Coming into the 2022-2023 season, Bethlehem Banshee basketball coach Jason Clark looked at his incoming lineup and saw a lot of potential and speed, but little depth. This would be a different team than the one which started it all in 2019 and SHOCKED the 5th Region with the first of three out of four Region championships. Gone were the “Thunder Buddies” , the group of basketball only athletes that lived and breathed the sport. In their place, were a group of three sport athletes (mostly elite soccer players) and an equestrian star. However, when I questioned him on it during October, Clark responded “We’re fast and sometimes I’ll take fast over skilled.”
For the most part, his young Banshees were getting the job done, thanks to their ability to adjust to the situation and a marvelous job by Clark and his assistant coaches, who were part tactical instructionist and the other part psychologist. Streaking through the 5th Region schedule and one of the toughest out of region schedules in the state, the Banshees were 25-7. This while not being seen as the Region Favorite much of the season.
In a Region Tournament which many may have viewed as slightly down, Bethlehem was now viewed as the favorite coming in, while teams like Hart County, Elizabethtown, North Hardin and Nelson County were participant’s, it appeared as the only team that might emerge as the Champion and that was Bethlehem.
Attempting to repeat meant that they would have to beat Adair County and possibly North Hardin to reach the final on Saturday. After taking care of the 19th District for the fifth straight season, the Banshees moved on to Taylor County high school for the girls regional and first took care of Adair County 67-31 and then in a track race finally outlasted a stubborn and talented North Hardin team in the semi-finals, 72-63. Now, they would await the challenger in the other bracket and thanks to a weather glitch, the Final would take place on a Sunday afternoon with the boys semi-finals to follow after being moved from Hart County.
While the Banshees were streaking through the competition, Taylor County was getting it done a different way. Behind an effective attack, coach Jamie Vernon had put together a contender which could kill you in their effective half-court offense or quietly put you away on the defensive side. With the same record as the Banshees, Taylor County had reached the finals the hard way facing a tough Nelson County team and then the possible Cinderella of the Tourney in Hart County. With both team’s knocked off by the Lady Cardinals, maybe THEY were the real Cinderella. Behind point guard Grace Bale and outside shooters Alexis Knifley and Kayley Benningfield, the Taylor County was not only getting the job done but changing opinions as well.
So, coming into the Championship game, Bethlehem was seen as the favorite, but Taylor County still had a few things on their side. One: they were the home team, two: even though they lost to the Banshees in Game one of the regular season, neither team had developed an identity yet. Three: They had home court advantage and that might play a bigger part for a team which picks up plenty of fouls driving to the basket and converting from the free throw line.
On a beautiful sunny warm day, the two teams and a packed Bank One Arena prepared for a game which many though would be one-sided
. Were they EVER wrong.
Taylor County knew that a track race was one way to get behind early against the speedy Banshees so they chose to work their tactical offense and slow things down forcing Bethlehem to play their game and make every game a half court adventure. For the most part, it worked as Bethlehem struggled, but left the first quarter with a 7-5 lead. Then things started to happen. After Ashlyn Miles put Bethlehem up 14-13 with 3:58 remaining in the first half, Taylor County outscored them 11-7 to close the half and went into the half with a lead.
The energy they accumulated in the close of the second quarter, carried over in the third quarter as they went on a run starting with Knifley’s basket and Bale’s layup and after a Banshee turnover.
Just like that, the Bethlehem offense went VROOM again. Carlie Thurmond converted two layups, Emma Filiatreau hit a three and converted two free throws to go up 39-31. It might have been worse if a Banshee turnover late wasn’t converted into a freak three-pointer by the Lady Cardinals to cut the deficit to 39-34.
Once again, it appeared the game was swinging the Banshees way and once again, the home team had something to say about it. Two three’s, one by Bale first tied then put the Lady Cardinals ahead 42-39 then Filiatreau, who would be named Tournament MVP countered with a three-pointer of her own to tie it at 42-42 with 4:54 remaining in regulation. A Kennedy Jackson basket and Knifley’s three put them ahead 47-45. After the two swiped two-pointers, things got real interesting.
Bethlehem had been a team which for years had been so good that like the Elizabethtown Lady Panthers during their Championship years rarely had to come from behind often. Yes, there were some contests during the regular season when they were involved in shootouts, but that’s always different from digging yourself out of a hole late or matching a team in the final three minutes of a win-or-go home situation. Today, they were about to find out what kind of character they had and it came out in the most dramatic of times.
Trailing 49-47, the Banshees needed to score and with 1:49 left, they couldn’t afford a turnover allowing the Lady Cardinals to run down the clock and eat up more time before sending someone to the charity stripe to add on to their lead. First Filiatreau banged a pressure three home to put the Banshees up 50-49 with 1:17 left. Then eventually Jackson converted after Tessa Miles fifth foul. Carlie Thurmond was knocked down on an attempted three with 00:18 left and the junior calmly dropped all three free throws with text book technique to put Bethlehem ahead 53-51. But the game was far from over. Knifley’s desperation three was off, but Jackson was fouled and showed her cool under pressure persona sinking two game tying free throws to tie it up again at 53-53. After Thurmond’s long shot fell short the game drifted to overtime.
After 32-minutes of regulation basketball, it would take a four-minute period to decide a winner and the Banshees started fast again as Filiatreau’s reverse layup gave them an early lead, but two straight three pointers, one by Knifley, who finished with 14-points put the Lady Cardinals up again 59-55 with 1:17 left.
Gut Check time for one team as Taylor County added a free throw to make it 60-57. Bethlehem needed a big play and it came from an unlikely source. Kensey Clayton has always been a reliable guard even though she isn’t usually near the top of the scoring stats. Her job is usually to help bring the ball up court and score occasionally. Now, with the game on the line the ball ended up in her hands at the top of the key and she pulled the trigger. A miss means Taylor County might get the rebound and run out the clock. Instead, the ball went sailing through the cool air and dropped through the net tying the score at 60-60 with 00:17 left. After a Taylor County turnover, Ashlyn Miles stepped to the charity stripe and hit one of two to make it 61-60, then while bringing the ball up the court, Bale, who had played an outstanding game committed a turnover and Carlie Thurmond as she had done all game long canned two more to make it a 63-60 lead. Taylor County had one more chance to see it their was one more miracle left, but Bale’s three attempt was off the mark and Filiatreau held on to the ball until time expired. While Filiatreau and Clayton leaped in the air, Thurmond slowly walked towards the bench overcome in emotion until she was embraced by Tessa Miles and disappeared in a sea of Banshee and the student section.
For the Taylor County Lady Cardinals, it was a crushing defeat. They had fought so hard against the odds and a break here or there and they would be in the winners circle. Coach Vernon and the pro-Taylor County crowd simply had to be proud of the team’s accomplishments and the future is bright as there are no seniors on the varsity roster. They will be back.
As for the Banshees, it was their third straight Region Championship and fourth trip to Rupp Arena for the KHSAA State Tournament. Even more impressive is that this team is totally different from the one which won it in 2019. During the victory celebration, several former Banshees like Amelia Hodges, Ella Thompson and Baeli Young were there to cheer on their current version. They had to be proud as well as this current version of the Banshees showed a determination and cool under pressure that they always exhibited.
So, Bethlehem will be playing again at Rupp Arena and like Gilly Simpson, the school’s AD has been quoted to saying “The girls have played there as much as the Wildcats have.” Maybe he might be a little off on that statement, but that team, which I have so often referred to as “ That bunch of Soccer players and the girl that rides Horses” will take the floor at Lexington again on Thursday afternoon and if yesterday afternoon proved anything, they will always find a way to win.
