By Evan Merrill
NKyTribune contributor
Conner junior guard Courtney Hurst played a crucial role in her team’s 54-46 win over Highlands in the first round of the 9th Region girls’ basketball tournament on Monday at BB&T Arena.
In addition to scoring a game-high 19 points, Hurst effectively guarded Highlands junior guard Zoie Barth for much of the night. Barth finished with eight points, 11 below her season average, and that was a major factor in Conner coach Aaron Stamm’s game plan.
“If she was going to have a big night, we were in trouble,” Stamm said of Barth. “Our kids knew that. That’s something we’ve tried to get them to trust us (coaches) and each other all year. It just seemed like the biggest game of the year they decided to trust us and each other, which was nice to see.”
The first half was an entertaining back-and-forth affair between the two teams. There were four lead changes and neither team was ahead by more than three points.
With reserve guard Piper Macke scoring five of her 11 points in the second quarter, Highlands did seize the lead with just over two minutes remaining before halftime. But Conner responded with a 6-2 run and had a 24-21 edge at the break.
Conner’s defense held Highlands scoreless for more than three minutes at the start of the second half and the Cougars opened up a 30-21 lead. That stretch proved to be a deciding factor in the game.
Hurst and junior guard Maddie Burcham combined for 14 of Conner’s 16 points in the third quarter that ended with their team ahead, 40-30.
The Bluebirds reduced the margin to six points a couple of times in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t maintain the momentum they needed to go ahead. Conner made the free throws it needed down the stretch to come away with the victory.
“Our kids did a great job at the end of the game,” coach Stamm said. “That’s something we kind of worried about, whether or not our kids could step up and make free throws when it counted, and we made enough tonight.”
The Cougars advance to the regional semifinals for the third consecutive year and face a Holmes team that knocked them off in the last two tournaments. Conner did beat the Bulldogs, 51-43, in a regular-season home game on Jan. 27, but there will be a lot more riding on the rematch that’s set for 7 p.m. Friday
“I think we’re going to play a lot better,” Stamm said. “We want to beat them. Three years is too many.”
CONNER 13 11 16 14 — 54
HIGHLANDS 10 11 9 16 — 46
HIGHLANDS (24-8): Macke 5 1 11, Hayes 4 0 10, Dill 2 0 4, Barth 3 2 8, Buecker 1 2 4, Jansen 2 2 6, O’Hara 1 1 3. Totals: 18 8 46.
Conner (23-8): Hurst 6 5 19, Jordan 1 4 6, McLemore 3 0 6, Burcham 5 4 15, Kennedy 3 0 6, Drummonds 1 0 2. Totals: 19 13 54.
3-pointers: C — Hurst 2, Burcham. H — Hayes 2.
HOLMES 51, ST. HENRY 37
Despite a slow first half, two-time defending 9th Region champion Holmes’ defensive tenacity proved to be the deciding factor in a 51-37 victory over St. Henry in a regional first-round game on Monday at BB&T arena.
The Bulldogs set the tone early, attacking and forcing turnovers to take a quick 7-2 lead before St. Henry could match their aggressiveness.
The Crusaders rebounded from their tough start and cut the margin to 22-19 after being down by as many as nine points. But the Bulldogs managed to stretch the lead to 28-21 at the half.
Junior guard Kamari Graham played a significant role for Holmes in the first half. She knocked down four 3-pointers to score 12 of her game-high 14 points.
“I think we were sluggish,” Holmes coach Greg Ash said of his team’s first half. “We came out slow, our defense was a little slower than I wanted. Four quarters of press and pressure, that was the idea, run them down a little bit.”
The Bulldogs opened the second half with an 11-0 run to expand their lead to 39-21. Six of the 11 points came from senior guard Laila Johnson in a stretch that seemed to put the Crusaders away.
St. Henry managed to pull within eight points with just under four minutes remaining in the game, but Holmes used its pressure defense to pulled away once again at the end.
“We have to play pressure defense,” coach Ash said. “We have to do what got us to this point. I told them at halftime they were kind of dragging because we weren’t scoring very much. I told them, ‘You got them under 21 points, you hold them under 40 and we win this game.’ I told them we may get them to 39, but 37, I’ll take it.”
The Bulldogs, who have now won sixth straight games and eight of their last nine, will play a familiar opponent in a regional semifinal game against Conner at 7 p.m. Friday.
Holmes knocked off Conner in the regional semifinals the last two years, but the Cougars won the regular season game between the two teams last January.
“We’re not the same team (as earlier this season),” coach Ash said. “At this point though, on any given night, anything’s possible.”
HOLMES 15 13 11 12 — 51
ST. HENRY 10 11 3 13 — 37
HOLMES (20-7): Lovell 1 0 3, Johnson 4 0 10, Graham 4 2 14, Keith 0 2 2, Stowers 5 1 11, Englemon 3 5 11. Totals: 17 10 51.
St. Henry (14-15): Benson 1 3 5, Millay 1 0 2, Flanagan 3 0 7, Ives 5 0 10, Iloegbunam 4 5 13. Totals: 14 8 37
3-pointers: H — Graham 4, Johnson 2 Lovell. SH — Flanagan.
9TH REGION TOURNAMENT AT BB&T ARENA
TUESDAY
Dixie Heights (22-9) vs. Newport Central Catholic (11-17), 7 p.m.
Ryle (25-6) vs. Holy Cross (18-12), 8:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
Holmes (20-7) vs. Conner (23-8), 7 p.m.
Winners of Tuesday’s games, 8:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
Championship game, 2 p.m.