Allen County-Scottsville has accomplished something not many other teams have.
When the Patriots defeated District 14 powerhouse Warren Central 77-75 back on Jan. 7, they achieved a task they hadn’t been able to achieve in quite some time.
Fast forward to Feb. 12 and that same group has now repeated the said task as ACS earned a 66-59 win over the Dragons on Tuesday at Warren Central High School to record back-to-back wins over WCHS for the first time since winning five straight from 1995-99.
“I think we’re playing really well,” Allen County-Scottsville sophomore guard Mason Shirley said. “We went through some struggles a few weeks ago, but I think we’re getting it back. I think this is a big win for us going into the District (15 Tournament). I think we’re playing really good basketball right now.”
ACS – now 21-7 on the season – trailed 20-12 after the opening quarter but outscored Warren Central 20-12 in the second to only be down 32-30 at halftime. The Patriots executed throughout the second half, made the big plays when they mattered most and held off the Dragons for a marquee victory
Shirley made five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 23 points to lead ACS, while Brett Rippy finished with 13 points and Bryce Carter added 10. The Patriots shot 26-of-53 (49.1 percent) from the field and assisted on 16 of their shots.
“It helps out a lot,” Shirley said of the balanced production. “Last year when Brett was off, the whole team was just off. Owen (Stamper) stepped up big tonight with some big rebounds, Jax (Cooper) had some big rebounds and I thought Cayden Ross played a really good game, too. We we’re just all hustling. Our execution was very good.”
Kobe Brents led Warren Central (16-9) with 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting – including 5-of-9 from 3-point range, while Tayshaun Bibb tallied 15.
Allen County-Scottsville jumped out to a 6-2 lead at the 6:05 mark of the first quarter, but Warren Central responded with eight quick points – highlighted by a Brents 3-pointer – to jump in front 10-8 at the 3:17 mark.
Back-to-back scores from Bibb and Dre Boyd gave the Dragons a 17-12 lead, and Brents’ triple with 21.2 seconds left in the period put Central up 20-12 after eight minutes of action.
The Patriots battled back in the ensuing frame – putting together a momentum-swinging 11-0 run to even the scoreboard at 30-all with 1:33 remaining in the half. Brents hit a runner from the right sideline with 55.2 seconds left to help Warren Central take a slim 32-30 advantage into the break.
“They wanted it more than we did,” Warren Central coach William Unseld said. “It was a sense of urgency. Disappointing that we didn’t want the game more than that.”
Allen County-Scottsville was the aggressor in the second half.
Opening the third quarter with another big run – this one an 8-0, ACS took a 38-32 lead at the 4:03 mark. Warren Central was finally able to record its first basket of the second half with a 3 from Tayton Smith, which led the Dragons to assembling an 8-0 surge of their own as back-to-back triples from Brents put them up 41-40 at the 2:11 mark.
Rippy’s layup with 6.2 seconds left sent ACS into the fourth clinging to a 44-43 lead.
Eight points from Shirley to open the final quarter had the Patriots leading 54-48 at the 4:33 mark – just before a bucket from Carter on the next possession made it 56-48 with 3:10 remaining.
“We executed some things and made some big shots in that stretch and rebounded the ball offensively and defensively,” Allen County-Scottsville coach Brad Bonds said. “For us, that was a big deal tonight.”
Another bucket from Shirley – followed by one from Stamper – pushed Allen County-Scottsville’s lead to 60-50 – and it was able to hold on for the victory.
The Patriots return to action Thursday as it hosts Todd County Central in its final regular-season contest, while Warren Central wraps up its regular-season Friday at home against LaRue County. Both games are scheduled to tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
“They’ve got a week to figure it out,” Unseld said. “It’s simple. The season can be over in a week and we can get ready for next year. It’s on them. It’s like I told them, ‘At this time of the year, it’s y’all’s team.’ We’ve just gotta be tough.”
Allen County-Scottsville – 12 18 14 22 — 66
Warren Central – 20 12 11 16 — 59
ACS – Mason Shirley 23, Brett Rippy 13, Bryce Carter 10, Cayden Ross 6, Owen Stamper 5, Jax Cooper 4, Chase Ward 3, Michael Smith 2.
WC – Kobe Brents 21, Tayshaun Bibb 15, Jamale Barber 7, Tegra Muleka 4, Tayton Smith 3, Antonio Barbee 3, Geovonni Floyd 3, Dre Boyd 2, Kris Horn 1.
Lady Patriots cruise past Lady Dragons
Behind a combined 44 points from standout seniors Sarah Sutton and Mason Towery, the Allen County-Scottsville girls’ basketball team cruised to a 54-36 win over Warren Central on Tuesday night at Warren Central High School.
The Lady Patriots (19-6) – who have won six of their last seven – had to battle with Warren Central throughout the opening half and led by just three at 27-24 at halftime but outscored the Lady Dragons 27-12 in the second half to come out on top.
While Sutton led the way with a game-high 28 points, Mason Towery knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with 16.
Krissy Johnson scored 14 points to pace Warren Central (2-26).
Allen County-Scottsville returns to action Thursday as it hosts Todd County Central in its final regular-season contest at 6 p.m. Warren Central will also play its final regular-season game Thursday at home against Russellville – and tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Allen County-Scottsville – 14 13 16 11 — 54
Warren Central – 10 14 6 6 — 36
ACS – Sarah Sutton 28, Mason Towery 16, Taylor Carter 3, Abby Willoughby 3, Jae McReynolds 2, Kaylee Bullington 2.
WC – Krissy Johnson 14, La Auhni Lewis 7, Kyleigh Ray 6, Aliyah Whitfield 4, Alyssa Connor 3, Jimea Shobe 2.
