This may be Meade County’s first trip to the KHSAA Girls State Tournament in nearly seven years, but they don’t seem to mind. In fact, a little deficit doesn’t even bother them. Like say 17-points at the half. Needless to say, the Lady Waves overcame that and found a way to win in the opening game of the 2022 KHSAA Girls Sweet Sixteen over Boyd County, 53-46.
So just how did this happen in the first place? Some say that the secret to overcoming a huge hurdle doesn’t happen on the blackboard first, but right between your ears in fact. The Lady Waves came out more driven than in the first half in which they were trying to adjust to their new surroundings. They forced turnovers, made layups and shot well from outside, which was something they didn’t do in the first two quarters when Boyd County got a great outside shooting clinic from Emilee Neese, who made three three-pointers. Meanwhile, Meade county struggled from the field (they would hit only 16-50), and in many ways looked like the Green Wave team which lost their last State Tournament game in 2014 against Anderson County (75-51 @ Diddle Arena). Trailing 29-16 at the half, Meade County immediately went to work cutting into the lead using their quick full court trap defense to force turnovers. Peyton Bradley found her shooting touch and her second three made it 35-26 with 4:14 left in the third quarter. Aubrey Hardesty’s three made it 40-31 with 2:29 left as Boyd’s lead to was cut to just nine going into the fourth.
Then, the Green Wave took command on a layup by Katie Durbin, a three=pointer by Peyton Bradley and a free throw by Bradley to cut into the lead even more with 4:18 at 41-40. After a jumper by Boyd County’s Jasmine Jordan put them back up by one with 2:07 left, the pivotal play occurred.
On a missed jumper, Paige Medley grabbed the rebound and was slung to the ground by Jordan. She was assessed a foul and a technical which was her fourth and fifth foul sending both Medley and Bradley to the line as they made all four free throws and then Bradley added on to it with two more FT’s as the Green Wave increased their lead to 49-44 with 1:54. Boyd would cut it to 49-46, but the Green Wave, who were excellent free throw shooting team would close out the game with six more by Bradley as Meade County finished the comeback, 53-46.
Afterwards, the Lady Lions looked to the sequence involving the six-point swing as the pivotal moment in the game. It had to be a tough way to finish the season, but it was typical Green Wave basketball under Dina Hackert, who stresses defense and in the clutch, the defense came through outscoring the Lady Lions 37-17 in the second half. Bradley, once again led the way with 23-points, but it was free throw shooting that was the telling stat (15-17) as Hackert believes that this team is never out of a game.
So now, the Lady Waves will face Bullitt East, the team which knocked off Bethlehem in the later game in the early session. Meade County had played the Lady Chargers earlier the season and lost in OT, 69-65. The 1:30 Friday match should be a great one.
