Monday, December 23, 2019

2019 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM


BOB WHITE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Justin Powell – North Oldham

2019 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Luke Morrison – South Oldham
Carl Blanton – Trotwood-Madison
K’suan Casey – Madisonville
Kenny White – Madisonville
Jackson Sivills – McCracken County
Robert Smith – Bishop McDevitt
JJ Traynor – Bardstown
Stephen Moore – Fairdale
Dayvion McKnight – Collins
Marcellus Vail – Collins
Tyren Moore – Male
Noah Courtney – Male
Gabe Sisk – Ballard
Jack Edelen – Ballard
Tyler Higdon – North Oldham

BALLARD 82, NORTH OLDHAM 72


As the 2019 Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass came to a close, it was a pair of local school’s vying for the title with No. 17 North Oldham taking on No. 6 Ballard, the tournament’s all-time wins leader. The game was loaded with young talent as four freshman and a sophomore started in the Championships matchup. It was a senior, Terrence McDaniels, that came into the game as the Bruins lowest scoring starter, that would make a huge impact for Ballard as they claimed their fifth all-time King of the Bluegrass title. The win would also keep the KOB in the Kentucky’s loaded 7th region for the 10th time in the last 20 years. 

A thrilling first 2:30 of play saw the two teams all knotted up on three occasions with a pair of lead changes. Dallas Roberts hit a pair of three-pointers and Thomas Ashton added the next five points as North Oldham put together a 11-0 run midway through the first quarter to lead 17-9. Josh Minkins would get the Bruins within five points on the next possession and Lewis Richards would add eight points late in the first quarter to cut the North Oldham led to 23-22 at the quarter break. A Gabe Sisk 3-pointer on Ballard’s first possession of the second quarter would put the Bruins back ahead 25-23. A three-pointer by North Oldham’s Austin Carr-Cole would tie the game back at 29-29 midway through the second quarter. Another 3-pointer by Thomas Ashton would put North Oldham back ahead at 34-33, but the lead wouldn’t last as Terrence McDaniel’s basket on the Bruins’ next possession put Ballard back ahead. A basket by Chaunte Marrero at the buzzer would send Ballard to the locker room leading 40-36. 

A pair of buckets by Ballard’s Maker Bar early in the second half were key in a 8-2 Bruins run to expand their lead to 48-38. Jack Edelen’s basket midway through the quarter saw the Ballard lead grow to 12 points as 54-42. A 5-0 run by North Oldham cut the Ballard lead to 47-54 on a pair of Ian Higdon free throws. Ballard countered with their own 6-1 run expanding the lead back to double digits at 60-48 with less than two minutes remaining in the quarter. Chaunte Marrero’s basket in the closing seconds of the quarter kept Ballard ahead 65-53 at the end of the third quarter. The Mustangs would hold Ballard scoreless for the first two minutes of the final quarter but were unable to get any closer than 8 points missing 2-of-3 early field goals and a pair of free throws. Three minutes later Terrence McDaniels putback expanded Ballard’s lead to a game-high 15 points. It was not until the final minute of play that North Oldham could cut the Ballard lead to back to 10 points, but it was too late as time expired with the Bruins leading 82-72. The victory was a tournament record 63rd victory for the Bruins and gave them a tournament record 5th King of the Bluegrass Championship. 

Ballard was led by freshman All-Tournament Team selection Jack Edelen with 18 points. Terrence McDaniels added 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Bruins. Gabe Sisk, also an All-Tournament Team selection for the Bruins scored 10 points. North Oldham was led by the tournament’s Bob White Most Valuable Player Justin Powell with a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds. All-Tournament Team selection Tyler Higdon added 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Mustangs.




CONSOLATION RESULTS -- DECEMBER 23RD

CONSOLATION FINAL
Trotwood-Madison def. South Oldham 105-99

5TH PLACE FINAL
Madisonville def. McCracken County 55-52
[Click to View Box Score]


3RD PLACE FINAL
Male def. Collins 83-72
[Click to View Box Score]

Sunday, December 22, 2019

SCHEDULE OF PLAY -- MONDAY, DECEMBER 23RD


Here's a look at the updated bracket after 3rd round play...


BALLARD 88, COLLINS 81

Our second semifinal matchup paired 4th ranked Collins and 6th ranked Ballard. It was the youthful Bruins who pulled off the upset to advance to their sixth King of the Bluegrass Championship game and the first since 2013.

The opening quarter of play featured a trio of lead changes in the opening three minutes. It was the Bruins who got on the board first with a Jack Edelen putback on Ballard’s opening possession. A Tyson Turner 3-pointer would push Collins ahead 5-2 early before a 10-2 Ballard run put the Bruins in control at 12-7 midway through the quarter. Marcellus Vail and Dayvion McKnight would combine for the next eight points for the Titans as they cut the Ballard lead to 18-17 by the end of the quarter. Jalen Burford would open the second quarter with three three-point buckets for the Bruins as their lead quickly grew to 29-17. The Ballard lead would grow to as many as 16 points following a Jack Edelen three-pointer with 2:17 remaining in the half. Ballard would take a 45-30 lead to the locker room at halftime.

