineup:   5-10 Jr. Heather Ross, 5-7 Sr. India Chiles, 6-3 Fr. Alicia Bunton, 5-4 Jr. Jessie Martin, and 5-6 Sr. Denasha Mondy.  South Oldham coach Stacy Pendleton countered with 5-9 Jr. Ashley Trosper, 5-8 Sr. Stephanie Vaughn, 6-2 Sr. Ashley Staude, 5-7 Jr. Courtney Cravens, and 5-4 Jr. Stephanie Hay.

Ballard defeated South Oldham today by a score of 55-46.  South Oldham shot 36% from the field while Ballard connected at a 36.5% rate.  Ballard scored 17 points off 20 South Oldham turnovers and outscored South Oldham 14-7 from the free throw line.  The victors were led by India Chiles and Denasha Mondy with 22 and 15 points respectively.  Ashley Staude led South Oldham with 16 points.  Stephanie Hay added 12 points while 5-11 Jr. Magan Lee chipped in with five points and 11 rebounds. 

Ballard 

17

7

15

16

-

55

South Oldham

11

11

11

13

-

46

 

Ballard

(55)

-

Ross 2, Chiles 22, Bunton 4, Martin 4, Mondy 15, White 2, Derenoncourt 2, McMillan 4.

South Oldham

(46)

-

Trosper 5, Vaughn 6, Staude 16, Cravens 2, Hay 12, Lee 5.

Game No. 2  Pleasure Ridge Park (9-7) vs. Mercy Academy (11-7)

Pleasure Ridge Park coach Craig Webb started the following lineup:  5-10 Sr. Natalie Neal, 5-9 Jr. Andrea Bishop, 6-0 Jr. Chelsea Bibelhauser, 5-8 Sr. Kellie Peyton, and 5-6 Jr. Anitha Williams.  Mercy Academy coach Mark Evans countered with 5-7 Sr. Sarah Darnell, 5-8 Sr. Erica Hardy, 6-0 Jr. Katie Willinger, 5-7 Jr. Ashley Mannel, and 5-5 Sr. Lauren Parrish.

Mercy Academy took a 38-16 first half lead on their way to a 65-50 victory over Pleasure Ridge Park.  Mercy scored 34 points off 29 Pleasure Ridge Park turnovers.  Mercy shot 43.6% while PRP could only manage 36.7%.  Mercy was led by Ashley Mannel, Lauren Parrish, and Erica Hardy with 16, 14, and 10 points respectively.  Katie Willinger added eight points and pulled down nine rebounds.  Kellie Peyton and Anitha Williams led Pleasure Ridge Park with 14 and 13 points respectively.  

Pleasure Ridge Park 

5

11

22

12

-

50

Mercy Academy

19

19

11

16

-

65

 

Pleasure Ridge Park

(50)

-

Neal 0, Bishop 3, Bibelhauser 6, Peyton 14, Williams 13, Weber 6, Pierce 8.

Mercy Academy

(65)

-

Darnell 6, Hardy 10, Willinger 8, Mannel 16, Parrish 14, Ulanowski 5, Kittel 6.  

Game No. 3  Presentation Academy (7-8) vs. DuPont Manual (10-2)   

Presentation Academy coach David Jackson started the following lineup:  5-10 Celia Hall, Stephanie Waskevitch, Gabriella Greenwell, Audrey Gray, and 5-5 Jr. Khristina Greenwell.  DuPont Manual coach Mina Todd countered with 6-1 Sr. Ellen Doolittle, 6-0 Jr. Candyce Bingham, 6-2 Jr. Sarah McKemie, 6-0 So. Maggie McKemie, and 5-6 Sr. Dedra McMillion.

DuPont Manual held a 44-25 advantage on the boards on their way to a 55-42 victory over Presentation Academy.  Manual was 22 of 29 from the free throw line while Presentation only visited the charity stripe 13 times, connecting on seven shots.  Manual was led by Candyce Bingham and Maggie McKemie with 18 and 16 points respectively.  Sarah McKemie added 13 points and pulled down 13 rebounds.  Presentation was led by Stephanie Waskevitch and Khristina Greenwell with 15 points each.  Celia Hall added seven points and pulled down 10 rebounds.  

Presentation Academy 

12

10

6

14

-

42

DuPont Manual 

10

11

9

25

-

55

 

Presentation Academy

(42)

-

Hall 7, Waskevitch 15, G. Greenwell 2, Gray 0, K. Greenwell 15, Brohm 3.

