Glasgow 75 - Bowling Green 74

Glasgow High School, Glasgow, Kentucky

By J. Trace Kirkwood

Man! It feels good to be back in the saddle. After a weekend of pressing the couch watching Lonesome Dove while trying to shake the mother of all colds, I was pretty ramped up to be headed to a high school basketball game. It was a beautiful drive under a huge full moon on my way to Glasgow. The moon was so bright that I believe I could have made the drive without using the truck's headlights.

I had no idea what to expect out of this game. Glasgow is re-tooled with former UofL player, Jeff Hall, as head coach, and his son Cameron Hall is also on the squad. Bowling Green lost players like D.L. Moore and Jared Carpenter, but D.G. Sherrill has opened up his offense this season with an emphasis on perimeter play. The only thing I knew is that it would be different from a Glasgow-Bowling Green from last season.

The Fourth Region better beware of this pack of dogs in Glasgow. Think of President Bush's dog Barney's recent behavior when you think of this year's edition of these snippy little terriers. I'm not trying to make a case that the Scotties are going to win the Fourth Region, but they will figure into the final outcome of the standings. Last season Glasgow finished with a mediocre 16-13 record and was sub .500 in the region. They made it to the regional tournament but got bounced in the first round by Russell County.

I was unable to track down the scoring tonight, but Cameron Hall, who is a 6'1" junior, will emerge as the best shooter in the Fourth Region this year. He can shoot from nearly anywhere on the court and has a nose for the basket when he needs to drive into the lane. Matched with the shooting of Craig Mosier, the Scotties will bite more than just Rueters reporters in January and February.

I have to admit that I arrived late to the ballgame. It's hard for me to make it to games that start at 6:00 p.m., especially when they are in another city. Last season I promised Ricky Mudd that I would make a game at Glasgow, and I never did, so I decided to kick this Pick and Roll season off with a visit to the Dog Pound. I got to see a good game.

The Purples are going to press a lot this season. They have a sweet 2-2-1 zone press that works well when the players committ to making it work. They also like to press after missed shots and even turnovers. Bowling Green has one major flaw when they press after missed baskets: no one gets back on defense. They gave up too many easy baskets to Glasgow. It cost them the ballgame.

Bowling Green's Joe Gorman didn't see a lot of playing time last season, but he was on the court a lot on Friday night. The kid can flat out shoot three point shots. He cannot be left open if he's along the arc between the baseline and the free throw line. He's nearly automatic from out there, and he nailed some key shots in the first half.

The game was knotted at 31 at halftime.

Astraddle halftime was a devestating run by the Scotties. With just a few minutes left in the second quarter Bowling Green had a 28-20 lead on the home team. An 11-3 run by Glasgow tied it, but the Scotties continued their run after halftime. They stretched it to a 20-5 run and had a 40-33 lead in the third. By the end of the quarter, the Purples had closed within three -- 56-53.

Bowling Green made a gutsy run in the fourth quarter and actually outscored Glasgow 21-19 in the final frame. It wasn't enough. Plus, the Purples missed critical free throws down the stretch. They had two opportunities to tie the ballgame with just a few seconds left, but two different players -- Eric Smith and Tevin Barksdale -- missed sets of double bonus free throws. It was a killer, and the Scotties take a big win on their home court.

Glasgow's run on either side of halftime is what killed Bowling Green.

OBSERVATIONS

Welcome Back: Everyone should welcome Jeff Hall back to the Fourth Region. A lot of people are going to pull the welcome mat in after they see how well his boy can shoot the basketball. No amount of pressure will stop him. He could shoot the ball with a piece of plywood held up in front of his face. I'm guessing that Cameron Hall will get the Fourth Region's "Newcomer of the Year" award, and the Scotties will be the most improved team from last year.

Brian Asberry Welcoming Committee Chairman?: When I was a senior in high school in 1984 a friend of mine and my brother's had just graduated from WKU. He was working for the Courier-Journal and invited me to go with him to the Louisville-Western game at Freedom Hall. He had some really good seats that put us just a few rows from the court. We both wore red hooded sweatshirts that had massive block letters reading W.K.U. on the fronts. At some point in the game Western's Brian Asberry, always one of the Hilltopper's enforcers, took exception to Jeff Hall's defense and maybe his mouth. I don't know. As Asberry trotted up the court he delivered a vicious forearm shivver to Hall's face. Hall crumpled to the court near the jump circle while the Louisville faithful went wild with anger. For a few moments I thought I was going to die at the hands of irate Cardinals fans. They were looking to express their grievance with Mr. Asberry to anyone wearing WKU clothing.

To any UofL fans that might remember yelling at me I want to inform you that what you all collectively suggested to us is physically impossible to do. The Cardinals won that game, but it didn't turn out too well for the little red birds from Louisville this season. So! Right back at ya, Louisville fans!

Good to be Back: I tried to write about some football this year, but it didn't work out. I love high school football, but my family are fair weather friends. If I go to football games, I usually have to go alone, especially after it turns cool. I travel a lot during the week, so I was spending too much time away from my family. Although they didn't go tonight, I usually have no trouble getting the wife and kids to go to a basketball game. They love the hoops.

Please post comments. If you think I'm wrong about something, call me on it. I'm a big boy, so you're not going to hurt my feelings, and there is no way I can see everything correctly from the stands. Remember. I'm not a reporter. I'm just a fan with a computer and some time on my hands. I hope everyone enjoys Season II of the Pennyrile Pick and Roll.