The Collins defense took over in the opening minutes of the second half forcing four Ballard turnovers and holding the Bruins scoreless for more than two minutes as they cut the Ballard lead to 36-45. Ballard quickly recovered with a couple long range jumpers to help them extend their lead back to a game-high 16 points on two different occasions. A Titans’ push late in the third quarter saw Collins get as close as 11 points again in the closing 90 seconds of the quarter. Marcellus Vail would hit three big three-point baskets for Collins in the opening three minutes of the fourth quarter to get Collins within 7 points at 66-73 with five minutes to play. Five straight points from Ballard’s Lewis Richards gave the Bruins some breathing room at 81-72 with 3:03 remaining. Another Marcellus Vail three-pointer with 1:16 remaining would pull the Titans back within six points. A pair of missed free throws for Ballard gave Collins a late opportunity and Dayvion McKnight cut the lead to four points with just 33.9 seconds remaining. Another set of free throws by McKnight with 18.2 seconds left would keep Collins within four points but they couldn’t get any closer. Ballard’s Josh Minknis Jr. would put the exclamation point on the win with a dunk at the buzzer sending Ballard to the Championship with an 88-81 victory.

Ballard had six players score in double-digits led by Jack Edelen’s 17 points and Jalen Buford’s 16 points. Maker Bar earned Central Bank Player of the Game honor for the Bruins with a 14 point and 13 rebounds performance. Marcellus Vail led Collins with 28 points and 7 rebounds and Dayvion McKnight added 27 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists.



Next Up: 

Ballard vs. North Oldham (Mon. 7:30pm) 
Collins vs. Male (Mon. 6:00pm)

NORTH OLDHAM 78, MALE 71

Our first semifinal of the evening matched the 17th ranked North Oldham against top-ranked Male. It was the Mustangs who pulled off the upset over three-time KOB Champion Male to advance to the Championship in just their second tournament experience. 

A back-and-forth opening quarter saw the teams exchange the lead six times. Noah Courtney’s basket on the opening possession gave Male an early lead but Dallas Roberts countered with a three-pointer for North Oldham to put the Mustangs back ahead. Neither team would lead by more than two points over the first 7:50 of play. A late three-pointer by Justin Powell put North Oldham ahead 17-14 at the quarter break and jump started a 9-2 run that put North Oldham ahead 22-16. A pair of three-pointers midway through the second quarter propelled the Mustangs lead to as many as 10 points at 34-24. Male couldn’t get any closer than 7 points for the remainder of the half and Powell’s late basket sent North Oldham to halftime with a 43-33 lead.

The Mustangs would easily hold onto their 10-point lead for the first five minutes of the second half with Male never getting any closer than eight points. The Bulldogs finally turned things around with Tyren Moore scoring seven points in a 10-0 spurt late in the third quarter. Dallas Roberts would score the next five points to put North Oldham back ahead at 59-54 in the opening seconds of the fourth quarter. Justin Powell would add five of the Mustang’s next seven points as their lead swelled back to as many of 10 points mid-way through the third quarter. A second 6-0 spurt for North Oldham a minute later would expand the Mustangs lead to a game-high 13 points with 1:37 remaining in the game. Despite four straight missed field goals in the final minute the Bulldogs had a chance thanks to North Oldham’s woes at the free throw line. It was a pair of free throws by Male’s Noah Courtney that pulled the Bulldogs within 69-76 with 19 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs’ Jake Evans would lose the gap to six points seconds later, but it was too late as time expired sending North Oldham to the Championship with the 78-71 victory. 

North Oldham was led by Justin Powell with a game-high 25 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Freshman Dallas Roberts earned Central Bank Player of the Game honors with a 24 points performance and Tyler Higdon added 12 points and 8 rebounds. Male was led by Tyren Moore with 21 points and Noah Courtney added 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs.


Next Up:
North Oldham vs. Winner Collins-Ballard (Mon. 7:30pm)

Male vs. Loser Collins-Ballard (Mon. 6:00pm)

CONSOLATION RESULTS -- DECEMBER 22ND

5th Place Semifinals
Madisonville def. Bishop McDevitt (PA) 64-58
[Click to View Box Score]

McCracken County def. Fairdale 54-53
[Click to View Box Score]

Consolation Bracket
Clay County def. Palmetto (FL) 75-64
LaRue County def. Martin County 68-51
South Oldham def. Bardtown 69-59
Trotwood-Madison (OH) def. Trinity 86-83

SCHEDULE OF PLAY -- SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22ND


Here's a look at the updated bracket after 2nd round play...


Saturday, December 21, 2019

MALE 65, MCCRACKEN COUNTY 56

Our final quarterfinal matchup featured Kentucky’s top ranked Bulldogs of Male taking on 13th ranked McCracken County. After trailing late in the fourth quarter it was a dominant performance in overtime that pushed Male through to their first King of the Bluegrass semifinal appearance since 2007. 

A trio of early three-point goals helped Male jump out to a 14-6 lead in the opening quarter of play. The McCracken County defense held the Bulldogs without a field goal for the final two minutes of the first quarter as Noah Dumas pulled the Mustangs within 5 points at the quarter break. Back-to-back three-pointers by Noah Courtney and Desdrick Lindsey extended Male’s lead to as many as nine points at 23-14 two minutes into the second quarter. Seven points by McCracken County’s Ian McCune propelled the Mustangs on a 12-2 run to take the lead at 26-25 with 1:57 remaining in the first half. Male’s Tyren Moore connected with the basket at the buzzer to give Male a 27-26 halftime lead. 