DuPont Manual

(55)

-

Doolittle 6, Bingham 18, S. McKemie 13, M. McKemie 16, McMillion 2.

Game No. 4  Fairdale (9-1) vs. Butler (8-7)

Fairdale coach Larry Bruner started the following lineup:  5-8 Sr. Sheila Taylor, 5-10 Sr. Kaya Stephenson, 6-0 Sr. Reva Tyus, Cierra Ricketts and 4-11 Sr. Tish Gray.   Butler coach Stephanie Greathouse countered with 5-7 Jr. Latrice Pendleton, 5-7 Jr. Mandy Evans, 6-0 Jr. Ashley Lewallen, 5-4 Jr. Jenna Hedges, and 5-2 Fr. Nicole Holman.  

Butler took a 25-8 first quarter lead and held a 64%-34% edge in field goal shooting on their way to a 73-46 victory over Fairdale.  Butler was led by Ashley Lewallen with 29 points including 12 of 15 from the field.  Jenna Hedges added 14 points and dished out 10 assists.  Fairdale was led by Sheila Taylor with 14 points and 13 rebounds.  Cierra Ricketts added 11 points. 

Fairdale 

8

17

12

9

-

46

Butler 

25

19

14

15

-

73

 

Fairdale

(46)

-

Taylor 14, Stephenson 2, Tyus 9, Ricketts 11, Gray 6, Cook 2, Bates 2.

Butler

(73)

-

Pendleton 8, Evans 8, Lewallen 29, Hedges 14, Holman 6, Grunwald 6, Smith 2.

January 29th - Day 2

Game No. 5  Mercy Academy (12-7) vs. Elizabethtown (8-5)

Mercy Academy coach Mark Evans started the following lineup:  5-7 Sr. Sarah Darnell, 5-8 Sr. Erica Hardy, 6-0 Jr. Katie Willinger, 5-7 Jr. Ashley Mannel, and 5-5 Sr. Lauren Parrish.  Elizabethtown coach Tim Mudd countered with 5-10 So. Sara Sexton, 6-0 Sr. Jessica Lucas, 6-0 So. Robyn Jennings, 6-0 Sr. Andrea Self, and 5-6 So. Lara Donnelly.  

Elizabethtown led 45-35 at the end of the third quarter but had to survive a late Mercy rally to gain a 55-54 victory.  Elizabethtown held a 58.1%-30.8% edge in field goal shooting and was 19 of 27 from the free throw line, Mercy visited the charity stripe 21 times connecting on 11 shots.  Mercy scored 23 points off 22 Elizabethtown turnovers.  The victors were led by Andrea Self, Lara Donnelly, Robyn Jennings, and Sara Sexton with 12, 11, 10 and nine points respectively.  Mercy Academy was led by Katie Willinger with 20 points and 15 rebounds.  Erica Hardy and Ashley Mannel added 11 and 10 points respectively.  

Mercy Academy 

15

10

10

19

-

54

Elizabethtown 

19

12

14

10

-

55

 

Mercy Academy

(54)

-

Darnell 2, Hardy 11, Willinger 20, Mannel 10, Parrish 6, Mehr 3, Ulanowski 2.

Elizabethtown

(55)

-

Sexton 9, Lucas 3, Jennings 10, Self 12, Donnelly 11, Hatfield 5, Yates 5.

Game No. 6  Ballard (11-5) vs. Sacred Heart Academy (16-1)

Ballard coach Ken Smith started the following lineup:   5-10 Jr. Heather Ross, 5-7 Sr. India Chiles, 6-3 Fr. Alicia Bunton, 5-4 Jr. Jessie Martin, and 5-6 Sr. Denasha Mondy.  Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir countered with 5-11 Sr. Becca Kopple, 5-10 So. Taylor Kopple, 6-3 Jr. Crystal Kelly, 5-6 Jr. Connie Ferch, and 5-7 So. Carly Ormerod.

Sacred Heart led 28-25 at the end of three quarters and pulled away in the final quarter to claim a 49-38 victory over Ballard.  Ballard is a very athletic team and Coach Smith has this team playing well.  Sacred Heart held a 41.9%-31.9% edge in field goal shooting, and was 22 of 27 from the free throw line while Ballard only visited the charity stripe nine times connecting on four shots.  Sacred Heart was led by Crystal Kelly with 20 points and 12 rebounds.  Kelly was 12 of 14 from the free throw line.  Ballard was led by Denasha Mondy with 20 points.  

