A Lady Cougar team with less experience than had been expected has started the 2023-24 season impressively.
Even though they lost Fourth Region Player of the Year Gracie Borders from last year’s team to graduation. Coach Dedra Adler’s Logan County women were expected to return three seniors who had started most games for three years. Additionally, a middle schooler who had worked her way into the starting lineup last season, a senior with lots of experience and two key younger reserves were coming back.
There was concern among fans, though, when two of those three-year starters elected not to play basketball. Emerson McKinnis, who always did everything she could to help the team including often playing an undersized post, and long-range shooting guard Nora Epley both signed to play college softball in the fall and are now concentrating on that sport full-time.
Yet, the new version of the Lady Cougars is playing winning basketball and has developed into a contender.
At 11-4 going into tonight’s home game against district rival Todd Central as part of a doubleheader to be aired on WRUS, the Lady Cougars have surpasses initial expectations.
The Lady Cougars have won at least one game in every special event they’ve played in this season. They opened the season with a win over Glasgow in the Class 2a sectional, edged Clinton County in the State Farm 4th Region Challenge, romped past Caldwell County in the West Kentucky Hoops Classic, and won two games on the way to the finals of the H&H Holiday Hoofest they hosted.
They proved to be an offensive power in scoring 83 points against the Russellville Lady Panthers in the first Clash of the Cats at home last Friday.
The four-year starter, point guard Emily Borders, is doing everything well for the Lady Cougars. Eighth grader Brenley Adler, who had become a starter by tournament time last year, is at or near the top of nearly every statistical category. The other part-time starter who returned, senior Tykylah Mason, adds a lot of quickness to the team. Junior Kyla Bilyeu, who is a shot-blocking machine, and freshman Reese Wetton are showing that extended playing time they earned last year is paying off.
Balance is also a key. Except for Bilyeu on blocked shots, most categories have three or more players’ stats very close to the top.
Here’s a look at those leaders after 15 games:
Top 5 After 15 Games
Scoring Average: Emily Borders 12.3, Brenley Adler 12.1, TaKylah Mason 9/0. Reese Wetton 6.1, Kyla Bilyeu 5.5
Rebounding Average: Bilyeu 7.0, Adler 5.5, Borders 4.3, Aubreanna Evans and Wetton 2.9 each,
Assists: Borders 45, Mason 40, Adler 25, Bilyeu 13, Evans 7
Steals: Borders 40, Mason 39, Adler 26, Wetton 22, Addison Holloway 11
Deflections: Borders 33, Mason 31, Adler 25, 24, Holloway 24k Wetton 22
Blocks: Bilyeu 31, Adler, Holloway, Mason and Borders 2 each
Overall Shooting Percentage: Evans 52.9, Mason 43.0, Wetton 41.4, Adler 49.9, Borders 36.7
3-Pointers Hit: Borders 44, Mason 31, Adler 27, Wetton 25, Bilyeu 17
3-Point Shooting Percentage: Wetton 36.0, Borders 34.1, Adler and Carrie Gloyd 33.3 each, Addison Holloway 25.0
Free Throws Hit: Borders 59, Adler 51, Mason 24, Bilyeu 15, Evans 9
Free Throw Percentage: Evans 74.0, Borders 74.7, Elana Edler 66.7, Bilyeu 57.7, Mason 57.1