After a two-year hiatus, the Bowling Green-Warren Central regional championship rivalry has been renewed.
Warren Central opened up the game with a 20-4 lead over Russell County after one quarter of play, and the Dragons comfortably coasted to a 75-61 victory over the Lakers in the Fourth Regional semifinals to set up a date with Bowling Green for the region crown on Tuesday night at E.A. Diddle Arena.
“This is big for us,” Warren Central head coach William Unseld said. “These kids have come a long way since their freshman year. I don’t think they won 10 games (in freshmen ball), but I told them a long time ago that they were going to be really special if they stick with it, and they’ve done that. Now they’re playing for it all.”
The two sides are playing each other in the region title game for the first time in two seasons but the sixth time in nine years, and the Dragons will be looking to avenge a gut-wrenching 67-65 loss to the Purples in the 14th District Championship Game back on Feb. 23.
“The district tournament didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but it’s good to come back here and play them for the big thing,” Warren Central senior and Wright State commit Skyelar Potter said.
Warren Central (28-5) punched its ticket to the region title game versus Bowling Green by jumping out early on underdog Russell County as the Dragons led 42-20 at the intermission.
The Dragons kept things rolling in the first part of the second half, and a slam by Potter off a missed layup gave Central a commanding 51-21 lead at the 6:20 mark of the third quarter. The Dragons built their lead up to as much as 34 points during the frame and held a 63-35 advantage going into the final quarter.
Russell County (13-21)—staying true to the same grit and determination that led to them being the 16th District champion and making a run at the regional tournament—outscored the Dragons 26-12 in the frame to make the final score look much more respectable.
“I’m very proud of my kids,” Russell County head coach William Carson, III said. “I told them in the locker room that we could have very easily have gave up and quit, but we cut it to 14 there at the end. We could’ve just rolled over but they kept fighting and competing, and I’m proud of them.”
“No one expected us to win the district. We did it and we get to the region tournament and nobody thought we would win the first game. We did it, and we’re here.”
Brayton Scales led Russell County in the loss with 16 points while Tate Richardson had 15. Briley Hadley finished with 10 points and six rebounds for the Lakers.
Warren Central was led in the win by Micale Mee with 19 points on three 3-pointers, and Potter added a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Jordan Cousin and Tayshawn Bibb poured in 11 and 14 points, respectively, for the Dragons.
Warren Central will now face Bowling Green for the Fourth Region title on Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at Diddle Arena—the Dragons seeking their first trip to the state tournament since 2013.
“It’s my first time being here so I’m excited,” Potter said. “I can’t wait to play (Tuesday).”
But Unseld does not want his team to even think about the possibility of a trip to Rupp Arena, emphasizing that he wants his guys to come out loose and relaxed on Tuesday night.
“We’re having fun,” Unseld said. “I told them there’s no pressure on you guys. We’re 28-5: we had a great year no matter what happens (Tuesday) night. We’re going to come and play. There’s no pressure on them. I told them I’d take the pressure, and y’all go have fun. Enjoy the moment, and we’ll see what happens.”
