By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The head coaches Brossart High School hired for its boys and girls basketball teams last spring carried off championship trophies after the 10th Region All “A” Classic title games on Thursday at Paris High School.
Steve Brown guided the girls team to a 44-38 win over Bracken County and the boys team completed the sweep by defeating Paris on its home court, 72-64, with Ben Franzen in charge.
Both teams advance to the Kentucky All “A” Classic state tournaments at Eastern Kentucky University. The girls’ first-round opponent will be 13th Region champion Jackson County at 8 p.m. on Jan. 25. The boys will open against the 14th Region winner at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 26.
In the 10th Region girls final, Bracken County scored the first eight points in the second half to forge a 24-17 lead. The Mustangs responded with a 14-4 run that put them on top, 31-28, going into the fourth quarter.
The score was tied, 35-35, with less than three minutes remaining. Brossart won it by hitting nine of 14 free throws while the Polar Bears managed to get just one field goal and one free throw.
Brossart’s leading scorers were senior guard Bella Rowe with 14 points and senior forward Molly Kramer with 11. Rowe made two of her four 3-point goals during the Mustangs’ third-quarter scoring surge.
Rowe, Kramer and senior guard Jill Planeaux were the Brossart players named to the region all-tournament team. Kramer had team-high totals of 38 points and 27 rebounds in three games. Rowe went 8 of 15 from 3-point range and netted 34 points in the victories that lifted the Mustangs’ record to 12-5.
The Brossart boys shot 62 percent (28 of 45) from the field to defeat Paris on its home court in their region championship game. The Mustangs had five scorers reach double-figures with senior guard Logan Woosley getting 20 points.
Woosley was 7 of 9 from the field with a pair of 3-point goals. He also had four assists in his team’s fifth straight win that pushes its record to 12-4.
The third quarter ended with Brossart holding a 53-37 lead. Paris made a late charge and pulled to within 66-56 with a little over two minutes remaining, but the Mustangs went on a 6-1 run that secured the victory.
The other double-figure scorers for Brossart were seniors Luke Schumacher (12), Mason Sepate (12), Brandon Bezold (12) and Anthony Kruse (11). They all shot 50 percent of better from the field in the game.
Sepate and Bezold joined Woolsey on the all-tournament team. In the first round, they were the Mustangs’ leading scorers in an overtime win against Nicholas County.
The 9th Region All “A” Classic boys tournament will resume Friday with semifinal games at Beechwood High School. The matchups are St. Henry vs. Newport at 6 p.m. and Holy Cross vs. Ludlow at 8 p.m. The winners will play in the region championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday.