Bowling Green 45 - Greenwood 42 (OT)

14th District Championship, Warren Central High School, Bowling Green, Kentucky 03-01-08

There's no better way to start the month of March off than with an overtime championship game. I guess in a way March rolled in like a lion at Warren Central High School when Bowling Green and Greenwood squared off against one another for the 14th District trophy. Neither team was going to back down on Saturday night, and both played like they wanted to win the championship and take the front seat into the regional tournament. I could sense from the opening tip-off.

Bowling Green's Tevin Barksdale got out of the gate in a hurry, draining two three point shots and giving his Purples a 6-0 lead. Greenwood likes to throw zones at Bowling Green, but Barksdale kind of put up a challenge to the Gators. They couldn't pack their zone the way they sometimes will.

The first quarter was an indication of what kind of game it was going to be. Both teams are good at defense, and they were going to force their will on the other. Defensive games can be ugly, and this one certainly would get the U-G-L-Y label from the Pick and Roll. I like defensive games, though, and they often end in drama.

Bowling Green had an 11-8 advantage at the end of the first.

Greenwood's Dee Anderson opened the second quarter with two baskets, and the Gators took a 12-11 lead. Dominique Britt answered for the Purples with two three pointers, and it seemed like he had the hot hand. He missed his third attempt, but Bowling Green had an 18-12 lead.

The two teams were frozen on that score forever. It was a defensive slug-fest down through the end of the half, and that was the score at halftime.

It seemed almost metaphorical that the score was locked at 18-12. Pyotor Tchaikovsky wrote the Festival Overture "The Year 1812" to celebrate Russia's successful DEFENSE against Napoleon's advancing French army. The pounding music and the cannon blasts and the crashing tympani in the Overture could be the soundtrack to Saturday's basketball game. The drama in the music builds and builds just as the drama in the game built during the basketball game.

At 6:06 in the third quarter, the score was still 18-12. For a moment, it seemed like it might end that way.

Bowling Green started playing a match up zone, but they couldn't keep Greenwood's forwards from getting loose on the baseline. The Purples responded with a run of their own and stretched their lead to 28-19, and that was the score at the end of three.

Bowling Green had allowed the Gators to score 8, 4, and 7 points in each quarter.

There was no way a team as good and as determined at the Greenwood Gators was going to let their crosstown rival walk away with an easy win, especially after such a classic defensive struggle. Bowling Green couldn't keep the lid on guys like Dee Anderson, Mark Lacy, Austin Reed, and Bret Barrick. These guys are competitors, and they've turned Greenwood into the hottest team in the region late in the season.

Greenwood came out of the break with a new determination. They attacked the interior of Bowling Green's defense with great passing, always finding the open man. If the Purples left someone open, the Gators found him. They closed the gap.

Dee Anderson tied the score at 31 with a lay-in and drew the foul. He put Greenwood on top with his free throw.

Bowling Green surged back and took a 35-32 lead.

Enter Mark Lacy. I can't say enough good things about this player. He's competitive. He's smart. He's tough. I'm sure that Coach Blane Embry would like to clone his point guard and keep one of him around perpetually. The rest of the coaches around the region are glad he can't. Lacy had been quiet all night, but when Greenwood needed a basket, he stepped up and knocked down a 21 foot jump shot that tied the score.

Tevin Barksdale slipped on the floor on the inbounds pass, and Greenwood had a shot at winning the game in regulation. Bowling Green's players made sure they knew where Lacy was. They inbounded to Dee Anderson who took a shot from the corner but missed.

Overtime!

Austin Reed opened the overtime with a three pointer, and it seemed like Greenwood's momentum would sweep them to victory. The Purples responded, though, and regained the lead 40-39. It came a game of possessions and foul shots, and guys like Jarren Nixon, D.L. Moore, and Tevin Barksdale hit some mighty important free throws in the overtime.

Bowling Green won, 45-42, and took home the 14th District trophy.

I think there's a big monkey roaming around Rockingham Drive in Bowling Green looking for another back to climb on and make a home.

OBSERVATIONS

Pink: The Greenwood Gators wore pink t-shirts instead of warm ups Saturday night. I was told that it was a tribute to Coach Blane Embry's wife, who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Pick and Roll doesn't like to discuss health issues, but I think it is important that everyone keep her in your thoughts and prayers. It was a very nice touch.

That's My Ball: A loose ball rolled out of bounds during Saturday's championship game, and a little boy -- about three years old -- got hold of it. When the referee came over to get it, the little boy wouldn't give it back. The ref got down and asked real nice, and the kid finally handed over the ball.

Big Danged Trophy: When I walked in the gym tonight, there was a huge trophy sitting down at the other end. I thought, "gee, that's a big trophy for a stinkin' district championship. I figured out that National City Bank was promoting that it promotes the Sweet Sixteen. That was the state championship trophy. The 14th District trophy was considerably smaller.

Eddie the Pill Popper: My friend Eddie Dillard and I usually sit together at basketball games. Saturday night, I noticed that he took a couple of aspirin out of his pocket and munched them down. I teased him. He said he had a tension headache. When the teams were locked in a defensive struggle and headed for overtime, I told Eddie, "give me some of those pills!"

Smack Yo' Mama: After the ballgame I noticed that several Bowling Green players made their way into the stands so they could lay a smooch on their mothers. Folks, that's one among thousands of reasons I love high school basketball. I realized I was sitting next to Domonique Britt's mother.

All 14th District Team

Mark Lacy - Greenwood
Jarren Nixon - Bowling Green
Scooter Lightfoot - Warren Central
D.L. Moore - Bowling Green
Shenard Holton - Warren East
Deangelo Kirk - Warren East
Billy "Lando" Williams - Bowling Green
Pete "It's a Three" Winn - Warren Central
Dee Anderson - Greenwood
Demetric Ray - Warren East
Jarrett Jenkins - Greenwood
Jordan Ellis - Warren East
George Fant - Warren Central