By Evan Merrill
NKyTribune contributor
Simon Kenton controlled the tempo and defeated Oldham County, 66-41, Friday in the semifinals of the 8th Region tournament at Simon Kenton.
“We wanted to speed them up,” said Simon Kenton coach Jeff Stowers. “They’re pretty good in their half-court sets. We wanted them to not hold the ball … push them out and push the tempo.”
The frantic pace resulted in a couple of first-half scoring runs that put the Pioneers ahead, 34-17, at halftime. They pushed the led to 27 points in the second half and cruised to their 19th victory.
Simon Kenton senior guard Ally Niece scored nine of her game-high 14 points in the first quarter. The team’s other double-figures scorers were sophomore guard Maggie Jones and Mattie Vickers with 10 points each.
Niece sat out most of the season while recovering from knee surgery. The coach is glad to have the all-state player back in the lineup for the playoffs.
“It’s been a struggle all year long,” Stowers said. “Playing without Ally has done so much for us. We have the personnel to get it done.”
The Pioneers advance to the regional final for the sixth consecutive year and play Anderson County in the title game at 6 p.m. Saturday on their home court. The winner gets a berth in next week’s state tournament at BB&T Arena.
Anderson County 58, Walton-Verona 54
Anderson County scored seven straight points in the final seconds and defeated Walton-Verona, 58-54, in the semifinals of the 8th Region tournament on Friday at Simon Kenton.
The Bearcats had a 54-51 lead with 57 seconds left on the clock, but they committed turnovers on their final three possessions. A 3-point goal by freshman Amiah Mason put Anderson County ahead, 56-54, and one of her teammates made a pair of free throws to come away with the four-point victory.
“Our goal was to take away some things they like to do and we were able to do that,” said Walton-Verona coach Mark Clinkenbeard. “They had kids step up and hit shots. If you get beat following the game plan like we did, you have to tip your hat to them.”
Walton-Verona junior forward Brooke Perry scored nine of her 19 points in the third quarter when her team took a 12-point lead, but Anderson County rallied. The lead changed hands four times in the fourth quarter.
“The kids played hard, we made shots,” Clinkenbeard said. “We’re young, we play a lot of sophomores, our point guard’s a freshman. We’ll grow from this as a program. It hurts for the seniors, but overall I’m proud. What we accomplished is a right step forward going into next year.”
Scott 65, Mason County 63 2 OT
After missing the final shot in the first overtime period, Scott senior guard Anna Clephane scored seven of her team’s nine points in the second overtime period to win the 10th Region semifinal game on Friday at Mason County Fieldhouse.
Scott shot 51 percent (24 of 47) from the field with 36 rebounds. Mason County’s shot 44 percent (20 of 45) with 27 rebounds. The Eagles’ leading scorer was junior Summer Secrist with 23 points, followed by Clephane with 18. Junior forward Emma Proffitt finished with 14 points and seven rebounds.
Scott advances to the 10th Region championship game for the second time in three years and plays Clark County at 7 p.m. Saturday with a berth in the state tournament going to the winner.
Clark County 51, Campbell County 48
Campbell County erased a 13-point halftime deficit and trailed 49-48 in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. After Clark County made a pair of free throws, the Camels season ended when senior guard Taylor Clos missed a 3-point shot just before the final horn sounded.
Clos scored 25 points with five 3-point goals in her final game. The Camels’ other two senior starters, Mackenzie Schwarber and Lexie Stapleton, had nine points each. Schwarber also had nine rebounds.
Campbell County entered the playoffs ranked among the top three teams in the state and finishes with a 29-4 record.