Royals rally way to state

By ROCKY STANLEY--The Independent

OWINGSVILLE January 26, 2008 08:46 pm

— Bath County point guard Blandon Clemons was fantastic, but Rose Hill Christian was better at the end.
The Royals overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half to get past Bath County 59-55 in overtime Friday night for the 16th Region All “A” Classic championship.
Down 34-21 midway through the third quarter, Rose Hill rallied behind a pressure defense and its two sophomore stars.
After spending most of the night in a 2-3 zone to guard against Clemons’ penetration, the Royals went to a press that produced turnovers and fueled Rose Hill’s comeback.
“The press really changed the game around,” said Royals coach Tim Fraley. “Bath County was in a comfort zone. I made my mind up. We were going to get back in it or get blown out by 30. My guys responded and turned up the heat.”
A 12-0 flurry in the fourth quarter catapulted Rose Hill into a 44-40 lead. But Clemons, who scored 31 points in a brilliant performance, hit a driving shot in the closing seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime.
Rose Hill scored the first six points in the extra period and held on to earn its first trip to the All “A” State Tournament since 2003.
“It was defense and just heart,” said 6-foot-8 Dakotah Euton. “The tough schedule we played really prepared us. We got behind tonight, but if you keep playing hard, good things will happen.”
Earlier, Elliott County’s girls rocked to their first All “A” regional title by overwhelming Menifee County 82-45.
Euton and 6-4 sophomore Chad Jackson combined for 35 of Rose Hill’s 42 points in the second half and overtime period.
Jackson finished with 26, including a 16-for-22 night at the foul line.
“It was a tough, physical game,” said Jackson, who also had 10 rebounds. “Our defense came through. I definitely give credit to Tony Arthur, Alex Malloy and Johnny Bush. They made some big plays.”
Euton supplied 21 points and nine rebounds and joined Jackson to provide the Royals with a tough inside presence defensively.
Rose Hill needed everything it could muster to counteract Clemons, a 6-foot senior, who was 12-of-19 from the field and 7-of-9 from the foul line.
“He’s a big-time player,” Euton said. “I can’t say enough about the kid. Every time they needed a big shot, he was there.”
Clemons scored his first 10 points without missing a shot and made a nice pass to Zak Metz for a basket that pushed the Wildcats’ lead to 20-13 in the second quarter.
Bath County (11-4) extended it to 13 points midway through the third quarter after Clemons scored from the baseline and then hit a pull-up jumper.
“He’s amazing,” Fraley said. “If Morehead doesn’t snatch him up right now, they are crazy. If Chad Jackson and Tony Arthur struggle guarding you, you are a player.”
Rose Hill (11-8) got to the foul line often, however, and converted 28-of-36 attempts. Bath County made 13-of-20 free throws.
“In a big game, it’s hard to overcome when a team makes eight more free throws than we attempted,” said Bath County coach Jim Hicks. “Clemons and Metz are two of the best players in the region and I wish they would get the same respect.”
At the same time, Hicks praised Rose Hill’s efforts.
“They made a good comeback,” he said. “Their press bothered us. I made a mistake of not calling a timeout when we were having trouble.”
Rose Hill avenged a December loss to the Wildcats and will move on to the All “A” State Tournament in Richmond for a first-round game Thursday night.
GIRLS
Elliott County 82
Menifee County 45
Elliott County, backed by a large following, went on a 25-0 run spanning the second and third quarters to break the game open.
Tournament MVP Shae Ferguson scored a game-high 24 points to go with six steals, five assists and four rebounds.
“Words can’t even say what this means,” Ferguson said. “It’s like the world coming to an end.”
Ferguson was just part of a strong team showing by the Lady Lions, to top the 80-point mark for the second consecutive game and fourth time this season.
Her cousin, Kelsey, had 22 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Lakin Griffith collected 16 points and 10 rebounds and Therissa Adkins had 14 rebounds and eight points.
Elliott County advances to meet the Region 5 winner Wednesday afternoon at Eastern Kentucky University.
“It’s a great feeling. Look at what we’ve got here,” said Lady Lions coach Mark Cantrell, pointing to Elliott County’s fan support. “All the boys’ team was here. This community is tight. It’s a family affair.”
Menifee County (12-8) hung with Elliott County early. Courtney Peck hit her third 3-pointer of the second quarter to trim the Lady Lions’ lead to 25-22, but Elliott County closed the half with 11 consecutive points and then scored the first 14 of the second half.
ELLIOTT CO. 15 21 24 22 — 82
MENIFEE CO. 10 12 10 13 — 45
ELLIOTT COUNTY (82): S. Ferguson 24, Adkins 8, Griffith 16, Ison 3, K. Ferguson 22, Fannin 2, Leadingham 7, Whitley, Harper. FT: 9-14, 3-Pt. FG: 7 (S. Ferguson 3, Griffith, Ison, K. Ferguson 2). PF: 18.
MENIFEE COUNTY (45): Lane 2, C. Peck 12, Williams 13, Dorsey 9, K. Peck, Raney, Walker 7, Juliano 2, Esteppe, Stauberman, Furlan. FT: 11-19, 3-Pt. FG 4 (C. Peck 4). PF: 12.
GIRLS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Shae Ferguson (Elliott Co.) MVP; Sierra Manier (Fairview); Kelsey Ferguson (Elliott Co.); Ginny Adams (Bath Co.); Courtney Peck (Menifee); Kasey Lewis (Raceland); Kala Dorsey (Menifee); Jhonda Ison (Elliott Co.); Maria Friley (Rose Hill); Lakin Griffith (Elliott Co.); Chelsea Williams (Menifee).
BOYS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Chad Jackson (Rose Hill), Co-MVP; Dakotah Euton (Rose Hill), Co-MVP; Robbie Barber (Rose Hill); Blandon Clemons (Bath Co.); Jonathan Ferguson (Elliott Co.); Jacob Sparks (Raceland); Zak Metz (Bath Co.); Tony Arthur (Rose Hill); Caleb Howard (Menifee); Caleb Collins (Fairview); Joe Mabery (Bath Co.).

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