Jackson Sivills would give McCracken County the lead back with a three-pointer early in the second half before Male went on a 10-2 run with Tyren Moore’s basket pushing Male’s lead to 37-31. A Cameron Pope three-pointer in the closing seconds of the third quarter would keep Male ahead 42-38. A pair of three-pointers by Sivills in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter helped McCracken County retake the lead at 46-44. Sivills and Ronnie Jones Jr would combine for the next eight points for the Mustangs as their lead grew to as many as four points over the next four minutes of play. A pair of free throws by Male’s Tyren Moore cut the McCracken County lead to two points with 1:39 remaining. A steal and layup by Noah Courtney on the ensuing possession would tie the game at 54-54 with 1:14 remaining. Sivills would miss a late free throw attempt with 45 seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs another chance to win. A charge on the Bulldogs’ Tyren Moore on the next possession would give the ball back to McCracken County with 1.4 seconds remaining, but the Mustangs had the inbounds pass batted away to extend the game to overtime.

Male opened the overtime period with six straight points to move ahead 60-54. Noah Dumas’ basket midway through overtime would prove to be the only basket for the Mustangs. Male closed the game on a 5-0 run with a massive block by Noah Courtney leading to a Kaleb Glenn dunk that put an exclamation point on the win for the Bulldogs. 



Next Up: 

Male vs. North Oldham (Sun. 7:30pm) 
McCracken County vs. Fairdale (Sun. 6:00pm)


COLLINS 71, MADISONVILLE 70 -- OT

Our third quarterfinal provided a promising Top 5 matchup as No. 3 Madisonville took on No. 4 Collins. Collins clawed their way back from a large halftime deficit to extend the game to overtime before advancing to the KOB semifinals for the second straight year. 

K’suan Casey & Kenny White put on a showcase early in the game for Madisonville with the Maroons’ seniors combining for Madisonville’s first 14 points to build an early 14-4 lead. Collins’ Dayvion McKnight would cut the Madisonville lead to 8 points on two different occasion, but the Titans trailed 18-8 at the end of one quarter. An old-fashion three-point play by Kenny White extended the Madisonville lead back to 12 points early in the second quarter. A pair of three-pointers by Marcellus Vail and Tyson Turner two minutes later capped an 8-0 run for Collins to trim their deficit to 19-24. K’suan Casey and Marquise Parker came through with a pair of key buckets each as the Madisonville lead swelled back to 35-23 by halftime.

Ten points by Dayvion McKnight propelled Collins on a 17-3 run to start the second half claiming their first lead at 40-38 midway through the third quarter. A pair of three-pointer by Vail and McKnight late in the third quarter would extend the Titans lead to as many as five points at 50-45. A pair of free throws by Keshawn Stone capped an 11-4 run by Madisonville that put the Maroons back ahead 61-59 with 2:39 remaining. Collins would tie the game back with 1:29 remaining on a Josh Scriber basket with the assist from Marcellus Vail. Kenny White would put the Maroons back ahead 65-63 on the ensuing possession and a Keshawn Stone free throw with 15.7 seconds remaining would extend the Madisonville lead to 66-63. A clutch three-point basket from the corner by Collins’ Marcellus Vail with 1.1 seconds remaining would send the game to overtime tied at 66-66

Madisonville’s Kenny White and Collins’ Aaron Thompson would exchange baskets in the opening minute of the overtime period to keep things knotted up at 68-68. A pair of free throws by White with 2:37 remaining would put Madisonville back ahead 70-68. Thompson would counter with another OT field goal on Collins’ next possession to tie game at 70-70 with two minutes to play. A steal by Collins’ Dayvion McKnight on the next possession would give the Titans the ball back and eventually send Tyson Turner to the free throw time. Turner would connect on 1-of-2 free throws with 1:16 remaining to put Collins ahead 71-70. A crazy final 71 seconds saw the Titans miss their final five free throw attempts and Madisonville miss their final three field goal attempts giving Collins the narrow 71-70 victory.

Dayvion McKnight led the way for the Titans earning Central Bank Player of the Game with a game-high 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Marcellus Vail added 15 points for Collins. Madisonville was led by Kenny White’s 24 points and 10 rebound performance and K’suan Casey added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Maroons.


Next Up:
Collins vs. Ballard (Sun. 9:00pm)
Madisonville vs. Bishop McDevitt (Sun. 4:30pm)


NORTH OLDHAM 78, FAIRDALE 64

The second quarterfinal of the evening matched the host Bulldogs of Fairdale against 17th ranked North Oldham. The Mustangs used a strong second quarter to run away from the Bulldogs and advance to the semifinals in their second tournament appearance. 

The Mustangs got off to a fast start hitting four of their first five baskets including a pair of three-pointers to lead 10-2 three minutes into play. The Bulldogs quickly countered with a 9-2 run over the next three minutes to pull within a point at 11-12. Luke Barry and Justin Powell connected on back-to-back three-point baskets for North Oldham to give the Mustangs a 21-13 lead at the quarter break. Five straight points by Fairdale’s Charles Ward got the Bulldogs as close as 7 points three minutes into the second quarter. Tyler Higdon’s basket with two minutes to play in the half capped a 13-2 North Oldham run to give the Mustangs an 18-point lead they would take into halftime. 

Charles Ward scored six of Fairdale’s first eight points in the second half as Fairdale trimmed the North Oldham lead to 14 points. After more than three scoreless minutes Tyler Higdon connected on a pair of baskets for the Mustangs to extend their lead back to 18 points at 51-33. The North Oldham lead swelled to as many of 25 points in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs would close the game on an 18-7 run to pull within 14 points before time expired with North Oldham claiming the 78-64 victory. 

