By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Walton-Verona scored 34 points off turnovers and rolled to a 72-36 win over Carroll County in the championship game of the All “A” Classic girls’ basketball tournament on Friday at Walton-Verona.
The Bearcats (13-5) made 19 steals during the game. Junior forward Brooke Perry scored eight of her game-high 19 points off turnovers. Freshman guard Haylee Neeley and senior guard Rachel Lehkamp each got seven points following take-aways.
Walton-Verona held a slim 25-20 lead going into the second half. That’s when the Bearcats’ defense kicked in and they were able to outscore the visitors, 47-16, over the last two quarters.
Walton-Verona shot 45 percent (30 of 67) from the field compared to Carroll County’s 39 percent (12 of 31). The Bearcats also finished with a 37-23 rebounding advantage. The team leader was Emma Strunk with 14.
Perry was named the tournament’s most valuable player. She was a double-figure scorer in all three of her team’s victories for a net total of 54 points. The other Bearcats on the all-tournament team were Neeley and senior guards Alyson Poore and Olivia Harden.
Walton-Verona advances to the girls’ small school state tournament for the second time in the last three years. The Bearcats will play a first-round game against the 7th Region champion at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at McBrayer Arena in Richmond.
The Walton-Verona boys’ team also earned a berth in the state tournament and faces Louisville Holy Cross in a first-round game at 8 p.m. Thursday.
WALTON-VERONA 10 15 30 17 — 72
CARROLL COUNTY 8 12 11 5 — 36
WALTON-VERONA (13-5): Perry 8 2 19, Poore 3 0 8, Strunk 3 0 8, Neeley 2 2 7, Lehkamp 3 0 7, Hicks 2 0 5, Michael 2 0 4, Coppola 2 0 4, Buerger 1 0 2, Sizemore 1 0 2, Carrico 1 0 2, Harden 1 0 2. Hueser 1 0 2. Totals: 30 4 72.
CARROLL COUNTY: (11-9): Searcy 5 5 15, Aulbach 3 5 11, Evans 2 2 6, McCarty 1 0 2, Napier 1 0 2. totals: 12 12 36.
3-pointers: WV — Poore 2, Strunk 2, Perry, Neeley, Lehkamp, Hicks.
