It was a blistering start for the Simon Kenton girls’ basketball team.
Then it turned into ice cold, much like the temperature on the Rupp Arena floor.
The Lady Pioneers opened their Clark’s Pump-N-Shop girls’ Sweet 16 first round contest with a 21-8 lead, but couldn’t continue from there as they lost to Frederick Douglass 48-39 on Wednesday night in Lexington.
Opening up the contest, the Lady Pioneers looked every bit the part of the 26-4 team that entered the tournament on a 12-game winning streak, including a win over four-time reigning champ Sacred Heart.
“Right now, beating Sacred Heart doesn’t mean anything. We didn’t validate it,” Lady Pioneers coach Jeff Stowers said.
They hit 6-of-7 shots from the field in the first quarter as they built a 16-7 advantage after eight minutes of play. It turned into 8-of-9 shooting into the opening minute of the second as they lead 21-8.
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Then they hit a wall bigger then the Great one in China. Turnovers plagued the Lady Pioneers as they went scoreless for the rest of the half, still able to hold a 21-20 lead however.
“We’ve stressed defensive principles since day one,” Broncos coach Daryl Moberly said. “We do a whole lot of drills stressing defense, spending a lot of time on defense. We focus a lot on that.”
Simon Kenton finished with as many turnovers as made field goals (16).
Frederick Douglass continued the run into the second half as Simon Kenton remained frigid offensively. Frederick Douglass led 32-28 after three, Lady Pioneers Brynli Pernell exiting in the closing seconds of the quarter due to a cut above her eye after taking a charge.
Pernell ran back to the floor from the tunnel prior to the fourth starting, a loud roar coming from the Independence faithful making the trip.
“She’s tough,” Stowers said. “I knew she would be back unless her eye was lost. She’s a warrior. Dynamite comes in small packages. Her will to win and just wanting to get out her with her girls makes Brynli who she is.”
But that was about the max of the jolt they’d get, Douglass able to keep separating thanks to their relentless ball pressure and 53% shooting from the field. It’s the Broncos first ever state tournament win in program history.
“Great ways for these girls to handle adversity. We could have laid down and we fought and came out second half and executed the gameplan,” Broncos coach Daryl Moberly said. “
For Simon Kenton, it’s an end on this floor in the first round for the second time in three years. Without a senior in the starting lineup, they’ll be a favorite to get back here once again next year, but will come with much more urgency with three junior starters in Anna Kelch, Haylie Webb and Meg Gadzala.
“I don’t want this feeling again,” Kelch said. “We’re going to work in the off season. We’re going to come back and we’re going to do wonders next year. We’re doing way better than what we did this year. We’re not feeling this again, not for our last year.”
Pernell led Simon Kenton with 12 points, Kelch adding eight, Webb with seven points and six rebounds.
Douglass, also talented with a young roster and only one senior on it, was led by eighth grader Tamia Wade’s 18 points. Jaelee Knowles added 17 points. The two combined to shoot 13-of-17 from the field.
Simon Kenton’s season ends at 26-5 as Jeff Stowers returned to the fold after his son Brenden took an assistant coaching job with the Northern Kentucky University girls’ basketball team.
“Coming back was a no-brainer,” Stowers said. “I knew these young ladies and how hard they worked and the talent they had.”
They return all but two players to the roster next year as Katelin Blevins and Anna Neltner are set to graduate.
PHOTO SLIDESHOW: Simon Kenton-Frederick Douglass Sweet 16 First Round
BRONCOS 48, LADY PIONEERS 39
SIMON KENTON — 16-5-7-11 — 39
FREDERICK DOUGLASS — 7-13-12-16 — 48
Scoring
Simon Kenton (39) — Pernell 12, Kelch 8, Webb 7, Ober 6, Gadzala 2, Niece 2, Kabeya 1
Frederick Douglass (48) — Waide 18, Knowles 17, Okorley 6, Bennett 5, Carr 2
Game Stats
Field Goals: SK 16/40, FD 17/32
3-Pointers: SK 3/18, FD 3/7
Free Throws: SK 4/7, FD 11/12
Rebounds: SK 21, FD 19
Assists: SK 8, FD 8
Steals: SK 1, FD 10
Blocked Shots: SK 2, FD
Turnovers: SK 16, FD 14
Records: Simon Kenton 26-5, Frederick Douglass 26-7