Justin Powell was named Central Bank Player of the Game with a dominant 21 point, 15 rebound and 8 assist performance. Dallas Roberts added 16 points and Tyler Higdon has 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Mustangs. Fairdale was led by Stephen Moore with a game-high 27 points and Charles Ward added 23 points and 16 rebounds for the Bulldogs.


Next Up: 
North Oldham vs. Winner McCracken Co.-Male (Sun. 7:30pm) 
Fairdale vs. Loser McCracken Co.-Male (Sun. 6:00pm)

BALLARD 69, BISHOP MCDEVITT 63

We opened our quarterfinal Saturday with an exciting matchup between No. 6 Ballard and Bishop McDevitt of Wyncote, PA. It was the Bruins of Kentucky cruising to their 61st all-time KOB victory with a dominant performance from the opening minute of play.

Bishop McDevitt took their only lead of the game on the opening possession with a quick 3-pointer by Robert Smith. The Ballard defense would hold the Royal Lancers scoreless for the next four minutes as they taking the lead on an early basket by Maker Bar. The Bruins took control with a 9-4 run over the next three minutes building a 13-7 lead. The two teams would exchange 4-0 runs before the quarter break with Ballard leading 17-11. Justin Buford’s three-pointer less than a minute into the second quarter extended Ballard’s lead to 22-11. Behind five points from Quin Gilyard, part of a 9-3 Bishop McDevitt run, the Royal Lancers got as close as 6 points in the final minute of the half.

Bishop McDevitt’s Robert Smith opened the second half with a hot hand connecting on a pair of 3-pointers to pull the Royal Lancers as close as 32-35. A 14-5 Ballard run put the Bruins back firmly in control at 49-37 late in the third quarter. The fourth quarter saw Bishop McDevitt slowly chip away at the Ballard lead getting as close as 7 points on numerous occasions, but the Bruins connected on 5-of-7 free throws late in the game to keep them in control. A pair of late missed free throws by Ballard let Bishop McDevitt cut the final margin of victory to 69-63.

Jack Edelen led Ballard with a team-high 17 points earning Central Bank Player of the Game honors. The Bruins got 13 points and 10 points respectively from Gabe Sisk and Lewis Richards. Robert Smith led Bishop McDevitt with a game-high 22 points. Jamil Manigo added 15 points and 6 rebounds for the Royal Lancers.


Next Up: 
Ballard vs. Winner Madisonville-Collins (Sun. 9:00pm) 
Bishop McDevitt vs. Loser Madisonville-Collins (Sun. 4:30pm)

FIRST ROUND STAT LEADERS






Friday, December 20, 2019

SCHEDULE OF PLAY -- SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21ST


Here's a look at the updated bracket after 1st round play...


MADISONVILLE 83, CLAY COUNTY 57

Our final first round matchup featured No. 3 Madisonville-North Hopkins taking on unranked Clay County. The Maroons put on a dominant performance rolling to the quarterfinals and proving themselves worthy of their preseason ranking.

The opening minutes of the game were all Madisonville as Deljuan Johnson reeled of six straight points for the Maroons to jump ahead 8-2. Jacob Curry would score seven of the next nine points for Clay County as the Tigers clawed their way back to tie the game at 11-11 with 1:20 remaining in the first quarter. The Madisonville duo of K’suan Casey and Kenny White would score the next nine of the next twelve points as the Maroons reeled off a 14-2 run to take a 25-13 lead three minutes into the second quarter. Another Jacob Curry three-pointer with three minutes to play in the half, pulled Clay County as close as 9 points. Kenny White’s emphatic dunk in the closing seconds of the half was the exclamation point on an 11-2 Madisonville run that sent them to the locker room leading 38-20.

The second half saw the Madisonville lead continue to grow to as many as 31 points late in the third quarter as the Maroons converted 4 Clay County turnovers in 8 points. Clay County pieced together a 13-3 run to get as close as 42-63 in the opening minute of the fourth, but the Tigers never got any closer. The Madisonville lead grew back to as many as 28 points on two occasions with the Maroons advancing with the 83-57 victory.

Kenny White led Madisonville with a game-high 30 points and 15 rebounds earning Central Bank Player of the Game honors. Deljuan Johnson and K’suan Casey added 15 points and 10 points respectively. Clay County was led Jacob Curry with 21 points and Connor Robinson added 19 points and 9 rebounds.

Madisonville vs. Collins (Sat. 7:30pm) 
Clay County vs. Trinity (Sat. 7:30pm)

MALE 82, SOUTH OLDHAM 69

The third game of the evening featured the top ranked Male Bulldogs taking on No. 18 South Oldham. The Dragons, making their first ever KOB appearance, gave the Bulldogs an early scare but were outlasted by the tough Bulldog squad. 

The Bulldogs got the games first basket before going scoreless on six of their next seven possession as South Oldham jumped out to a commanding 12-4 lead midway through the opening quarter. A steal and basket by Jake Evans would pull the Bulldogs back to within 4 points at 10-14 with three minutes remaining in the quarter. The Dragons used a pair of quick 3-pointers by Luke Morrison and Ben Michel to extend their lead back to 10 points less than a minute later. The Bulldogs just kept chipping away using a pair of late three-pointers to spark an 8-2 run cutting the lead to 23-18 at the end of the opening quarter. The South Oldham lead swelled to as many as nine points early in the second quarter before a 15-4 Male run gave the Bulldogs the 34-32 lead. A pair of three-pointers from South Oldham’s Seth Johnson put the Dragons back ahead where they remained until the final minute of the half when Male’s Jake Evans tied the game at 42-42. 

