LADY PANTHERS EDGE THE LADY PIONEERS!!!!
Some have accused the Elizabethtown Girls Basketball team of being so good that they can be boring. After last Friday’s nights late encounter with Top Twenty ranked Simon Kenton, that was not the case. In a game which had a little bit of everything. the Lady Panthers were happy to escape with a 67-65 win over the Region 8 opponents, because it was far from easy.
It was a game which had a European Soccer type atmosphere with physical play and irate fans from both teams. It started out with the Lady Pioneers being considerably late getting to Charles Rawlings Gymnasium because of 71 and I-65 traffic and when the varsity game finally did get going after about 8:30, it was a dandy between two teams with similar styles and a possible KHSAA State Tournament matchup in March. The Lady Pioneers appeared to be a bit road weary as Elizabethtown took quick advantage and took a quick 16-8 first quarter lead.
Then it was Simon Kenton’s turn as the Lady Pioneers behind junior guard and former Muhlenberg County star Bailee Harney came right back with 12-points and eventually the teams were in a 29-all tie at the half. Elizabethtown came right back in the third quarter with much of the 8-2 run coming with star Jada Stinson on the bench and eventually Karson Knight’s three in the fourth quarter put the Lady Panthers up 62-52 with 2:00 remaining. Then the game turned again after a technical foul and a foul on Elizabethtown, Simon Kenton junior guard Ally Niece would go to work. First she hit four straight free throws to make the score 62-56, then she scored on a layup to cut the score even further.
After Elizabethtown turned the ball over on their next possession, Niece, who is the leading scorer on the Lady Pioneers made two free throws and then after Stinson got two free throws of her own to make the score 64-60, Niece scored on another driving layup and after Stinson hit one of two from the line, Niece put up a three which went in to tie the game at 65-all. After that it was Stinson and Tanisia Murphy who hit two of four from the line to make it a 67-65 and then the Lady Panther defense smothered Niece on her last grasp shot and Elizabethtown won. It was a great game for everyone involved as Niece, who scored all of the Lady Pioneers points in the fourth quarter comeback seemed shocked by what she had done when informed of it.
The Lady Panthers celebrated Senior Night and said good-bye to three girls including Stinson and Taylor Thomas, who have involved in the last three state tournament runs. Next season, Elizabethtown will travel to Simon Kenton for the return match and hopefully a little delay won’t spoil what could be another great game.
