Kittens Head to Rupp
James Collier
The Ashland Beacon
CHAMPIONSHIP
ASHLAND 72 RUSSELL 42
After a back-and-forth opening quarter in the 16th Region championship game, Ashland started to pull away before the half and left Russell in a dust cloud for a 72-42 win for their 15th Regional title.
After both teams traded buckets to start the game, Ashland made its first of many runs to grab a 12-2 lead. Russell answered back to cut the deficit to only four behind 10 first-quarter points from Kennedy Darnell, but the Kittens was just getting started.
A relentless offensive attack inside by the Kittens wore on the Devils as Aryanna Gulley turned in one of her best performances of the year. Gulley led the Kittens with 13 points and 10 rebounds—six coming on the offensive glass. Ashland dominated Russell on the glass, outrebounding the Devils 49-27 while grabbing 26 offensive rebounds. Gulley earned tournament MVP honors.
Emilee Neese kicked in 13 points off the bench for the Kittens. Gabby Karle finished with 12 points and seven assists. Brookelyn Duckwyler finished with 11. Jenna Delaney added eight points and 11 rebounds.
Darnell was the lone Red Devil to finish in double figures as the junior tallied 19 points along with five assists. Kamryn Fleming added nine off the bench.
Kenleigh Woods, Delaney, Karle and Gulley were named to the All-Tournament team for Ashland. Bethany Allen, Gabby Oborne and Darnell represented Russell.
Russell closes the season at 25-8.
Ashland will play Region 13 champion North Laurel Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the Girls Sweet 16 in Lexington.
SEMIFINALS
ASHLAND 61 ROWAN COUNTY 44
Ashland found itself in a dogfight for the first eight minutes, but the Kittens depth took over the rest of the way to pull away from Rowan County for a 61-44 win. Ashland held Rowan to eight points in each the second and third quarters as they opened a 47-30 lead through three.
Aryanna Gulley led the Kittens with 16 points and seven rebounds. Gabby Karle kicked in 12. Kenleigh Woods added 10 points and dished out eight assists.
Ashland dominated Rowan on the glass, grabbing 42 total rebounds including 21 on the offensive glass. Defensively, Ashland forced 26 Rowan turnovers while converting those to 23 points.
RUSSELL 64 MENIFEE COUNTY 56
Russell never let Menifee County have the lead, but it was not because the Wildcats did not have the chance.
Russell led Menifee 48-37 with 1:04 to play in the third. With three minutes to play in the game, the Wildcats had tied the game at 53-53. But Russell closed the game on an 11-3 run led by Bethany Allen’s 18 points for a 64-56 win. Kennedy Darnell finished with a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Gabby Oborne added 16 points and six assists.
Russell shot 93.3% from the charity stripe while holding the leading rebounder in the region of Payton Burgess (13.8) to only eight boards including one in the second half.
OPENING ROUND
ASHLAND 79 RACELAND 35
Ashland jumped on Raceland early with a 28-12 first quarter frenzy en route to a 79-35 win over Raceland.
Ashland’s defense stymied Raceland into 21 turnovers which led to 32 Kittens’ points in the win. Kenleigh Woods led the Kittens with 20 points. Emilee Neese tossed in 15. Jenna Delaney added 10 points and seven rebounds.
Allayson Rigsby had 10 points and six rebounds for the Rams to garnish All-Tournament
Team honors. Lexi Boggs added 10 points and grabbed seven boards.
Raceland closes the season at 19-12.
MENIFEE COUNTY 58 BOYD COUNTY 47
Boyd County went to the locker room with the lead, but Menifee County’s best half of basketball was yet to come.
The Wildcats rolled off a 19-5 third quarter run to grab the lead for good in a 58-47 win over the Lions.
Boyd led 29-21 at the half but Menifee proved to be too much inside for the Lions to slow. Menifee outrebounded Boyd, 45-27 and scored 30 of their 58 points in the paint.
Jada Ray led the Lions with 15 points as the only Lion to net double figures while earning All-Tournament Team honors. Bella Opell had nine points. Sophie Stevens finished with seven points and nine rebounds.
Boyd closes the season at 18-12.
RUSSELL 61 MORGAN COUNTY 35
The Cougars gave all they had to give for 16 minutes. Russell, however had plenty in the tank for the second half.
Russell took at 23-20 lead to the break but outscored Morgan County 38-15 in the second half to ease into the semifinals, 61-35
Kamryn Fleming led the Devils with 16 points and nine rebounds. Gabby Oborne added 15 points, six rebounds and five assists. Bethany Allen kicked in 13 points.
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