Ballard 

9

8

8

13

-

38

Sacred Heart Academy

13

11

4

21

-

49

 

Ballard

(38)

-

Ross 0, Chiles 9, Bunton 2, Martin 3, Mondy 20, White 2, McMillan 2.

Sacred Heart Academy

(49)

-

B. Kopple 8, T. Kopple 6, Kelly 20, Ferch 2, Ormerod 7, Kleinert 3, Windchy 3.

Game No. 7  Butler (9-7) vs. Christian Academy of Louisville (12-2) 

Butler coach Stephanie Greathouse started the following lineup:  5-7 Jr. Latrice Pendleton, 5-7 Jr. Mandy Evans, 6-0 Jr. Ashley Lewallen, 5-4 Jr. Jenna Hedges, and 5-2 Fr. Nicole Holman.  Christian Academy coach Don Rice countered with 5-11 Sr. Kristi Beougher, 5-9 So. Jessie Marshall, 6-2 So. Ashley Fishback, 5-7 Fr. Meredith Marsh, and 5-6 Sr. Nikki Thompson. 

Christian Academy outscored Butler 16-2 in the second quarter on their way to a 56-26 victory.  Christian Academy held a 40.4%-19.2% edge in field goal shooting and enjoyed a 47-32 edge in rebounding over Butler.  The victors were led by Jessie Marshall and 5-10 So. Danielle Kom with 12 and 10 points respectively.  Kristi Beougher scored six points but pulled down 15 rebounds and recorded five steals.  Ashley Lewallen led Butler with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocked shots.

Butler

6

2

8

10

-

26

Christian Academy of Louisville

11

16

16

13

-

56

 

Butler

(26) -

Pendleton 2, Evans 7, Lewallen 10, Hedges 2, Holman 2, McGrath 3.

Christian Academy of Louisville

(56) -

Beougher 6, Marshall 12, Fishback 4, Marsh 8, Thompson 2, Blake 4, Shubert 9, McGee 1, Kom 10.

Game No. 8  DuPont Manual (11-2)  vs. Assumption (11-8)

DuPont Manual coach Mina Todd started the following lineup:  6-1 Sr. Ellen Doolittle, 6-0 Jr. Candyce Bingham, 6-2 Jr. Sarah McKemie, 6-0 So. Maggie McKemie, and 5-6 Sr. Dedra McMillion.   Assumption coach Tom Creamer countered with 5-10 Sr. Sarah Todd, 5-10 Jr. Jessica Gilbert, 6-1 Fr. Amber Norton, 5-7 Jr. Trish Todd, and 5-6 Jr. Jennifer Weidmar.

Assumption and Manual were tied 39-39 entering the final quarter but Assumption went on a 15-6 fourth run to gain a 54-45 victory.  Assumption held a 43.6%-33.3% edge in field goal shooting and scored 20 points off 15 Manual turnovers.  The taller Manual squad held a 35-19 rebounding edge.  The victors were led by Jennifer Weidmar, Trish Todd, Sarah Todd, and Amber Norton with 15, 12, 11 and 10 points respectively.  Assumption, led by Sarah Todd with a perfect three for three, was eight of 17 from the three point line.  Manual was led today by Candyce Bingham with 11 points and nine rebounds.  Ellen Doolittle added 10 points and 12 rebounds.  Sarah McKemie and Maggie McKemie added nine points each.   

DuPont Manual 

13

15

11

6

-

45

Assumption 

10

13

16

15

-

54

 

DuPont Manual 

(45)

-

Doolittle 10, Bingham 11, S. McKemie 9, M. McKemie 9, McMillion 6.  

Assumption 

(54)

-

S. Todd 11, Gilbert 3, Norton 10, T. Todd 12, Weidmar 15, Boldrick 3.

January 31st - Day 3  Quarterfinals

Game No. 9  Wayne County (10-3)  vs. Assumption (12-8)

Wayne County coach Tim Pyles started the following lineup:  5-11 So. Ashely Bell, 5-9 Fr. Latoyia Green, 6-0 Sr. Claudia Baker, 5-5 Sr. Trisha Gothrup, and 5-7 Jr. Kenita Ball.   Assumption coach Tom Creamer countered with 5-10 Sr. Sarah Todd, 5-10 Jr. Jessica Gilbert, 6-1 Fr. Amber Norton, 5-7 Jr. Trish Todd, and 5-6 Jr. Jennifer Weidmar.

