Action continues in 13th District Tournament action tonight at Russellville High School. Teams representing Logan County and Todd Central high schools will compete against each other in both games. The Cougars are the second seed in the boys game and the Lady Cougars third in theirs.
The Lady Cougars are 15-14 overall and 3-3 in the district. Coach Dedra Adler’s team has been in a slump lately. After starting the season 12-4, they have lost 10 of their last 13 games, including 52-39 to Todd Central Feb. 2.
They are led in scoring by senior Emily Borders and eighth grader Brenley Adler, who are averaging 11.7 and 11.6 points per game, respectively. Junior Ta’Kyiah Mason is close behind at 9.1. Junior Kyla Bilyeu is the top rebounder with 6.7 boards per game, followed by Adler at 4.9.
Borders is by far the leading free throw shooter. She’s hit 100 of 136 foul shots for 73.5 percent. Mason is second in percentage at 61.0 (36 of 59) and Adler is second in free throws hit at 86 of 149 (57.7 percent). Borders has hit 28 of 85 three-point attempts (32.9 percent) while Adler is tops in three-point accuracy at 34.3 percent. Reese Wetton (12 of 39 for 30.8 percent) and Carrie Gloyd (3 of 10) are the only others close to hitting a third of their shots from long range. Mason is second in three-pointers made at 17 of 62. Adler is the top overall shooter among those who have taken a hundred or more shots at 43.4 percent (118 of 272), followed closely with Wetton at 41.6 percent, Bilyeu 41 percent and Mason 40.1 percent.
The Todd Central Lady Rebels are 16-11, but they have lost eight of their last 13 games. Starting with a win over the Lady Cougars, they have won three of their last five contests after starting 13-3.
Coach Nick Suttle’s team gets most of its scoring from Alexis Taylor at 19.0 points a game and Abby Williams 14.7. but close to double figures are Jordyn Shemwell at 8.4 and Jamya Key at 7.9. Williams has hit a third of her shots from long range (42 of 125), but no one else is close. Taylor is hitting 47.5 percent overall (190 of 400), which includes 170 of 327 for 52 percent inside the circle.
Taylor is also an excellent free throw shooter at 77.9 percent (95 of 122), and she averages more than double any other rebounder at 10.8 per game for a total of 292 boards.
For much of the season, it appeared the Logan County Cougars were going to record their first winning season in four years. A five-game win streak in late December gave high hopes to all involved. They also won their first three district games, edging Russellville twice and Todd Central once.
Since then, however, they have slumped just enough to go into the tournament with a 14-16 record by losing 7 of their final 11 regular season games. That included two losses to Franklin-Simpson and a disappointing showing at Todd Central, the team they play tonight.
Still Coach Josh Frick’s team has talent and lots of depth. Ten Cougars have played in an least 24 games. Ten players have taken 40 or more shots. Eleven players have hit over 40 percent of their shots. Ten have hit three-point shots. Fourteen Cougars have hit free throws. Eighteen have recorded rebounds, 11 of them with 20 or more.
Still with all that depth, one player who has put together some big numbers is junior center Samson Hightower. After scoring only 19 points in 14 games last season, he is at the top of near it in many statistical categories. He’s first in scoring (14.7), free throws made, (113), 2-point field goals (101), free throw percentage among those who have attempted 20 or more (85.6), and rebounds (128 for 4.4 average). He’s second in 3-point percentage (45.1) and in overall field goal percentage (48.1).
Nicholas Blann is the top overall shooter of those who have attempted 40 or more shots at 56.5 (26 of 46). Tyler Johnson leads in 3-point shooting at 46.5 percent (33 of 71) and is third in 3-pointers made(33). Colby Collins leads in 3-pointers made with 60 (of 163 for 36.8 percent). Kade Wall is second in scoring (10.1), field goals made (98) and free throws made (66) along with being third in rebounds (87). Brady Hinton is second in both rebounds (124) and rebound average (4.3). Jack Delaney is third in free throws made (50).
The Todd Central Rebels are 13-15 on the season after winning four of their last six games.
A 62-56 win over Logan on Feb. 2 gave them their second district win, but a 63-45 loss to Russellville a week later made them the third seed in the district with Logan second.
Coach Russell Malone’s team is led by a genuine star in senior center Jamison Glass. He is averaging 26.7 points and 9.7 rebounds a game and is shooting 60.3 percent from inside the circle. He’s connected on 111 of 175 free throws for 63.4 percent.
Hayden Strader is second in rebounding at 5.2 and Zack Robinson third at 4.4. Strader is the top three-point shooter with 57 of 167 for 34.1 percent. Devin Schutt has hit 38 treys and Keshawn Moore 33. Strader is averaging 10.6 points and Moore 9.2.
The girls game tonight begins at 6 at Jim Young Gymnasium. The winner will play powerful Franklin-Simpson in Thursday’s finals at 7 p.m. The boys game will follow the girls. The survivor will move on to play Russellville in Friday’s 7 p.m. finals.
All games featuring a Logan County or Russellville team will be aired live on WRUS.