The first week of the high school basketball season was not a roaring success for teams from the Land of Logan. Russellville and Logan County varsities went 1-8. Only one of the losses was by single digits.
Three of the teams have two and a half new coaches. The ‘half’ is Phil Todd, who is starting his third stint as head coach of his alma mater, Russellville. He has been so successful that the playing court at Jim Young Gymnasium is named for him. He has sat out the past five years.
The other two new coaches—Josh Frick with the Logan County Cougars and Orlando Hayden with the Russellville Lady Panthers—have extensive coaching experience.
The lone returning head coach, the Lady Cougars’ Dedra Adler—was named regional Coach of the Year last season when she directed her team to an impressive victory total even though they were still playing without a natural post player seeing significant action. Logan returns a lot of experience.
So, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the only win and the close loss were by the Lady Cougars, even though the taller players are still on the bench when at tipoff time.
That lone win came Friday against visiting Warren East, but first came an overtime loss at Glasgow on Tuesday.
In the 53-39 win over the Lady Raiders, Gracie Borders scored 20 points and Nora Epley 18. Epley got 15 of those points in the first half on 5 of 7 three-point shots. Her other three points came on a trey as well.
Borders scored 15 of her 20 points in the second half. Every time East seemed to be coming back, Borders came up with a key goal, rebound or assist. She hit 7 of 10 shots from inside the arc, 3 of 4 free throws, and 1 of 4 three-pointers. She and point guard Emily Borders tied for rebounding honors with 10 each.
The Lady Raiders’ leading scorers, Natagia Alexander and Rae Ellen Jones, each scored 8 points in the second half. each totaled 8 of their 11 points in the second half.
This was a Class 2A Sectional game.
Logan 1) 13-8, 2) 27-14, 3) 36-25 Final) Logan County 53, Warren East 39
East (39) Natajia Alexander 11, Rae Ellen Jones 11, Reagan Lawson 5, Rylee Bratcher 3, Sam Carver 3, Kenela Upton 3, Anniyah Pearson 2, Riley Jones 1
LCHS (52) Gracie Borders 20, Nora Epley 18, Emily Borders 6, Ta’Kyiah Mason 3, Emerson McKinnis 2, Brenley Adler 2, Reese Wetton 2, Kylah Bilyeu
The LoJo
In that overtime loss at Glasgow, with the game tied 38-38l with under two minutes remaining in regulation, Logan seventh grader Brenley Adler received a clutch pass from Emily Borders, Adler hit the wide-open layup to put the Lady Cougars up 40-38. After the Lady Cougars rebounded a Glasgow missed shot, Epley created a fast break and McKinnis took advantage of another on-target pass from Emily Borders. McKinnis drew a shooting foul. She made the first free throw, putting Logan up 41-38. After she misses the second, Glasgow’s Kaidence Byrd hit a deep three-pointer to force an OT.
Byrd and Botts, who each scored 11, scored 2 and 3, respectively, in overtime. Emily Borders hit a field goal and Gracie Borders a free throw in the extra period.
Epley scored 13 points, hitting a three-pointer in each of the first three quarters. Gracie Borders added 11, Emily Borders 8, and Adler 6 in her varsity debut.
Score by quarters: 1) 7-7, 2) GHS 19-18, 3) 32-30, 4) 41, Final) Glasgow 46, Logan County 44
LCHS (44) Epley 13, G. Borders 11, E. Borders 8, Adler 6, Mason 3, McKinnis 3, Bilyeu
GHS (46) Kaidence Byrd 11, Ashton Botts 11, Mia Cassady 9, Cynthia Austin 9, Khloe Hale 4, Kayla Kirkpatrick 4
The LoJo
The Lady Cougars were not as successful Saturday in a loss to always powerful Barren County. Gracie Borders scored 12 points, but no one else had more than 7, and she pulled down 8 of Logan’s lackluster 18 rebounds.
The Lady Cougars hit just 8 of 22 shorts from two-point range, 3 of 16 from long range and 28.9 percent overall.
The LoJo
The Russellville Panthers lost 79-55 to visiting Butler County Tuesday and 56-39 at Monroe County Saturday. Coach Todd used 14 players against the Bears. Jayden Russell and Tutu McKeage each scored 14 and Jayren Byrd 9. Russell tried 8 three-pointers and hit half of them. McKeage hit 7 of 8 free throws. A.J. Woodard and McKeage combined for two-thirds of the RHS rebounds with 7 each.
The LoJo
The Logan County Cougars went 0-3 with road losses at Monroe County (59-55) and South Warren (84-58). In their home opener Friday they fell 84-40 to Warren East in a game that counts in Class 2A-Section 2.
Colby Collins hit 5 of 10 three-point attempts to lead the Cougar scoring against the Falcons. Jack Delaney went 2 of 3 from long range and hit both of his free throws for 8 points. Kade Wall scored 8 also. The Cougars hit 8 of 21 three-pointers but just 8 of 22 free throws. Zane Batten and Brady Hinton had 6 rebounds each and Evan Campbell 5.
The LoJo
The Russellville Lady Panthers lost at Edmonson County 49-30 Tuesday and 63-45 to Monroe County Saturday in the State Farm 4th Region Challenge at Bowling Green High School.
RHS shots wouldn’t fall at Edmonson. RHS went 4 of 26 inside the arc, 1 of 17 from long range and 19 of 40 at the line. That translates to 11.6 percent from the field and 47.5 percent on free throws. Amiyah Collier was the top scorer with 9 points. Brinley Mason went 1 for 6 from long range, but that one was the only trey the Lady Panthers hit. Despite all those misses, Russellville totaled only 18 rebounds. Kilby Long was the leader with 5 boards.
Overall, the Lady Panthers shot better in the second game, primarily because of the play of Lareesha Cawthorn. She hit 10 of 23 shots and 4 of free throws for 24 points. Collier was 5 of 11 from the field but 2 of 7 from the line. Both players’ goals were all two-pointers. RHS went 0 for 7 from long range, but 18 of 44 in closer. Cawthorn added to her tremendous game with 23 rebounds.
Russellville played both games without one of their three highly experienced seniors, Jaylah Kees. Collier and Mason are the other two.