The score was tied 20-20 at the end of three quarters and Assumption outscored Wayne County 17-4 in the final quarter to earn a 37-24 victory.  Assumption held a 40%-27.3% edge in field goal shooting  Assumption was led by Amber Norton with 14 points and six rebounds.  Ellen Boldrick came off the bench to add six points on three of three from the floor.  Wayne County was led by Claudia Baker with 10 points.   

Wayne County 

12

7

1

4

-

24

Assumption 

4

9

7

17

-

37

 

Wayne County 

(24)

-

Bell 2, Green 4, Baker 10, T. Gothrup 3, Ball 5.  

Assumption 

(37)

-

S. Todd 7, Gilbert 4, Norton 14, T. Todd 6, Weidmar 0, Boldrick 6.

Game No. 10 Jackson County (15-3) vs. Christian Academy of Louisville (13-2) 

Jackson County coach Greg Parrett started the following lineup:  5-8 Sr. Jenna Lakes, 5-8 So. Brittany Bingham, 6-6 Jr. Sarah Elliott, 5-4 Sr. Jeannena Hignite, and 5-3 Jr. Whitney Moore.  Christian Academy coach Don Rice countered with 5-11 Sr. Kristi Beougher, 5-9 So. Jessie Marshall, 6-2 So. Ashley Fishback, 5-10 So. Kristen Blake, and 5-6 Sr. Nikki Thompson. 

Jackson County held a 42.9%-33.3% edge in field goal shooting to overcome tenacious defense and the outside shooting of Christian Academy to gain a 48-44 victory.  Christian Academy went on a 17-11 run in the third quarter and the score was tied 36-36 entering the final period before Jackson County pulled out the win.  Jackson County was led by Sarah Elliott with 18 points and 13 rebounds.  Jeannena Hignite added nine points.  Christian Academy was led by 5-7 Fr. Meredith Marsh with 17 points including five three point baskets.  Jessie Marshall added nine points. 

Jackson County

14

11

11

12

-

48

Christian Academy of Louisville

8

11

17

8

-

44

 

Jackson County

(48) -

J. Lakes 4, B. Bingham 6, Elliott 18, Hignite 9, Moore 4, Roaden 7.

Christian Academy of Louisville

(44) -

Beougher 4, Marshall 9, Fishback 2, Blake 0, Thompson 5, Marsh 17, Kom 2, Shubert 5.

Game No. 11  Christian County (15-2) vs. Elizabethtown (9-5)

Christian County coach Don Dillard started the following lineup:  5-10 Fr. Arnika Brown, 5-10 Jr. Jana Betts, 5-9 Sr. DeErica Jones, 5-9 Jr. Corkey Stiger, and 5-5 Jr. Shaleea Petty.  Elizabethtown coach Tim Mudd countered with 5-10 So. Sara Sexton, 6-0 Sr. Jessica Lucas, 6-0 So. Robyn Jennings, 6-0 Sr. Andrea Self, and 5-6 So. Lara Donnelly.  

Christian County utilized a 21-12 first quarter lead and a 30-14 third quarter run on their way to a 71-52 victory over Elizabethtown.  Christian County held a 50.8%-36.7% edge in field goal shooting and enjoyed a 38-26 rebounding margin over Elizabethtown.  Christian County was led by Corkey Stiger with 23 points.  Arnika Brown added 18 points and 14 rebounds while DeErica Jones chipped in with 12 points.  Elizabethtown was led by Robyn Jennings with 14 points and 12 rebounds.  Kathyrn Yates and Lara Donnelly added nine and eight points respectively.  

Christian County 

21

10

30

10

-

71

Elizabethtown 

12

9

14

17

-

52

 

Christian County

(71)

-

Brown 18, Betts 6, Jones 12, Stiger 23, Petty 4, Wilson 4, Thomas 2, Riley 2.

Elizabethtown

(52)

-

Sexton 3, Lucas 4, Jennings 14, Self 6, Donnelly 8, Mather 1, Hatfield 7, Yates 9.

Game No. 12  Harrison County (11-6) vs. Sacred Heart Academy (17-1)

Harrison County coach Mac Whitaker started the following lineup: 5-9 Fr. Brooke Faulkner, 5-8 So. Nikki Owsley, 6-0 Jr. Megan Gray, 5-6 Sr. Allison Snedeker and LaDonna Turley.  Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir countered with 5-11 Sr. Becca Kopple, 5-10 So. Taylor Kopple, 6-3 Jr. Crystal Kelly, 5-6 Jr. Connie Ferch, and 5-7 So. Carly Ormerod.

