All A State Semifinals
Clinton County Bulldogs (17-2) vs. Evangel Christian Eagles (7-9)
Friday, March 5 – 5:00 EST – McBrayer Arena, EKU
By Perry Swack
Clinton County has already passed two major tests to reach the All “A” Classic State Tournament semifinals. The Bulldogs knocked off Owensboro Catholic on February 23 before upending Murray in overtime on February 27. Coach Todd Messer’s club is making its sixth appearance in the state tournament since 2007. Until this season, the program had never reached the semifinals of the event. Six other 4th Region teams have reached the semifinals since 1990 – most recently in 2015 when Monroe County reached the championship game. The only school to win the All A state title from the 4th Region was Glasgow in 2001. Will lightning strike again exactly 20 years later?
Last Time Out
Clinton County beat Glasgow, 58-48, on March 2
Evangel Christian knocked out Somerset, 59-57, of the All A tournament on March 2
What to Watch For
Clinton County has breezed through most of its 2021 schedule, winning eight games by double digits. Nick Delk has had an outstanding junior season, leading the Bulldogs in both scoring (17.2) and rebounding (5.9). He is shooting nearly 60% from the field. Clinton has been competitive because of its balance. Five players are averaging at least 7.9 points per game, as Chase Stines (11.1), Nick Brown (11.0), and Bryson Cross (9.6) are all around 10 points per game. Junior big man Blake Melton has come on as of late, averaging 18 points per game over the course of the two All A state tournament games. His ability to attack Owensboro Catholic’s interior defense was a key to the Bulldogs’ opening round victory.
Evangel Christian is one of the most interesting teams not only in the tournament, but also in the state. The Eagles are 7-9 but have just recently got its entire roster eligible to play together. Sophomore Dawson Black is averaging 20 points per game to lead the squad; however, most of its impact players are just getting started. Ben Tshaka – one of the nation’s top ranked eighth graders – is averaging nine points and nine rebounds on the year. Big man Cyr Malonga was just cleared two weeks ago and has made an impact down low through five games. The sophomore is one of the nation’s top players in the class of 2023. Not to be forgotten is Spencer County transfer Gage Mabry. The junior just enrolled at Evangel Christian about two months ago and led the Eagles over Somerset with 24 points and eight rebounds on Monday night. Mabry is only in his first week of action with the squad.
Prediction
It is interesting to think about how different this game would have been had it been played when the All A Classic was scheduled to be played about two weeks ago. The Eagles were still a talented bunch then but adding Malonga and Mabry takes them to a whole new level. With that said, those two players have played in only a handful of games thus far. Will they continue to gel, or will they hit their first speed bump?
It seems hard not to imagine Evangel Christian cruising all the way to the championship. Their talent level seems high enough that it will feasibly contend for a 6th Region championship now that it has its roster together. But let’s not count out the Bulldogs of Clinton County. For those of us in the 4th Region, it is no secret that Messer’s Men are always among the class of this region. However, it surely came as a surprise to some across the state when Clinton knocked off Owensboro Catholic and Murray – two powerhouses in the 3rd and 1st region – in the opening two rounds. Before the tournament, Catholic was mentioned as a possible school to win both the All A and the KHSAA state tournament at the end of the month.
Clinton County’s ability to play smart, fundamentally sound basketball will be its key to moving on to Saturday’s final. Ball movement, drawing fouls, and rebounding are the keys to a Bulldog victory. The club shot a combined 48 free throws through the first two games of the event; if they can continue to attack the basket and draw fouls, it will only improve their chances at a win. I think the game will be close. I think Clinton will fall behind early but battle back to tie the game in the fourth quarter. However, I think the full-strength Evangel Christian squad will pull away in the end and play for a state title on Saturday morning.
Evangel Christian 67, Clinton County 62
Stat to Know – 61%
Delk, Stines, and Brown are averaging 61% of the team’s rebounds in 2021. Their ability to effectively rebound the basketball may be the key to the Bulldogs winning on Friday evening.
