The Bowling Green Hornets are champions of the Central Basketball Association, following Sunday’s championship game against the homestanding Fort Wayne Flite.

The Hornets played their home games for the third straight season in the Land of Logan. This year they were at Logan County High School after calling Russellville’s Jim Young Gymnasium home the past two years.

They were coached by Nathan Thompson, the former RHS basketball and soccer star as a student and athletic director as an adult. This was his second year as head coach after assisting another former Panther star, Otis Key, the first year.

The following is the official CBA write-up of the game:

The 2015 CBA Championship game was set up perfectly. The battle of opposites, pitted against each other to determine the best team in the league this season. 

Bowling Green: The offensive juggernaut, consisting of former NCAA and NAIA Division-I players, from various parts of Kentucky and Tennessee, known for its high-tempo style of play, which helped them lead the league in scoring for a third consecutive season this year. 

Fort Wayne: The defensive machine, consisting of rugged, blue-collar players from Northern Indiana, known for their structured, disciplined defensive play, and causing the best of teams to get flustered and be thrown off their game plan through their league-best defensive squad.

And the hyped matchup lived up to its billing, as the two teams battled until the final horn sounded. 

Early in the game, both teams struggled shooting from the floor, coupled with strong defensive performances by each squad, leading to a low-scoring 22-18 lead for Bowling Green at the end of one.

Bowling Green, though, slowly found a way to extend the lead over the next two and a half periods, through dominant performances by Teraes Clemmons (21 points) and Kalen Kimberland (20 points), as they led most of the third quarter by double-digits, with their greatest lead of 13 points midway through the fourth quarter.

But at that halfway juncture of the final period, the momentum changed when Bowling Green's Damarius Smith, who had been guarding Fort Wayne's Antonio Cannon all game and limited him to only six points up until that point, was injured on an awkward fall on his ankle. While Smith was tended to by the medical staff on the sideline, Cannon took over and scored 16 points in four minutes, to not only erase the double-digit deficit, but also give Fort Wayne the lead with less than two minutes to go in the game. 

After both teams exchanged several baskets and the lead, it came down to the final possession, with the game tied at 95-95. Bowling Green's Deantra Scott (23 points), leading the ball in to the front court with less than five seconds remaining. Scott dribbled past Fort Wayne's Antonio Wilson, and hit a pull-up jumper milliseconds before the buzzer sounded, to not only stun the pro-Fort Wayne crowd, but give Bowling Green their first ever championship trophy, as they emerged victorious 97-95. 

Bowling Green, led by head coach, Nathan Thompson, joins Middle Tennessee (2014) and St. Louis (2013) as league champions in the three-year history of the CBA. The Hornets finished the season 8-3, including going 3-0 in the post-season. The Flite, who lost their first ever game at the McMillen Center (6-1), finished the season with a 7-5 record, including going 2-1 in the post-season. 

Bowling Green will look to defend the title next year during the 2016 CBA season, set to begin in March 2016, while Fort Wayne will look to avenge the heart-breaking defeat and earn their first ever title one year from now. 

This is what the Hornets’ had to say on their Facebook page:

It took 3 seasons, but we finally did it. We finally did it. The Bowling Green Hornets are your 2015 CBA CHAMPIONS! After blowing a double-digit lead in the final minutes of the game, Deantra Scott (Lindsey Wilson College) hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer to help the Hornets beat the Fort Wayne Flite97-95 to give Nathan Thompson and the young Hornets squad their first ever championship title. It was a long ride this season, with many ups and downs, but for our fans in Central and Southern Kentucky (and the Clarksville and Nashville area), WE DID IT! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS! — with Nathan Thompson,Damarius Smith, Torrez Hampton, Josh Mackey, John Paul, Teraes Clemmons, Jacob Shackley, Chris Watson, Spencer Perrin, Kalen Kimberland, Marquise Rudolph, Deantra Scott, Eric Orr and A'Darius Acrosswaterballen Pegues.

Looking at the genuine smile of victory on Hornets' guard Kalen Kimberland's face tells you this is not a dream. This is definitely not a dream. Your Bowling Green Hornets are the 2015 Central Basketball Association Champions, and it's Victory Monday! Congratulations to all the coaches, players, and staff members within the Hornets organizations for a great job this season and bringing a championship trophy back home to Kentucky. 

Thank you to all the fans and supporters across Kentucky and Tennessee for their backing of the Bowling Green Hornets team this season, as well as during the last three seasons. Thank you to Dr. Kevin Hub (Logan County Public Schools Superintendent), Principal Casey Jaynes (Logan County High School), and the entire Logan County High School administration, staff, and student body for their immense support and hospitality for the team this season. Thank you to the Logan County Public School system, including the principals, staff, and families associated with Adairville, Auburn, Chandlers, Lewisburg, and Olmstead elementary and middle schools.

Thank you to Josh Mackey, for his excellent work behind the microphone as the Voice of the Hornets. Thank you to J.D. Menser for his entertaining performances as Buzz the Hornet. Thank you to Nicholas Scarbrough and Will Bingham for their great work as student assistant coaches to Head Coach Nathan Thompson and Assistant Coach Jacob Shackley.

Thank you to the CBA referees, led by Trey Turner, working with the Hornets organization to put on a safe and controlled game during Hornets home games. Thank you to Chris McGinnis and WRUS for their support of the Hornets year in and year out, as well as Jim Turner of The Logan Journal. And to those that have been missed in this post, we apologize, but we sincerely thank you for everything you have done for this Hornets organization.

We look forward to raising the 2015 CBA Championship Banner at the 2016 Bowling Green Hornets home opener next season at Logan County High School, and continuing the tradition of excellence and prosperity present within the Bowling Green Hornets organization.