Sacred Heart raced out to a 38-16 lead on their way to a 70-50 victory over Harrison County.  Sacred Heart shot 51.8% from the field while Harrison County connected at a 42.9% rate Sacred Heart scored 23 points off 17 Harrison County turnovers and held a 31-19 advantage on the boards.  Sacred Heart was led by Crystal Kelly with 18 points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots.  Carly Ormerod added 12 points.  Megan Gray led Harrison County with 24 points and six rebounds while Brooke Faulkner added 16 points.  

Harrison County 

12

4

18

16

-

50

Sacred Heart Academy

19

19

21

11

-

70

 

Harrison County

(50)

-

Faulkner 16, Owsley 6, Gray 24, Snedeker 2, Turley 0, Dickson 2.

Sacred Heart Academy

(70)

-

B. Kopple 6, T. Kopple 4, Kelly 18, Ferch 8, Ormerod 12, Distler 5, Kleinert 2, McCarty 5, Wade 2, Windchy 8.

February 1st - Day 4

Game No. 13  Jackson County (16-3) vs. Christian County (16-2)  (Semifinal)

Jackson County coach Greg Parrett started the following lineup:  5-8 Sr. Jenna Lakes, 5-8 So. Brittany Bingham, 6-6 Jr. Sarah Elliott, 5-4 Sr. Jeannena Hignite, and 5-3 Jr. Whitney Moore.   Christian County coach Don Dillard countered with 5-10 Fr. Arnika Brown, 5-10 Jr. Jana Betts, 5-9 Sr. DeErica Jones, 5-9 Jr. Corkey Stiger, and 5-5 Jr. Shaleea Petty.

Christian County scored 29 points off 18 Jackson County turnovers on their way to a 60-44 victory.  Christian County was led by Corkey Stiger with 22 points.  DeErica Jones added 12 points while Arnika Brown chipped in with eight points and pulled down 16 rebounds.  Jackson County was led by Sarah Elliott with 18 points,10 rebounds, and 11 blocked shots.  Jeannena Hignite added 11 points and eight rebounds. 

Jackson County 

13

10

10

11

-

44

Christian County

21

7

15

17

-

60

 

Jackson County

(44)

-

J. Lakes 2, B. Bingham 3, Elliott 18, Hignite 11, Moore 2, Roaden 8.

Christian County

(60)

-

Brown 8, Betts 6, Jones 12, Stiger 22, Petty 9, McCombs 1, Briggs 2.

Game No. 14  Assumption (13-8) vs. Sacred Heart Academy (18-1)  (Semifinal)

Assumption coach Tom Creamer started the following lineup:  5-10 Sr. Sarah Todd, 5-10 Jr. Jessica Gilbert, 6-1 Fr. Amber Norton, 5-7 Jr. Trish Todd, and 5-6 Jr. Jennifer Weidmar.  Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir countered with 5-11 Sr. Becca Kopple, 5-10 So. Taylor Kopple, 6-3 Jr. Crystal Kelly, 5-6 Jr. Connie Ferch, and 5-7 So. Carly Ormerod.  

Assumption gave Sacred Heart quite a scare before Sacred Heart pulled out a 44-41 victory.  Sacred Heart held a 48.4%-31.7% edge in field goal shooting but Assumption scored 23 points off 21 Sacred Heart turnovers.  Sacred Heart was led by Crystal Kelly with 20 points and seven rebounds.  Assumption was led by Jennifer Weidmar with 12 points.  Sarah Todd and Trish Todd added eight points each. 

Assumption 

8

13

10

10

-

41

Sacred Heart Academy 

15

7

10

12

-

44

 

Assumption

(41)

-

S. Todd 8, Gilbert 3, Norton 6, T. Todd 8, Weidmar 12, Boldrick 4.

Sacred Heart Academy

(44)

-

B. Kopple 4, T. Kopple 5, Kelly 20, Ferch 3, Ormerod 7, Distler 5.

Game No. 15 Christian County (17-2) vs. Sacred Heart Academy (19-1)   (Championship)

Christian County coach Don Dillard started the following lineup:  5-10 Fr. Arnika Brown, 5-10 Jr. Jana Betts, 5-9 Sr. DeErica Jones, 5-9 Jr. Corkey Stiger, and 5-5 Jr. Shaleea Petty.  Sacred Heart coach Donna Moir countered with 5-11 Sr. Becca Kopple, 5-10 So. Taylor Kopple, 6-3 Jr. Crystal Kelly, 5-6 Jr. Connie Ferch, and 5-7 So. Carly Ormerod.

