LEXINGTON, Ky. – Bowling Green’s path to a first-ever state championship began on a positive note, as it beat Graves County, 68-51, in the first round of the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen Tournament on Wednesday at Rupp Arena.
For the first part of the game, the Purples and Eagles battled back-and-forth, but BG (33-2 overall) came alive in the second half and took total control, outscoring Graves, 37-22, in the third and fourth quarters combined.
“I’m proud of our guys and how we adjusted in the second half,” Bowling Green head coach D.G. Sherrill said. “I thought we were a much better basketball team and much more efficient in the second half.”
Terry Taylor scored a game-high 20 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists while Zion Harmon finished with 17 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Kyran Jones and Deangelo Wilson each added 7-point, three-rebound efforts.
In its loss, Graves County (27-8) was led by Jordyn Naranjo’s 11 points, three rebounds and two assists and Chris Vogt’s 8 points, 9 rebounds.
Bowling Green now advances to Friday’s quarterfinals, where it’ll meet the winner of Scott County and Pulaski County. Tipoff is set for 11 a.m. CST.
Both sides came out of the gates fired up and ready to compete.
At the 5:06 mark of the opening quarter, Bowling Green and Graves County were knotted up at 6-6, but the Purples went on a brief run and took an 11-8 advantage with 2:16 remaining in the period. The Eagles would outscore the Purples, 5-3, throughout the remaining of the first and make it tied at 13-13 after one.
Wilson led all scorers with 5 points at the time, but didn’t play the final couple of minutes of the quarter, as he was on the bench with a pair of fouls. Vogt already had three blocks to go along with five rebounds for Graves County.
The contest continued to stay tight in the ensuing period, as BG was up by just two at 21-19 with 5:10 left in the first half. Taylor would hit back-to-back three-pointers soon after and make it 27-24 at the 2:52 mark of the second, but Graves County outscored the Purples, 5-2, throughout the remainder of the quarter to cut its deficit to 31-29 at the break.
“We came out starting slow, and I knew I just needed to start taking my shots,” Taylor said. “Once I hit my first one, I just kept on going.”
After two full periods, Taylor had 13 points, three assists and two rebounds to lead Bowling Green, who shot 12-of-25 (48 percent) from the floor. Vogt had 8 points, 8 rebounds and three blocks for the Eagles, who went 10-of-19 (53 percent).
Although they were outrebounded 14-7, the Purples forced seven Graves County turnovers.
Bowling Green began to take control and play its style of basketball in the second half.
“I think if you’re going to win games in this tournament, you’re gonna have to be the best version of yourself,” Sherrill stated. “You have to do what you have to do and do it as well as you can.”
Jarius Key caught a Harmon pass off the glass and threw it down and then scored again on the next trip down off a Harmon steal to increase Bowling Green’s run to 8-0 and put it up 41-31 with 4:42 remaining in the third quarter. Harmon soon splashed a three to make it 46-33, giving the Purples their largest lead of the day.
Graves County was outscored, 20-8, in the period and couldn’t get anything going offensively. The same struggle continued for the Eagles into the final quarter.
Vogt would foul out with 5:15 to play and would receive a nice ovation from the crowd, but the Eagles still trailed, 58-43, to Bowling Green, who was well on its way to the quarterfinal round.
Leading 64-45 with 2:33 left to tick, Sherrill emptied his bench and brought his starters out with a nice ovation, as he and the Purples recorded a season-extending victory.
–Follow Sporting Times High School Insider Tyler Mansfield on Twitter @TylerOnSports—
