Lady Purples in opening slot again at Sweet 16
Owsley County Lady Owls (26-9) vs. Bowling Green Lady Purples (23-10)
March 13, 2024 – 11:00 EST
By Perry Swack
Six region championships in seven seasons. Five in a row. Everyone in the Greater Bowling Green Area has rightfully been giving Calvin Head his flowers this week after the Bowling Green Lady Purples did what seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago, punching their fifth-straight ticket to the state tournament. Bowling Green and Owsley County will meet in the first game of the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Basketball Sweet 16 Tournament on Wednesday morning at Rupp Arena in Lexington. Bowling Green enters the event having won its last six games, while the 14th Region champions are winners of their last five. Head and the Lady Purples are making their fifth-straight appearance in the Sweet 16. Travis Smith and the Lady Owls are making their first-ever appearance in the state tournament at Rupp Arena.
Last Time Out
Owsley County beat Estill County, 51-46, in the 14th Region Championship
Bowling Green defeated Todd County Central, 49-35, in the 4th Region Championship
Last Meeting – Never Met
Recap
Just over a month ago the Lady Purples were left for dead. District losses to Greenwood and Warren Central within the span of a week had the obituary being written for the four-time defending champs. How did the team respond? 3-3 over its final six regular season games did not exactly draw hope, but a win over the eventual 1st Region champ (McCracken County) and close losses to eventual 5th Region champ (Bethlehem) and 3rd Region runner-up (Owensboro Catholic) were reasons to believe.
However, the biggest reason to believe came on Thursday, March 7. A win over Russell County in the region quarterfinals set the Lady Purples up to face off with a team who had been ranked in the state’s top 10 all season long: Franklin-Simpson. The Lady Cats had blew by BG in January by nearly twenty points on the Lady Purples and many weren’t sure if they were up to task against the 30-1 Franklin squad. But you don’t win four-straight region titles by backing down from a challenge. No, the Lady Purples may have graduated its three, most productive players from a season ago, but it returned a number of core players who had played in big moments. Oh, and of course Head and his staff patrolling the sideline with a game plan to slow Lareehsa Cawthorn and the Lady Wildcats.
NaTaya Wardlow led all scorers with 18 points, while NaTajia Alexander chipped in 13. Katy Smiley grabbed nine rebounds and the Lady Purples doubled Cawthorn nearly every chance she was even near the ball. Making Cawthorn work for her points (she still scored 18 and grabbed 10 rebounds), BG was able to build up a lead it never relinquished, knocking off Franklin, 52-39. Bowling Green went on to cruise past Todd County Central for the region title.
Prediction
So what for an encore? The Lady Purples will face off with the Lady Owls of Owsley County on Wednesday morning (11:00AM EST), looking to reach the quarterfinals for the third time in four seasons. The 14th Region champions feature a balanced lineup led by senior Carly Smith who is averaging 16.1 points per game. Sophomore Addison Terry is averaging 13.8 points per game, while junior Aaliyah Lynch and freshman Macey Brown are each scoring 12 points per contest. Lynch has made a team-best 76 three-pointers, while the center Brown leads the team with 11.4 rebounds per game.
Statistically, the Lady Owls are one of the best teams in the state across the board. They are sixth in points per game at just under 68, while checking in at second in rebounding at nearly 40 a contest. All of their true shooting numbers are ranked among the top ten. Will this mean a quick exit again for the Lady Purples? I am not so sure. RPI is only one metric; however, BG has a better RPI at 51 (Owsley is 60). Coach Head’s team has challenged themselves in the latter part of the season, beating two top ten teams over the course of the last three weeks. The grit shown over the last few weeks plus the experience at this stage give the Lady Purples the edge. A win over the Lady Owls would move BG into the quarter against the 1st Region (McCracken County) or 16th Region (Russell) champions.
Bowling Green 51, Owsley County 45
Stat to Know – 34
Bowling Green has only allowed 34 points per game over the course of its six-game winning streak entering the state tournament.
