By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Aniyah Carter has the lowest scoring average among the five starters on the Holy Cross girls basketball team. But the junior guard sparked a scoring run her team desperately needed in their 67-45 win over Owsley County in the quarterfinals of the All “A” Classic state tournament on Friday at Corbin Arena.
In the second quarter, Carter scored eight straight points on breakaway baskets following turnovers to put the Indians ahead and they maintained the momentum to post their 15th double-digit victory of the season.
Holy Cross junior guard Aniyah Carter (File photo by Ted Jackson)
“(Carter) deserves all the credit,” Holy Cross senior Julia Hunt said in a post-game interview. “I feel like without that (run) we still would’ve been down, so kudos to her. She does a great job all the time, but that was a phenomenal performance by her.”
Holy Cross (17-5) will play Nicholas County (13-5) in the first semifinal game at 11 a.m. Saturday. The second game will be Owensboro Catholic (16-3) vs. Pikeville (15-2) at 12:30 p.m.
The winners will advance to the championship game at noon on Sunday. Holy Cross won last year’s small school state tournament and is trying to become the first 9th Region girls team to win consecutive titles.
In their early morning quarterfinal game on Friday, the Indians trailed for most of the first quarter and fell behind 22-14 early in the second period. That’s when a series of steals generated a 17-0 run that resulted in a 31-22 halftime lead.
Carter scored the go-ahead basket off a steal to make it 23-22 and she got the next six points the same way before Hunt finished the decisive run with a field goal.
A defensive switch by Holy Cross coach Ted Arlinghaus in the second quarter played a key role in his team’s comeback. Owsley County was handling the Indians’ trapping defense so well that the coach decided to go with full-court man-to-man instead.
Julia Hunt
“As soon as (coach) told us we had to go man, I knew right then that was the way we had to get back in the game,” Carter said. “Usually, our trapping press works, but they knew what we were doing. So as soon as he said to go man, I told (my teammates) we’ve got to get steals and that how’s we got back in the game.”
The Indians outscored Owsley County, 23-13, during the third quarter to take control of the game. During that period, Hunt netted six of her game-high 17 points. She also had 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
Carter finished with 15 points and made six of her team’s 17 steals followed by senior Miyah Wimzie with four takeaways and freshman Alyssa Arlinghaus with three. The other double-figure scorers for Holy Cross were junior Aumani Nelson with 12 and Wimzie with 10.
HOLY CROSS 10 21 23 13 — 67
OWSLEY COUNTY 15 7 13 10 — 45
HOLY CROSS (17-5): Hunt 7 2 17, Hayes 2 0 4, Nelson 3 5 12, Wimzie 4 1 10, Carter 7 1 15, Arlinghaus 1 0 3, Klaiss 1 0 2, Williams 2 0 4. Totals: 27 9 67.
OWSLEY COUNTY (11-6): Murray 1 0 2, Brown 6 0 12, Terry 3 5 11, Smith 3 2 10, Lynch 2 1 6, Grubb 1 1 4. Totals: 16 9 45.
Three-point goals: HC — Hunt, Nelson, Wimzie, Arlinghaus. OC — Smith 2, Lynch, Grubb.
Nicholas County 66, Walton-Verona 38
Nicholas County put together a 29-8 scoring run in the third quarter to break open a close game and came away with a 66-38 victory over Walton-Verona in the quarterfinal round of the All “A” Classic girls state tournament on Friday at Corbin Arena.
The Bearcats scored only five points in the fourth quarter and ended up shooting 24 percent (6 of 25) from the field in the second half. The team’s only double-figure scorer was freshman Ava Kendall with 10 points.
Nicholas County had three double-figure scorers. The team leader was freshman guard Maggie Simons with a game-high 26 points, hitting 9 of 16 field goals with three treys. She also had eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
The Yellow Jackets won the battle on the boards, 30-19, and limited Walton-Verona to just five offensive rebounds. The final shooting percentages were 44.8 (26 of 58) for Nicholas County and 35.4 (17 of 48) for Walton-Verona.
Nicholas County (13-5) will face defending state champion Holy Cross (17-5) in a semifinal game at 11 a.m. Saturday. Walton-Verona (12-7) will resume its regular season schedule with a game at Boone County on Monday.
WALTON-VERONA 9 16 8 5 — 38
NICHOLAS COUNTY 15 10 29 12 — 66
WALTON-VERONA (12-8): Christy 3 1 8, Logue 1 0 3, Kendall 5 0 10, Fuller 1 0 2, Geiman 3 0 7, Terrell 4 0 8. Totals: 17 1 38.
NICHOLAS COUNTY (13-5): Carpenter 2 0 5, Simons 9 5 26, Ellwood 1 0 2, Banks 1 0 2, Davis 7 2 16, Humphries 6 0 15. Totals: 26 7 66.
Three-point goals: WV — Christy, Logue, Geiman. NC — Simons 3, Humphries 3, Carpenter.
All “A” Classic girls state tournament schedule
SATURDAY
Holy Cross (17-5) vs. Nicholas County (13-5), 11 a.m.
Owensboro Catholic (16-3) vs. Pikeville (15-2), 12:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
Championship game, noon