The Bulldogs came out red hot in the second half with Tyren Moore scoring five points during Male’s 11-0 run to put them ahead 53-44 midway through the third quarter. A pair of three-pointers by Luke Morison would pull the Dragons within five points on two occasions, but the Dragons could never get any closer. Desdrick Lindsey’s 3-pointer three minutes into the fourth quarter capped a 17-7 Male run that saw their lead swell to 72-57. The Dragons cut the Male lead to as few as nine points midway through the quarter but went just 4-of-8 from the free throw line keeping them out of striking distance. An old-fashion three-point play by Kaleb Glenn in the final minute capped a final 10-4 run for the Bulldogs who advanced to the quarterfinals with the 82-69 victory. 

Male’s Tyren Moore earned Central Bank Player of the Game honors with a team-high 26 points. Jake Evans and Cameron Pope added 16 points and 14 points respectively for the Bulldogs. Luke Morrison led South Oldham with a game-high 29 points. Seth Johnson added a double-double for the Dragons with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Male vs. McCracken County (Sat. 9:00pm) 
South Oldham vs. LaRue County (Sat. 9:00pm)

BALLARD 109, TROTWOOD-MADISON 99

The second game of the evening featuring No. 6 Ballard taking on defending Ohio Division II State Champion Trotwood-Madison was certainly one for the record books in several ways. Perhaps most importantly for the Bruins, it was because they captured their 60th all-time KOB victory. 

The opening four minutes of action was all Trotwood-Madison as the Rams cruised to an early 17-5 lead in the opening three minutes. The Bruins quickly turned things around defensively holding Trotwood-Madison scoreless over the next four minutes with DJ Tilford tying the game at 17-17 on a pair of free throws with 1:29 remaining in the quarter. Ballard would take the lead on their next possession as part of a 42-8 run that saw the Bruins lead grow to as many as 22 points at 47-25 with less than three minutes to play in the second half. Carl Blanton provided the Rams with a late first half boost scoring 10 points as part of a 15-6 run to pull Trotwood-Madison back to within 13 points in the final minute of the half. 

A Gabe Sisk three-pointer less than two minutes into the second half extended the Ballard lead to 23 points at 65-42. Trotwood-Madison would cut the Ballard lead to 19 points on two occasions but couldn’t get any close in the third quarter. Chaunte Marrero’s 3-pointer and free throw capped a late 9-3 run for the Bruins to take an 85-58 lead in the closing seconds of the third quarter. Trotwood-Madison connected on four 3-pointers in the opening four minutes of the fourth quarter as part of a 25-10 rally that cur the Ballard lead to 85-98. With 2:07 remaining in play Trotwood-Madison’s Carl Blanton picked up his fifth foul becoming the fifth Ram to foul out and leaving the team with only four players for the remainder of the game. A steal and layup by Terrence McDaniels pushed the Bruins lead back to 20 points at 109-89 with 1:39 remaining in action. A late foul by the Rams’ Anthony Wilson would leave just three Trotwood-Madison players on the floor in the closing minute of action as the Rams closed the final score to 109-99 with a 10-0 spurt in the closing ninety seconds of action. 

Gabe Sisk led the way for Ballard with a team-high 22 points earning Central Bank Player of the Game honors. The Bruins also got 21 points and 13 points respectively from Jack Edelen and Chaunte Marrero. Trotwood-Madison was led by Carl Blanton with a game-high 31 points. Sellers Little added 17 points for the Rams. 

The following King of the Bluegrass Singles Game Records were tied or broken: MOST POINTS SINGLE QUARTER – 39 Trotwood-Madison
MOST POINTS (COMBINED) – 208 Ballard vs. Trotwood-Madison
MOST POINTS IN ONE HALF (COMBINED) – 111 Ballard vs. Trotwood-Madison
MOST PERSONAL FOULS (COMBINED) – 62 Ballard vs. Trotwood-Madison 


Next Up: 
Ballard vs. Bishop McDevitt (Sat. 4:30pm) 
Trotwood-Madison vs. Palmetto (Sat. 4:30pm)

BISHOP MCDEVITT (PA) 47, PALMETTO (FL) 45

Our opener on Day 2 of the 2019 Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass featured a pair of talented out-of-state opponents with Palmetto of Miami, FL taking on Bishop McDevitt of Wyncote, PA. The Royal Lancers of Bishop McDevitt, who came into the event ranked 66th in the nation in the MaxPreps 2019-20 Preseason Top 100, held on to advance in their first KOB appearance. 

The opening quarter was dominated by the Bishop McDevitt defense as the Royal Lancers held Palmetto to 2/12 shooting with the Panthers going scoreless for the first 4:30 of the game. Bishop McDevitt would miss their last five shot of the quarter though leading 9-4. A Robert Smith dunk extended the Lancers lead to 13-4 two minutes in the second quarter. Marcos Molina’s 3-pointer just over mid-way through the quarter pulled Palmetto within 6 points at 17-11, but they couldn’t get any closer in the opening half. The final three minutes of the half were all Bishop McDevitt as a 5-1 run sent them to the break leading 22-12. 

