Seismic Upsets & Buzzer Beaters highlight the first round of postseason action in the 4th Region
By Perry Swack
The leap year may be extending the month of February one extra day, but no one told the high school basketball teams in the 4th Region. For all they know, March has arrived. With three buzzer-beaters and eight upsets, the first week of the 2024 postseason has not disappointed and seen fireworks from Scottsville to Russell Springs.
Metcalfe County 68, Monroe County 66 – 16th District Boys First Round
It all started on Sunday, a day when only two boys’ games were being contested across the Commonwealth. Down 66-65 with three seconds left, sophomore guard Maddux Garrett cut to the left wing and received the in-bounds pass from Ben Shirley. Garrett calmly received the pass and squared up to the goal in one motion, releasing the would-be winning three with just over a second left. He hit nothing but net and the Hornets advanced to the semifinals to take on top-seeded Russell County. Cade Button led Metcalfe with 26 points, while Hudson Jessie scored 21 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in the win. Coach Brandon Brockman’s club used the momentum from Sunday to dispatch Russell County, 68-51, on Tuesday and advance to the 16th District championship.
Allen County-Scottsville 55, Barren County 52 – 15th District Girls Semifinals
On Monday night, the madness continued. A back-and-forth affair left the Trojanettes of Barren County clinging to a 52-50 lead with less than 15 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Allen County-Scottsville senior Jayleigh Steenbergen dribbled near the right corner and pitched the ball to junior Riley Roy. Steenbergen’s dribble handoff created enough separation between Roy and her defender that Roy was able to get a clean look at a three-pointer from the right wing. 53-52. With less than five seconds to play, the Lady Patriots held a lead it would not relinquish. ACS freshman Avery Morris and BC senior Abby Varney each led the way with 20 points for their respective teams. The loss eliminated the Trojanettes from contention for the 4th Region championship, a tournament it would have entered as one of the favorites. Allen County will have the chance to win its first district title since 2015, while Barren’s streak of six straight championships is over.
Glasgow 59, Warren East 56 – 15th District Boys Semifinals
If two game winners in two nights were not enough, Tuesday ensured the streak continued. Warren East had defeated Glasgow three times this season, including by 27 points in mid-December. The Scotties entered the game with only eight wins on the season but played like the team that nearly knocked off the Raiders in January (a two-point loss, 64-62). Glasgow led for a majority of the game, holding the lead at the end of the first three quarters; however, the defending district champion Raiders were not going down without a fight. Tying the game late, it seemed the game may move to an overtime period. Enter GHS guard John Carter Walbert. As he had done all night, the senior took the ball when the game mattered most. Flanked by an East defender, Walbert rose up for three as the clock ticked down from three seconds. Splash. Game over. 59-56. The Scotties were moving on to the district finals for the second time in three seasons. They will face Barren County in search of their first title since 2019.
Other Scores of Note
13th District Boys – #4 Russellville (6-25) ends #1 Franklin-Simpson’s (14-13) season, 59-54
14th District Girls – #3 South Warren (13-15) blows by #2 Greenwood, 66-39
16th District Boys – #3 Cumberland County (16-13) eliminates #2 Clinton County (19-11), 67-59