Christian County stayed with Sacred Heart for about a quarter and a half until Sacred Heart pulled ahead for a 35-21 halftime lead on their way to a 62-33 victory.   Sacred Heart held a 43.9%-30% edge in field goal shooting and outrebounded Christian County 43-20.  The victors were led by Carly Ormerod with 20 points.  Crystal Kelly added 14 points and 10 rebounds while Connie Ferch added 12 points and seven rebounds.  Christian County was led by DeErica Jones and Corkey Stiger with 12 and 10 points respectively.  Arnika Brown added six points, pulled down eight rebounds, and blocked five shots. 

Christian County 

13

8

7

5

-

33

Sacred Heart Academy 

16

19

10

17

-

62

 

Christian County

(33)

-

Brown 6, Betts 0, Jones 12, Stiger 10, Petty 2, Thomas 1, Briggs 2.

Sacred Heart Academy

(62)

-

B. Kopple 2, T. Kopple 6, Kelly 14, Ferch 12, Ormerod 20, Distler 4, Kleinert 2, Wade 2.

All Tournament Team  

Robyn Jennings

6-0

So.

Elizabethtown 

12.0 ppg

9.0 rpg

 

 

Sarah Todd

5-10

Sr.

Assumption 

 8.7 ppg

 

 

 

Arnika Brown

5-10

Fr.

Christian County

10.7 ppg

12.7 rpg

 

 

Meredith Marsh

5-7

Fr.

Christian Academy

12.5 ppg

4.5 rpg

 

 

Sarah Elliott

6-6 

Jr.

Jackson County 

18.0 ppg

11.5 rpg

7.0 bpg

 

Jeannena Hignite

5-4

Sr.

Jackson County 

10.5 ppg

6.5 rpg

 

 

Amber Norton

6-1

Fr.

Assumption 

10.0 ppg

 6.0 rpg

 

 

Corkey Stiger

5-9

Jr.

Christian County

18.3 ppg

 

 

 

Carly Ormerod

5-7

So.

Sacred Heart Academy

11.5 ppg

4.5 rpg

 

 

Crystal Kelly

6-3

Jr.

Sacred Heart Academy

18.0 ppg

9.5 rpg

 

 

Conclusion

This was another excellent showing for Coach Donna Moir’s Sacred Heart Academy Valkyries, especially after recently losing starter Krisha Byron.  This was their third Louisville Invitational Tourney Championship in a row and they also won the prestigious Prime Time Tourney in Lexington in December.  Crystal Kelly also scored her 1500th career point during the championship game against Christian County.  Even though Sacred Heart is 20-1 and obviously number one in the state, nothing will come easy.  The seventh region has several teams very capable of springing an upset.   Christian Academy is for real and Assumption can be a very dangerous foe.  There is so much talent in the ‘Ville that for every player that gets state-wide attention there is probably another player that should be getting more attention. 

I had the pleasure of seeing Robyn Jennings play last summer in AAU and she is having an excellent season for Elizabethtown.  Jackson County is a dangerous team and Sarah Elliott casts a long shadow in the paint.  Harrison County can be dangerous, especially if they can control the tempo.  Megan Gray and Brooke Faulkner can be difficult to defend.  Wayne County is in the middle of a battle for 12th Region supremacy so the tourney should be interesting.  Sacred Heart has handily defeated Christian County twice this season but I can assure you—nobody will take this team lightly.  They were undefeated going into the state tourney last year.  They have lost three games this season playing a very aggressive schedule and should be tourney tough.  Christian County’s coach Don Dillard will not let his team overlook anybody as one of his losses has been to regional foe Henderson County.     

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to Bob Tonini of Sacred Heart Academy for sending me the statistics and other valuable info about this tourney.  Bob is a staunch Valkyries fan but he always has kind words for the other excellent teams and players in the various events he works.  Also, a special thanks to Louis Meadows for his comments and insight on girls’ basketball on his website and the email messages he provides. 

Please feel free to send your comments and questions concerning the tournament, teams, or players to me at  prephoops@yahoo.com .
Ron Harrison’s reports on this and other basketball events appear on http://www.angelfire.com/ky/prephoops.