Jordan Lopez was on fire to open the second half with scoring nine points as part of a 13-2 run for Palmetto to cut the Lancers lead to 26-25 with 3:25 remaining the third quarter. Shamir Mosley’s bucket a minute later extended the Bishop McDevitt lead back to 30-25. A Josnel Aloma three-pointer in the closing seconds of the quarter pulled Palmetto back to within 31-32. The Bishop McDevitt lead grew back to as many as five points early in the fourth quarter before another Panther run that would get as close as one point at 35-36 with 3:45 remaining in the game. Jamil Manigo scored five straight for the Royal Lancers to extend the Bishop McDevitt lead back to 41-35 with 2:30 remaining in the game. A 3-pointer by Kentron Poitier got things going for Palmetto cutting the lead to 41-39 with two minutes to play. Joel Aloma’s old-fashion three-point play with 12.8 seconds remaining capped a 5-0 Palmetto run to tie the game for the first time at 45-45. The Royal Lancers’ Jamil Manigo connected on a baseline jumper and was fouled with 2.5 seconds remaining putting Bishop McDevitt ahead by the final margin of victory at 47-45. 

Jamil Manigo led the way for Bishop McDevitt earning Central Bank Player of the Game honors with 13 points. Robert Smith added 10 points for the Royal Lancers. Palmetto’s Jordan Lopez led all scorers with 14 points and Joel Aloma added 13 points for the Panthers.


Next Up:
Bishop McDevitt vs. Winner Ballard vs. Trotwood-Madison (Sat. 4:30pm) 
Palmetto vs. Loser Ballard vs. Trotwood-Madison (Sat. 4:30pm)

Thursday, December 19, 2019

MCCRACKEN COUNTY 60, LARUE COUNTY 49

The finale on our opening day of action at the 2019 Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass featured the 13th ranked Mustangs of McCracken County making their tournament debut against unranked LaRue County. 

The opening three minutes of play saw McCracken County’s defense take control holding as they held LaRue County to 1-of-4 baskets while jumping ahead 8-2. The Mustangs connected on four 3-point field goals in the opening quarter to jump ahead to take a commanding 20-8 lead at the end of the quarter. Jackson Sivills connected on his third 3-pointer of the half to extend the McCracken County lead to 15 points a minute in the second quarter. A pair of 3-point baskets from LaRue County’s Carson Childress pulled the Hawks back to within 11 points at 25-14 but they couldn’t get any closer before the half. Noah Dumas basket with a minute to play in the half capped a 10-4 run by McCracken County to send them to the locker room leading 35-20. 

The opening minutes of the second half were much of the same with McCracken County extending their lead to as many as 16 points at 42-26 following another Jackson Sivills 3-pointer. The Hawks turned up the defensive pressure over the next three minutes holding the Mustangs scoreless while piecing together an 8-0 run to pull within 34-42with 2:30 remaining in the third quarter. A pair of free throws by Sivills extended the McCracken County lead back to nine points at 47-38. Jeremiah Belton’s 3-pointer in the opening minute of the fourth quarter would get LaRue County as close as 43-47, but the Hawks couldn’t maintain the momentum. Less than a minute later McCracken County’s lead was back to 8 points. Mark Goode’s basket with 2:12 remaining would give the Hawks their final chance cutting the score to 49-55 before McCracken County closed on a 5-0 run to claim the 60-49 victory. 

Jackson Sivills earned Central Bank Player of the Game honors for McCracken County with a game-high 24 points and 8 rebounds. Noah Dumas added 17 points for the Mustangs. Mark Goode led the way for LaRue County with 18 points and 8 rebound and Warner Bryan added 14 points and 9 rebounds. 


NEXT UP: 
McCracken County vs. Winner Male-South Oldham (Sat. 9:00pm) 
LaRue County vs. Loser Male-South Oldham (Sat. 9:00pm)

NORTH OLDHAM 65, BARDSTOWN 56

The third game of the evening featured another matchup of ranked opponents as No. 22 Bardstown took on No. 17 North Oldham in a battle of two of the state’s top seniors. It was North Oldham’s defense that pushed the Mustangs to victory holding the Tigers to 35% shooting and forcing 12 turnovers while allowing just four players to score for Bardstown. 


Just as would be expected it was UofL signee JJ Traynor that gave Bardstown the opening basket of the game immediately and Auburn signee Justin Powell countering for the Mustangs to tie things up early. It was the Higdon brothers, Ian and Tyler, that did the early damage for North Oldham as the Mustangs jumped out to an early 9-4 lead with the stars going scoreless for nearly our minutes. It was a basket by training with just under three minutes to play in the quarter that finally tied the game back up at 11-11. Bardstown’s JaRel Montgomery scored a quick 7 points to help propel the Tigers back ahead 18-15 early in the second quarter. Ian Higdon would score five of the next for the Mustangs who took the lead again at 22-21 three minutes into the quarter. North Oldham closed the first half on a 11-2 run with five straight points from Austin Carr-Cole to lead 31-23 at halftime. 

Carr-Cole’s layup less than a minute into the second half extended the Mustangs lead to 11 points at 36-25. JJ Traynor and JaRel Montgomery combined to give Bardstown 12 unanswered points regaining the lead at 37-36 with two minutes to play in the third quarter. Powell and Montgomery traded baskets in the final minute with Bardstown taking a 39-38 lead into the final quarter. Four more lead changes would occur over the first half of the fourth quarter with a basket by Montgomery giving the Tigers their final lead at 47-46 with 4:49 to play. A steal and basket by Austin Carr-Cole propelled North Oldham back ahead at 3:40 and the Mustangs stifling defense held the Tigers scoreless for nearly three minutes. North Oldham connected on seven of nine free throws down the stretch holding on to advance with the 65-56 victory. 

