Logan County’s teams showed great improvement, but the rewards went to victorious Russellville Friday.
     The Panthers and Lady Panthers completed a regular season sweep of their crosstown rivals by winning the doubleheader at the LCHS gym in front of one of the smaller crowds in the 27-year history of the series.
     The Lady Panthers won 54-50 and the Panthers 71-59.
     Logan’s teams were much more competitive Friday than they had been in the first Clash of the Cats during the first week of December. Then the Lady Cougars had trouble getting the ball downcourt in a 62-48 Lady Panther win. The Cougars got off to a good start in December before being blown out 79-52.
     The Lady Panthers guaranteed themselves the number three seed in the district tournament with this victory. Coach Dedra Adler’s team is 2-4 in district games that 
count. RHS will meet Todd Central, which has beaten then twice, but the last two Lady Rebels wins have been by the narrowest of margins.
     Meanwhile the Lady Cougars’ turnovers late in Friday’s game put them in the fourth seed in the district, meaning they will play Franklin-Simpson in the tournament. The Lady Cats have won three of the last four regional championships and lost in the state championship game by a single point last year. They are 21-2 this year, 13-0 in the region and 6-0 in the district. Still Coach Scot MacAllister’s Lady Cougars lost to them by only 52-43 in January.
      The Panthers’ win guaranteed Coach Dennis Pardue’s team at least a share of the top spot in the 13^thDistrict for the regular season. The Panthers are 14-7 overall and 5-1 in the district. They have split decisions with Franklin-Simpson.
      Franklin beat Todd Central, the other 13^th District team, 65-54 Friday. Those same two teams are scheduled to play a makeup game Monday in Franklin. If the Wildcats win, then two tiebreakers will be necessary for the district pairings. RHS and F-S will be in the running for the number one spot, and the Cougars and Rebels-who have also split wins on the season-will be tied for third.
     If, however, the Rebels upset Franklin, Russellville would be the number one seed and meet the Cougars (3-16, 1-5) in the district.
     Boys’ pairings aren’t as crucial as are the girls, since RHS and F-S are near equals, as are the Cougars and the Rebels.
     The pairings and format will be determined Wednesday night for the tournament, which will be played in Franklin.
     A look at Friday’s Clashes of the Cats follows:
GIRLS
RHS 54, LCHS 50
     Russellville converted Lady Cougar turnovers into points repeatedly in the last couple of minutes to come from behind for the win.
     The Lady Cougars led 39-36 in the fourth quarter on sophomore Markita Pheal’s rebound bucket. RHS took the lead on two points each by Brittany Hampton, Reagan Leavell and Nakia Daniel, but the Lady Cougars tied it for the last time at 42-42 on a three-point play by Victoria Elliott, who took advantage of a Sarah Speck assist. In the process she drew the fourth foul on standout Lady Panther point guard Amber Sydnor, an eighth grader.
     Russellville took the lead for keeps on a 3-pointer by veteran long-range shooter Daniel with 2:04 remaining in the game. After a Lady Cougar turnover, Daniel took the ball to the goal without hesitation to make the score 47-42 with 1:10 remaining.
     In the final minute, Leandra Hooiser and Tameeka Rippy hit a pair of free throws each to build a five-point margin. Logan had a chance to tie the score by rebounding a missed free throw with 12 seconds left, but another floor error ended any chance of a win. Logan had to play the crucial final seconds without senior point guard Jenna Wilson, who gave herself up for the team by fouling out to stop the clock.
     Daniel finished with 13 points while Sydnor and Hampton added 11 each for the Lady Panthers, who ran their record to 11-11 overall and 7-9 in the region.
     Topping Logan (9-9 overall, 2-8 region) were Elliott with 11 and Speck with 10. Ann Dorris and Pheal, who both played big roles in the Lady Cougars taking the lead in the third quarter, each had 8.
     In addition to Wilson, it was the final home Clash for fellow senior Kelsey Gregory. RHS has only one senior, Leavell, and two juniors, Daniel and Nikki Rose.
