Saturday, March 24, 2001
Ky. Sweet 16 roundup
Clutch 3 puts Muhlenberg North into semis
By STEVE BAILEY
AP Sports Writer
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Amanda Burden made only one shot in Muhlenberg North's 56-54 state tournament quarterfinal victory over Hart County. But that one shot — a 3-pointer from the left wing with 22 seconds to play — thrust the Region 3 champion Lady Stars (32-3) into the semifinals for the first time in school history.
“They left me open,” a jubilant Burden said with a shrug following Friday afternoon's dramatic win. “I knew I had missed two before, so I was a little hesitant to shoot it.
“Honestly ... I was surprised it went in.”
So was Region 5 champion Hart County (25-10), which had battled back from a five-point deficit to take a 54-53 lead with 28 seconds to play.
“I take credit for the loss,” said a dejected Hart County coach Tommy Adams, whose team lost in the quarterfinals for the second straight year. “It was my call to double down low and not guard the 3. That young lady showed a lot of intestinal fortitude to put it up. She busted it, and she's the hero.”
Muhlenberg North will take on Region 7 champion Manual (26-6), a 55-45 winner over Allen County-Scottsville, in this morning's early semifinal.
In the second game, Region 11 champion Lexington Catholic (30-4), which beat pre-tournament favorite Jackson County 54-39, will face Region 2 champion Henderson County (26-8), a 55-34 winner over Highlands.
The final will be played tonight at Western Kentucky University's E.A. Diddle Arena.
Burden was an unlikely hero after missing her first three shots of the game. As time ticked down, she hesitated for a moment and then let the shot fly, leaping high into the air and thrusting both her arms skyward as it swished through the net.
Laura Shelton's desperation heave from near halfcourt at the buzzer fell short as the Muhlenberg North bench cascaded onto the floor in celebration.
Jade Perry scored 22 points, Holly Mills had 12 and Lindsey Sparks 11 for the Lady Stars. Stephanie Isaacs had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Shelton had 15 points and Clarissa Payton added 10 for the Lady Raiders.
Liz Plass made 8-of-13 shots from the field, including 3-of-5 3-pointers,for 22 points and Chelsea Thompson added 15 in Manual's victory over Allen County-Scottsville, which moved the Lady Crimsons into the semifinals for the second straight year.
Manual led 23-22 at halftime and the two squads traded baskets throughout the third quarter. Thompson's 3-pointer sparked an 8-0 run to put Manual up 40-31 with 50 seconds to play.
Seven straight points by the Lady Patriots' Stacy Felchner — a 3-point play in the third quarter and two inside baskets to open the fourth — cut the margin to 40-38 with six minutes remaining.
But Plass' 3-pointer and 3-point play pushed Manual's lead back to 49-43 with 2:57 to play, and the Lady Crimsons weren't challenged the rest of the way.
“They're our senior captains and senior leaders for a reason, and they showed why today,” Manual coach Mina Todd said. “They both know how to take control of a game when it's on the line.”
Felchner scored 25 points on 9-of-11 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Region 4 champion Allen County-Scottsville (26-7). Cammie Campbell added 13 points for the Lady Patriots, who played in the state quarterfinals for the first time in 22 years.
Lexington Catholic, the 1999 state champion, slowed the pace to a crawl in its matchup with high-powered Jackson County, earning a trip to the semifinals for the third consecutive season.
Katie Mendenhall made 9-of-10 from the foul line to finish with 22 points and Sarah Schell and Chelsea Chowning added 12 points each as the Lady Knights ousted Jackson County for the tournament for the second straight year.
Lexington Catholic won the opening tip and immediately went into a slow-down offense less focused on scoring than in passing and dribbling around the perimeter and running time off the clock.
The Lady Knights led 9-7 at the end of the first quarter and pushed the lead to 14-7 on Chowning's 3-pointer with 6:58 remaining in the half. A Candice Rose putback and a Whitehead 3-pointer in the final two minutes cut the margin to 22-18 at halftime.
Roaden's inside basket pulled Jackson County within 27-25 midway through the third quarter, but an 8-0 run bumped the Lady Knights' lead to 35-25 entering the final period.
Jackson County got as close as 39-33 but was forced to foul on every possession down the stretch and never could make up any ground.
“They earned all the hype they got this season,” Lexington Catholic coach Greg Todd said of Jackson County. “They had a great year, and we certainly weren't jealous. But we did want to prove that we were definitely a contender in this state tournament.”
Tiffany Roaden scored 12 points and Andy Whitehead added nine for Region 13 champion Jackson County (34-2), which turned the ball over 18 times.
“They did everything they had to do, and the ball bounced their way,” Jackson County coach Greg Parrett said. “The ball just didn't bounce our way.”
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