Justin Powell led the way for North Oldham earning Central Bank Player of the Game honors with 24 points and 7 rebounds. Tyler Higdon added a double-double for the Mustangs with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Bardstown’s JaRel Montgomery led all scorers with 25 points and JJ Traynor impressed with 23 points, 13 rebounds and 5 blocks.


NEXT UP: 
North Oldham vs. Fairdale (Sat. 6:00pm) 

Bardstown vs. Martin County (Sat. 6:00pm) 

FAIRDALE 66, MARTIN COUNTY 48

Our second game of the evening featured host Fairdale taking on unranked Martin County. A couple early lead changes provided the only excitement in this one as the Bulldogs cruised to an 18 points victory.

The opening five minutes of play saw the teams exchange the lead three times with Ty Walters’ 3-pointer putting Fairdale ahead 10-8 late in the first quarter. The Bulldogs never looked back with another Walters’ 3-pointer extending the Fairdale lead to 16-8 less than a minute into the second quarter. Ethan Smith-Mills’ 3-pointer capped a 9-3 Martin County run late in the first half to cut the Fairdale lead to 21-19. A buzzer-beating three pointer by Fairdale’s Stephen Moore pushed the Bulldog’s lead back to 24-19 at the half.

The Bulldogs used an early 7-0 spurt in the opening two minutes of the second half to push ahead 31-19. A 3-pointer by Martin County’s Jordan Dalton pulled the Cardinals back to within five points a minute later. Martin County wouldn’t get any closer until the final minute of the 3rd quarter when A Trey James basket cut the Fairdale lead to 42-38. Trent McCoy’s 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the third quarter jump started a 20-2 run for Fairdale highlighted by a combined 13 points from Stephen Moore and Isaac Tedford. The Bulldogs lead grew to a game-high 22 points on Tristan Bertrand’s free throw with a minute to play. Eight straight points from Martin County’s Brady Dingess pulled the Cardinals within the final margin at 66-48.


Fairdale’s Stephen Moore was named Central Bank Player of the Game with a game-high 25 points and 5 assists. Senior Ty Walter added 15 points for the Bulldogs. Martin County was led by Brady Dingess’ 20 points and Trey James added 12 for the Cardinals.

[Click to View Box Score]


NEXT UP: 
Fairdale vs. North Oldham (Sat. 6:00pm) 
Martin County vs. Bardstown (Sat. 6:00pm) 

COLLINS 70, TRINITY 69 -- OT


A thrilling top 10 matchup between No. 4 Collins and No. 8 Trinity got the action underway in the 2019 Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass. In the end the Titans experience prevailed as they defeated Trinity for the second straight year in KOB action.

The Shamrocks used a 10-2 run in the opening 2:30 of play to give themselves some cushion before Collins 13 of the next 16 points in the quarter to take a 15-13 lead at the quarter break. The Titans lead grew to as many as 9 points in the opening half follow a pair of free throws by Marcellus Vail with a minute to play. A late bucket by the Shamrocks sent the teams to the locker rooms with Collins leading 30-23.

Trinity opened the second half blazing hot connecting on their first four shots including a pair of three-points from Miles Franklin to tie the game at 34-34 three minutes into the half. Another 3-pointer for Franklin put the Shamrocks ahead at 37-36 a minute later. Ethan Hodge’s three-pointer, Trinity’s fifth of the half, gave the Shamrocks a 44-38 lead with two minutes remaining in the quarter. The Titans wouldn’t go away through as Josh Scriber hit a pair of baskets in the final minute to tie the score at 44-44. A steal and dunk by the Titans’ Dayvion McKnight highlighted a 9-2 run by Collins to give them a 55-48 lead with 2:36 remaining in regulation. Zach Stahlman would score eight of the next ten points for the Shamrocks cutting the Collins lead to 57-56 with 57 seconds remaining. A pair of free throws for Caleb Hawley with 11.7 seconds remaining kept the Titans lead to three points at 61-58. A rebound and buzzer beating three-pointer from Trinity’s Dudley Cox sent the game to overtime with the teams tied at 61-61.

In overtime the teams exchanged the lead four times with neither team leading by more than two points. A pair of free throws by Trinity’s Stahlman gave the Shamrocks a 69-67 lead with 18.3 remaining in overtime. Marcellus Vail converted an old-fashion three-point play for the Titans on the other end with 8.1 seconds remaining to take a 70-69 lead. The Titan’s got a huge steal seconds later as time expired to clinch the victory and advance to Saturday’s quarterfinals.

Collins’ Dayvion McKnight was named the Central Bank Player of the Game with a game high 25 points and 5 assists. Marcellus Vail added 15 points and 6 rebounds for the Titans and Caleb Hawley and Tyson Turner each added 11 points. Trinity was led by Miles Franklin’s 18 points and Zach Stahlman added 16 points.



NEXT UP: 
Collins vs. Winner Madisonville-Clay Co. (Sat. 7:30pm) 
Trinity vs. Loser Madisonville-Clay Co. (Sat. 7:30pm)

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Five of Kentucky’s Top 10 Teams Headline the 2019 Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic


The 39th Annual Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass will once again feature a field loaded with talent from across the Bluegrass state and the country. Half of the Courier-Journal’s Kentucky Preseason Top 10 teams will compete for the prestigious title. This year’s field features nine teams ranked in the Top 25 in the state, including regional favorites from the second, seventh, eighth, and thirteenth regions. There’s plenty of individual talent as well with seven of the state’s top 10 players competing in the event. This year’s field also includes four former King of the Bluegrass Champions including Ballard, Fairdale, Male and Trinity.

