They burned a barn in Russellville Tuesday. Figuratively.
In an old-fashioned "barn-burner" matching two regional powers, the visiting Bowling Green Purples edged the Russellville Panthers 93-90 in double
overtime.
This one was played at a much faster pace, though, than when basketball games were actually played in barns.
Russellville had possession of the ball and a chance to win the game at the end of both regulation and the first overtime. Point guard D.J. Quarles
penetrated the lane in the final seconds of regulation and missed his shot. Justin Bollenbecker's long 3-pointer was off the mark as the first extra
period ended.
With Bowling Green (24-3) leading by the final score, the Panthers worked for a tying 3-pointer, but Quarles had to take an off-balance shot that
wasn't close this time, ending a superb game that will be remembered by those in attendance for many years to come.
The Panthers had come back from several significant deficits in the game to make it memorable. BGH was up 31-19 when one comeback began. Damien Elam's
17-footer with 11 seconds remaining in the half cut the Purples' lead to 42-39, but D.J. Ray's 12-footer at the buzzer made the halftime score 44-39.
Russellville (16-8) scored the first nine points of the third quarter with Kevin Temple, Trevor Clark, Elam and Bollenbecker hitting shots and
Bollenbecker adding a foul shot in the process to put the Panthers ahead 48-44. BGH star Chane Behanan kept matching the Panthers with rebound shots.
Temple's 3-pointer on an assist from Clark gave the Panthers a 53-48 lead with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter, which proved to be the home team's
biggest margin of the game.
The Panthers' last lead in regulation was at 56-55 on a Temple four-footer with 1:50 left in the third quarter. Ray scored the final five points of the
quarter to make the Purples' lead 61-56 as what was expected to be the last quarter began.
With a minute and a half left in regulation, BGH was up 75-69, but the Panthers scored the last six points. Elam parlayed two goals resulting from
steals by Temple and Devonta Bryant. Bollenbecker's two free throws tied it at 75-75 with 34 seconds. Bryant blocked a shot off a Purple player to get
the ball back with 17.7 seconds. Coach Dennis Pardue called a timeout with 10 seconds, and Quarles got the shot off, but it just didn't fall.
Bryant was hurt on the ensuing rebound and missed the first two minutes of the first overtime. Behanan dominated with him out and scored the Purples'
first nine points of the extra period, drawing Quarles' fourth foul with 1:53 left in the first OT. Still the Panthers stayed close. Temple hit a pair
of shots and his team tied it at 81-81 on a spin move by Bollenbecker. Behanan put together a 3-point play, but Bryant came back to hit a rebound shot,
and Victor Hampton gave the Panthers their first lead in about an hour when he scored on an assist from Bollenbecker, who had stolen a Purple pass. A
free throw tied it at 85-85 before Bollenbecker missed that late trey.
Bollenbecker's 3-point play put the Panthers up 88-85 in the second OT, and Bryant drew a charge from Ray. Russellville led 90-87 on a spin move by
Elam with two minutes left, but the Panthers couldn't score again.
The game was so fast-paced that a total of 47 turnovers were committed, 26 of them by BGH. Other totals were 117 field goal attempts (BGH was 37 of 90
and RHS 36 of 87). Only 10 of the 46 three-point attempts fell (RHS was just 3 of 19 from long range.). Bowling Green pulled down 60 of the 111
rebounds. The Panthers hit 15 of 17 free throws to stay close while Bowling Green was just 12 of 23 from the line with Behanan struggling at 6 of 13.
The 28 total assists were evenly divided. Russellville hit 51.5 percent from the field in the first half but just 35.2 percent the second half and two
overtimes.
Playing one of the best overall games of his distinguished career, Elam had 22 points on 8 of 12 field goal shooting and 5 of 6 free throw accuracy.
The junior guard added 6 rebounds and 5 each of steals and assists. Temple had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Bryant added 16 points, 11
rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot. Bollenbecker had 16 points, including cashing in on all 6 of his foul shots; he had 5 rebounds and a pair each
of steals and assists. Quarles struggled from the field with an atypical 2 of 15 nightmare, but he led the team in rebounding with 15 boards from his
point guard position.
