Bowling Green 61 - Warren Central 57

14th District Semifinal, Warren Central High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky 02-26-08

It was one for the ages. A person could throw every basketball cliche' at this game, and it would stick. A barn burner, a jim-dandy, a battle, a war. I don't even know where to begin.

Warren Central has dominated the Fourth Region for so long, that my children hardly realize that anyone else has ever won the championship. My little boy thought that Tim Riley was the president of the United States. The Dragons had not lost on the Diddle Arena floor in this millennium, and WKU Coach Darrin Horn would love to have a winning streak at Diddle as impressive at Tim Riley's.

THE RUN IS DONE!

The Purples sent the "Monsters of Morgantown Road" out the exits early this season, and for the first time in six years, a new team will carry the Fourth Region banner into Rupp Arena.

It didn't come easy for the Purples. They struggled in the first half with bad shot selection and constant defensive pressure from the Dragons. They were down 14-10 at the end of the first quarter, and Warren Central exploded for 23 second quarter points to take a commanding lead on Bowling Green. Central hit some big shots in the quarter, and Pete Winn hit some long range jumpers. Winn didn't start tonight's game, but wasn't on the bench for long. I don't know why he didn't start.

The Dragons had a 37-26 lead at halftime, and once again post season play in the Fourth Region seemed like the movie "Groundhog Day." All the coaches in the region probably identified with Phil Connors and wanted to punch Ned Ryerson in the nose during each replay.

I don't know what Bowling Green Coach D.G. Sherrill said to his Purple warriors at halftime, but they came out and played the third quarter like they had a barn on fire with a season's worth of hay in it. They moved the ball up the court against Central's press better than any team I've seen move the ball this season. They could get the ball up the full length of the court without it touching hardwood once. Central's players buckled in the face of the ball crossing the court so many times.

Bowling Green exposed Central's Achilles heel. George Fant, who is a fantastic player for a freshman, is not good at defending the post, especially in a transition game.

The Purples emerged on the other side of the third frame with a 47-45 lead, outscoring the Dragons 21-8.

Bowling Green almost coughed this one up in the fourth quarter by missing way too many free throws.

Also, I nearly witnessed one of the great travesties of the basketball season. Central was desperate to hit shots beyond the arc to catch Bowling Green. Pete Winn, who was hot in the second half, looked for a three point shot late in the game, and on one possession he dribbled along the arc and lunged for the basket and hit a shot. One of his feet was about two feet inside of the stripe, but the referee called it a three point basket. If I remember right, that would've tied the ballgame.

The refs finally changed their call. I'm not sure, but I think Coach Riley signaled three from the sideline, and the officials followed suit. I don't know what made them change their minds, but the Bowling Green fans petitioned in the most fervent manner to get them to change it. I might have even heard some swear words from the Purple faithful.

Bowling Green won, 61-57, putting the Warren Central Dragons in a very unfamiliar position for the Fourth Region Tournament at Diddle Arena. They'll be watching it from the stands.

OBSERVATIONS

The Run is Done: Yep! Fourth Region coaches will be checking to see if the legs of the witch really are sticking out from under the house. Maybe D.G. Sherrill and his Purps slip on the ruby slippers and start down the Yellow Brick Road, which runs through Diddle Arena to Rupp Arena.

Don't Live Here No More: D.G. Sherrill took his Purples to Warren Central's gym for a shoot around the other day. He showed him the photographs of Central's state championship team and their runner-up team, and the teams that dominated the Fourth Region. He told them, "Boys, none of those guys play here anymore." I'm willing to bet that what he told them at halftime of Tuesday's semi-final was a lot less subtle.

Upward and Onward: Fans at Tuesday's game at Warren Central were treated to an exhibition by two teams from a Bowling Green Upward league. For a minute or two I thought it maybe was one of the first round games of the Sunbelt Tournament, but I realized that these kids were too good for that. That game was nearly as exciting as the feature.

Snowy Night in Bowling Green: Snow started falling when I went to the game. Things were icy when I came out. I could barely stand up on the asphalt to scrape the ice off my truck's windows.

The Place To Be: There was a huge crowd at Warren Central tonight, and the atmosphere was electric. It may have been icy outside, but it was about 90 degrees in the gym. I was near the top of the gym, and I was ready to start coming out of some clothes. Finally, people opened the windows at the top of the gym. The cool air felt good.

Two Funny Things: During the fourth quarter of the Bowling Green-Warren Central girls game, a school janitor walked up the sidelines with a big nasty plunger. He got about three quarters of the way up the court, and the referee ran over him. Both guys were alright, but it definitely should have been a charging call.

Also, my group of family and friends had a big pile of coats on the floor in front of one of the bleachers. A little boy sitting beside me starting digging through our coats, which were mixed with his family's. I asked him, "did you lose something." He said that he did, so I started pulling coats back for him. Finally, he found an end of a hot dog lying on top of my parka. "Oh, here it is," the kid exclaimed. Then, he popped it in his mouth. You know, a hot dog tastes a lot better after it has been grunged into some stranger's coat and rolled around on the floor of a bleacher.

Happy Hoopsmas!