The 2019 Chad Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass will tip-off with a four-game slate on Thursday. An explosive re-match of last year’s KOB semifinal between defending Kentucky State Champion and 8th ranked Trinity and 4th ranked Collins opens first-round play. The Shamrocks, who have advanced to three of the last four KOB Championship games, will be led by junior guard Ethan Hodge after losing all five starters from last year’s team. The eighth region favorite, Titans who advanced to last year’s KOB championship, are led by the duo of Western Kentucky signee Dayvion McKnight and Samford signee Marcellus Vail. In the second game of the day, host Fairdale will take on Martin County. The host Bulldogs are led by the senior guard duo of Ty Walter, one of the state’s top 3-point shooters last season, and Stephen Moore. Martin County, playing their first season since the opening of their school, will be led by 6’10” junior Trey James. The 7:30 game on opening night will feature 22nd ranked Bardstown taking on 17th ranked North Oldham in a match-up of two of the state’s top seniors. North Oldham, making their first tournament appearance since 2005, welcomes the addition of sharpshooting Auburn signee Justin Powell, who spent last year at Florida powerhouse Montverde Academy. Bardstown is led by 6’8” senior forward JJ Traynor who signed to play at the University of Louisville. The final game of the evening will feature 13th ranked McCracken County taking on LaRue County. The Mustangs, picked to finish 2nd in the first region, are coming off a 31-4 finish last season and will make their first KOB appearance led by Murray State signee Jackson Sivills. LaRue County returns to KOB for the second straight year, following a 26-5 record last season, led by 6’7” senior Mark Goode, a Western Kentucky University football commit.

Friday’s first round action opens with the three out-of-state teams in action. In the opener, it will be Palmetto of Miami, FL taking on Bishop McDevitt of Wyncote, PA. The Panthers of Palmetto, who are making their second KOB appearance, finished last season with a 20-8 record and are led by 6’5” senior forward Kentron Poitier. Bishop McDevitt comes into the event ranked 66th in the nation in the MaxPreps 2019-20 Preseason Top 100. The Royal Lancers, coming off a 22-7 record and Pennsylvania Class 3A semifinal appearence, are led by 6’4” senior forward Jamil Manigo. In the second game of the day Kentucky’s 6th ranked Ballard will take on Trotwood-Madison of Trotwood, OH. The Bruins come into the event with a tournament-high 59 all-time wins and will look to the inside-outside combo of Rashad Bishop and Lewis Richards to lead the way. Trotwood-Madison is coming off a 29-2 season and Ohio Division II State Championship. The Rams are led by the senior trio of Carl Blanton Jr., Keon’tae Huguely, and Sammy Anderson, a Cincinnati football commit. Friday’s 7:30 game will feature the state’s top ranked Male Bulldogs taking on 18th ranked South Oldham. The Bulldogs, ranked 65th in the nation in the MaxPreps 2019-20 Preseason Top 100, are led by the senior duo of Howard Fleming, an Illinois State signee, and Tyren Moore, a Lincoln Memorial commit. South Oldham is coming off a 21-10 season and is led by senior Luke Morrison. The final first round matchup will feature regional favorites Madisonville-North Hopkins and Clay County. The 3rd ranked Maroons of Madisonville, coming off a 30-6 season that saw them advance to the state quarterfinals, return the duo of Kenny White and Ksuan Casey. Unranked Clay County, favorites in the 13th region, are led by 6’3” junior guard Connor Robinson. 

The 2019 Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass will continue with the quarterfinal round beginning at 4:30pm Saturday with all 16 teams in action. All 16 teams will return to the courts on Sunday for a full slate of games beginning at 4:30pm with the semifinals scheduled at 7:30 and 9:00pm. The final day of action will tip off at 3:00pm on Monday with the Championship game scheduled for 7:30pm.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

2019 KING OF THE BLUEGRASS FIELD ANNOUNCED

39TH ANNUAL GARDNER LAW
KING OF THE BLUEGRASS
DECEMBER 19-23, 2019
FAIRDALE HIGH SCHOOL

2019 Participating Teams
Ballard High School (Louisville, KY) 
Bardstown High School (Bardstown, KY)
Bishop McDevitt High School (Wyncote, PA)
Clay County High School (Manchester, KY)
Collins High School (Shelbyville, KY)
Fairdale High School (Fairdale, KY)
LaRue County High School (Hodgenville, KY)
Martin County High School (Inez, KY)
McCracken County High School (Paducah, KY)
Madisonville-North Hopkins High School (Madisonville, KY)
Male High School (Louisville, KY) 
North Oldham High School (Goshen, KY)
Palmetto High School (Miami, FL)
South Oldham High School (Crestwood, KY)
Trinity High School (Louisville, KY)
Trotwood-Madison High School (Trotwood, OH)

Monday, July 22, 2019

GARLAND SELECTED 5TH IN NBA DRAFT

Congratulations to 2015 King of the Bluegrass MVP Darius Garland on being selected as the 5th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

5 STATES...5 IN FINAL FOUR

Congrats to our five 2018 participants that finished their season in the final four of their state or higher....

Trinity
Kentucky State Champions
Brentwood Academy
Tennessee Division II/Class 2A State Runner-Up
Evanston Township
Illinois Class 4A State Runner-Up
South Shore
New York City PSAL Class 2A Champions & New York State Runner-Up
South Miami
Florida Class 9A State Semifinalist