Behanan, a 6'7" junior who had coaches Rick Pitino of Louisville and Bob Huggins of West Virginia watching him at the BGH gym two nights later,
finished with 30 points, 18 rebounds, 3 steals and 5 blocked shots. He did commit 6 turnovers. Ray, a tall guard, scored 17 points and added 8 rebounds
and 2 steals but made 8 turnovers. Scooter Hollis added 17 points, 5 rebounds and 2 each of assists and steals.
Going into postseason play, the Panthers have played each of the five teams ahead of them in regional rankings close but have a 1-5 record against
them. They've lost to Greenwood by 5, Glasgow and Bowling Green by 3 each, Franklin-Simpson by 2 and Warren Central by 1. They do have an 18-point win
over Franklin, also.
The Panthers warmed up for district play Friday by dominating Butler County 93-42, although the top seven players never saw any action after the
mid-point of the third quarter. Reserves Davis Pardue and freshman Jordan Kennedy scored 15 points each and Ryan Bibb added 5, including a 3-pointer.
Russellville plays the Logan County Cougars, who lost 72-59 to University Heights Thursday, in the first round of the 13th District Tournament at LCHS
Tuesday at 8 p.m.
Score by quarters:
1) BGH 28-17, 2) 44-39, 3) 61-56, 4) 75-75, 1st OT) 81-81, Final)
Bowling Green 93, Russellville 90
BGH (93)
Chane Behanan 30, D.J. Ray 17, Scooter Hollis 17, Mike Geegan 11, Clement 5, Halcomb 4, Simmons 4, Gorman 3, Boyce 2
RHS (90)
Damien Elam 22, Kevin Temple 18, Justin Bollenbecker 16, Devonta Bryant 16, Victor Hampton 8, D.J. Quarles 5, Darren Murphy 3, Trevor Clark 2
Anyone who might have doubted that Bowling Green (24-2) has the best girls team in the region might have been convinced by watching them coast past the
Russellville Lady Panthers 96-60 in the opener. The Lady Purples, who are ranked third in the state in The Courier-Journal's latest Litratings, shot 62
percent from the field after jumping out to an 18-2 lead.
Tiasha Coleman and Alexis Lawrence led the way for BGH with 24 points each. Erica Smith added 22 points and Adrienne Tarrence added 12 points, 11
rebounds and seven assists.
Bowling Green's dominance overshadowed an outstanding shooting performance by Lady Panther Nakia Daniel. She hit one shot from midcourt just before
halftime, and a couple of minutes into the third quarter she had already hit six 3-pointers. She added another long one and finished with a game-high
26 points. Russellville made an impressive comeback from that early deficit to outscore the Lady Purples 26-22 in the second quarter.
The Lady Panthers scored above 60 points for the third straight game Thursday in a 68-64 loss to visiting Christian County in Daniel's final game on
what has been her home floor for seven seasons. Coach Dedra Adler's team will take a 7-16 record into Monday's 6:30 p.m. 13th District opener against
Franklin-Simpson (19-8). Franklin is hampered by star center Chastity Gooch's continuing problems with an injury. She was able to play only eight
minutes in the Lady Cats' 48-19 loss to Nelson County Feb. 13, the Franklin Favorite reports.
Score by quarters:
1) BGH 33-7 2) 55-33, 3) 74-44, Final)
Bowling Green 96, Russellville 60
BGH (96)
Tiasha Coleman 24, Alexis Lawrence, 24, Erica Smith 22, Adrienne Tarrance 12, Reed 4, Lawson 3, Sibalich 3, Brooks 2, L. Whitney 2
RHS (60)
Nakia Daniel 26, Amber Sydnor 11, Tameeka Rippy 11, Kesi Neblett 6, Imani Hampton 3, Collins 3, B. Hampton, Rose, Hoosier