Franklin-Simpson 53 - Bowling Green 49 (OT)

Bowling Green High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky, 02-07-08

I suspect that D.G. Sherrill and his Bowling Green Purples felt like fishermen telling stories about the big fish that got away after Thursday night's game with Franklin-Simpson. They just about landed the fish, but the thing slipped right through their hands.

I don't usually go to Thursday night ballgames because it makes me think that it's Friday. I wasn't going to miss another match up between the Purples and the Wildcats. I like the way these two teams play ball -- pressing, tough match up defense, attack the basket, athletic -- and they have some of my favorite players in the region with "Sir" Rayco Bryant, Courtney Dalcourt, D.L. Moore, and Jarren Nixon.

It was a Thursday night crowd, though. The crowd was small and no one seemed to be into the game. I found myself yawning while the two teams went through their warm up drills. Yawning prior to a high school basketball game? Please, forgive me. I just went through three days of flu induced fever and a work day in which I played "beat the deadline and make the boss think I'm on top of everything."

The small crowd allowed me to sit just a few rows behind the Franklin-Simpson bench. This was the third time I've seen the Wildcats, but the two previous times I had to sit near the top of the gym to watch them. When I get to sit behind a team's bench I can see how they handle themselves and how the coach handles various situations. I was so close I could hear David Clark's keys jingle.

Both teams came out cold but played very active man-to-man defense. Good defense made both teams take bad shots, but they continued to attack the basket. They seem to enjoy that style of play. I know I do. However, Franklin-Simpson is very deliberate with their possessions. They attack the basket, but they're in no hurry to do so when they have the ball. The pace of the game was more to the Wildcats' liking, and they had a 12-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Franklin-Simpson extended their lead on Bowling Green, led by Rayco Bryant, who was hitting short jumpers and lay-ins. Like every other time I've seen the Purples play this season, they control the game on the defensive end of the court. They picked up their defensive pressure and stopped Bryant from getting so close to the basket with the ball. They also forced turnovers and made a run at the Wildcats.

My favorite Purple, Lando Calrissian...I mean Billy Williams hit two free throws with 48 seconds left in the half to tie it. Each team hit another basket, and I started looking for Elizabeth Vargas because the score was 20-20 at halftime.

The third quarter demonstrated something I've said about the Purples all season: their defense makes their offense. They opened in a 1-2-2 zone with Eric Smith on top pressuring the perimeter ball movement. I've seen them play this zone before and play it well, but on Thursday night, they weren't active enough when Franklin-Simpson pushed the ball toward the baseline. The Wildcats surged early and had Bowling Green down 29-22.

The Purples ditched the zone and started playing a tough full court defense that forced Franklin-Simpson into a pace they don't really like. Bowling Green started chipping into the lead and pulled within two, 31-29, at the end of the third.

It's too bad the crowd was small because a lot of people missed a very exciting game. Sure, it was a low scoring defensive struggle, but the fourth quarter was exciting. I one point during the game I heard a fan say to another "U-G-L-Y." It was ugly. If a baby was as ugly as this game, Southern women would chorus "Bless its little heart."

Reminiscence Alert

When I was 13 or 14 years old I worked the concession stands at Cardinal Stadium for UofL football games. It was easy money because nobody actually went to their ballgames. A friend of mine and I usually ditched our work in the second or third quarter so we could watch the Louisville gridders spiral into another defeat. One afternoon, the UofL cheerleaders did a cheer "U-G-L-Y! You ain't got no alibi. You ugly, yeah, you ugly, yeah, you is!"

If a cheerleading squad whipped that out on an opponent in today's hyper-sensitive world, the NCAA would launch an inquiry that would make Watergate look like a shoplifting investigation. The long ago Cardinal cheerleaders could've summed up Thursday's game.

In the fourth, Richardson hit a three that put the Purples on top 33-31, and that started a sequence of several big plays by either team. They weren't on consecutive plays, but they were close enough together that they seemed to be connected. D.L. Moore grabbed one of the most impressive rebounds I've seen this season. He misjudged where the bounce was headed, but he was elevated enough that he was able to extend and arm and snag the ball. I believe his head was level with the rim when he made the rebound. I like it when Moore uses his athletic ability because few in the Fourth can match him.

Shortly afterward, Bowling Green was set to expand their narrow lead, and a Purple got the ball on the baseline and made his move toward the basket. Courtney Dalcourt came across the court to block the shot. He swatted the ball so hard and so far that I expected to hear Chris Berman blabbering "back, back, back, back, back."

I felt like it was the turning point in the ballgame. Bowling Green lost their momentum, and Wildcats starting surging. It was near this point when Coach David Clark turned to his team on the bench and shouted, "A one point game against Bowling Green and y'all aren't sayin a word!"

With time running out, Franklin-Simpson had the ball with the score tied at 42. D.L. Moore made the defensive play of the game. He got set in front of a Wildcat and drew a charging call with just six seconds left. Bowling Green had let the lead get away from them, but they had a chance to win it. I don't know what to say about the ending, but it looked like the Purples had a play drawn up but failed to execute it. Maybe Franklin-Simpson's defense disrupted the play, but D.L. Moore ended up taking the last shot from the perimeter. It looked like the Purples were off their rotation.

At the end of regulation, the score was tied at 42.

In the overtime, Bowling Green got behind and couldn't make the surge to catch the Wildcats. the ending turned into the Purples fouling to stay alive, but Cedrick Adams had anti-freeze in his veins and hit knocked down big free throws at the end.

The Wildcats prevailed 53-49. They controlled the tempo through most of the game, and Bowling Green let a win slip right through their hands.

D.L. Moore finished the game with 12 points and 15 rebounds, six of which were offensive boards. Tevin Barksdale had 12 points the Purples. Rayco "Baby Bark" Bryant had 16 points with eight rebounds. Cedrick Adams added eight points and was an icy 6-6 at the free throw line.

OBSERVATIONS

Foot Soldier: Rayco Bryant's game starts with his feet. When he gets the ball in the paint, he knows how to move his feet and legs to get position on the defender and get the ball in the hole. He's very good at it. He's also quick for his size. He surprises people with his ability to move. He's downright agile when he slashes through the lane to get the ball.

BRIIICK?: I looked over the stats for the game, and I couldn't decide what cost Bowling Green the game. They put up 56 shots but only hit 16 for 28.6% shooting. Franklin shot 39.3% but only had one more field goal than the Purps. Bowling Green out-rebounded them and hit four more three point shots (F-S took seven shots from the arc compared to BG's 20). The difference in the game was free throw shooting. Franklin was 18-27, but Bowling Green was 12-20. That's the only advantage I can see.

Back-to-Back: Bowling Green turns around and hosts the Scotties on Friday night, and Franklin-Simpson hosts Cumberland County. These guys have to be able to play on consecutive nights or they don't stand a chance in the post season.

Rattlesnake Richardson: I've noticed it all season. Jeb Richardson has a bit of a side spin on his jumpshot. It's a sidewinder. He's a good shooter, but I believe if his shot hits the rim it won't drop.

Overtime Guarantee: Anytime I take my children to a basketball game on a school night it will go into overtime. It's guaranteed. If I take them to a Friday or Saturday game, it will be a clock-eating, low fouling, blowout.