The Allen County-Scottsville Patriots will host the Russellville Panthers in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 Region 4 basketball tournament Sunday afternoon, March 21. Action starts at 3 p.m. at Patriot Gym.
Due to COVID, the Region 4 tournament will have a new look this year. District winners host the quarterfinal round before the event moves to the semifinal and final rounds to E.A. Diddle Arena on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. The tournament’s bracket was finalized Friday morning as teams learned their opening opponents and possible future foes.
AC-S (15-7), the District 15 champion, welcomes District 13 runner-up Russellville (9-10). The Patriots and Panthers did not meet this season due to Russellville COVID protocols. In their last matchup on February 20, 2020, Mason Shirley’s buzzer-beater lifted AC-S to a 71-68 victory in Russellville. The teams will meet Sunday for the 26th time since 1998 with the Panthers leading that series 14-11. The Patriots have won three consecutive games in the series with Russellville’s last win coming on December 1, 2017.
The Patriots are led by First-Team All-Region Mason Shirley(18 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.5 assists per game) and Third-Team All-Region Jax Cooper (15.5 points, 5.7 rebounds per game). The Panthers’ leading scorer is Jaquis Todd (15.1 points, 5 rebounds). Josh Allen averages 8.2 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Joining AC-S and Russellville in the top bracket will be District 14 winner Bowling Green (20-2) and District 16 runner-up Clinton County (20-4). The teams---considered the top two squads in the region---last met in Region 4 tournament play two years ago. Bowling Green defeated Clinton County 51-38 in the semifinal matchup.
The lower half of the bracket has District 16 winner Metcalfe County (17-9) and District 14 runner- up Greenwood (15-12) facing off. The Hornets defeated the Gators 69-64 in Edmonton on March 2. The final quarterfinal game has District 13 champion Franklin-Simpson (14-3) set to face District 15 runner-up Barren County (20-8). The Wildcats downed the Trojans 50-41 on February 23 in Glasgow.
Upper bracket winners will face off Monday, March 22, at 6 p.m. at WKU. Lower brackets winners meet Tuesday, March 23, at 6 p.m. with the championship game slated for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 24.
For the Patriots, this will be the program’s third consecutive appearance in the regional tournament but their first as a District champion since 2010. Overall, AC-S is playing in their 23rd tournament dating back to 1975. The Patriots have an overall regional tournament record of 13-20 including 8-14 in the quarterfinal round. AC-S has lost their last seven quarterfinal games with their last regional tournament win coming in 2005. That year, the Patriots downed Monroe County before losing to Warren Central in the semifinals.
Allen County-Scottsville High School will host a regional tournament game for the first time since 2000. The entire regional was played at Patriot Gym in 1994, 1997, and 2000---a year in which Russellville claimed the regional title. The Patriots are 1-1 in home regional games---having defeated Logan County in the quarterfinals in 1994 before losing to Warren East in overtime in the semifinals.
Due to continuing COVID guidance, attendance will be limited. Individuals unable to attend are reminded that Sunday’s game will be streamed live on the Allen County Schools’ YouTube channel with audio provided by Patriot Sports Radio (WVLE-FM).
As always, WRUS (104.9 FM, 610 AM, wrusradio.com will carry the game with Chris McGinnis (and maybe John Brett Reynolds) making the call.