Score by quarters:  1) RHS 13-4, 2) 20-18, 3) 33-31,  Final) Russellville 54, Logan County 50
RHS (54)  Nakia Daniel 13, Amber Sydnor 11, Brittany Hampton 11, Tameeka Rippy 8, Reagan Leavell 5, Leandra Hoosier 4, Imani Hampton 2
LCHS (50)  Victoria Elliott 11, Sarah Speck 10, Ann Dorris 8, Markita Pheal 8, Michelle England, Jenna Wilson 5, Meagan Williams 3, Kelsey Gregory 2, Kayla MacAllister

BOYS
RHS 71, LCHS 59
     Russellville led 12-0 before Coach Harold Tackett’s Cougars knew what had hit them, but the two teams played on even terms the rest of the game. The final margin was that same 12.
     With the Panthers leading 6-0, Trevor Clark and Damien Elam each hit long 3-pointers to make it 12-0. Then Cougars Twin Lancaster, Chris Covington and Seth McReynolds each hit two baskets in succession to cut the first quarter margin to 19-12.
     Logan cut the lead to five twice in the second quarter, first on Troy Graham’s lone three points and then on one of the two buckets scored in the game by center Derrod Blakey. That made the Panther lead 24-19.
     Led by guards Daniel Pardue and D.J. Quarles, Russellville responded to the challenge and went ahead 36-22 before Cougar Reuben Rawlings Watson scored his only basket on a rebound shot.
     Pardue’s goal gave  RHS a 38-24 lead at the half, a two-point bigger margin than the 12 points Logan spotted the visitors to start the game.
    The Panthers got off to a great start again in the second half and built an 18-point lead at 52-34 on Pardue’s 3-pointer at 1:55. He hit another trey before the end of the quarter, but Cougar sophomore Tyler Davenport-who wasn’t even on the varsity the first time the teams played-bombed a 3-pointer of his own to make the margin the same 14 points it had been at halftime as the third quarter ended.
     Logan came within 10 at 66-56 on a pair of free throws by Brett Sowell with 2:23, but each team scored only three more points the rest of the game--- Russellville’s on two free throws by Clark and one by Quarles. Logan’s Tyler Coleman got on the scoreboard with a 3-pointer to end the game.
     Both teams have depth that is remarkably balanced. Logan had 10 players score and Russellville 9.
     Steady sophomore Quarles led the Panthers with 19 points while Pardue had 13 and Clark 12. Sophomores Elam, Kevin Temple and Davonta Bryant each had 6 or more for the winners.
     Senior Chris Covington was clearly the top player for the Coach Harold Tackett’s Cougars on this night. He scored 15 points, many of them on offensive putbacks. Freshman Lancaster added 11 and junior point guard Seth McReynolds, who fouled out, added 10.
     Covington and fellow seniors Coleman, Brett Parks and Timron Knox got the start on Senior Night.
     Playing their final regular season Clash were RHS seniors Pardue, Charleston Sydnor and Kamero Neblett.
     Logan’s boys and girls are both home tonight (Saturday) against Trigg County. Four of the Panthers’ and Lady Panthers’ final five games are scheduled at home, beginning with Warren East Monday.
Score by quarters:  1) RHS 19-12, 2) 38-24, 3) 56-42,  Final) Russellville 71, Logan County 59
RHS (71)  D.J. Quarles 19, Daniel Pardue 13, Trevor Clark 12, Damien Elam 8, Davonta Bryant 6, Kevin Temple 6, Victor Hampton 3, Charleston Sydnor 2, Komero Neblett 2, Ryan Bibb, Duncan
LCHS (59)  Chris Covington 15, Twin Lancaster 11, Seth McReynolds 10, Luke Sowell 6, Derrod Blakey 4, Tyler Coleman 3, Troy Graham 3, Tyler Davenport 3, Reuben Rawlings Watson 2, Jonathan Barbee 2, Parks