Zack Klemme | The Daily Independent
Asked how the Ashland Invitational Tournament’s Most Valuable Player had gotten loose early in the fourth quarter on Friday night, opposing coach Trent Steiner paused for a moment, thought, and then deadpanned, “We weren’t trying to let him get loose.”
Kenyon Goodin regardless did. The Martha Layne Collins senior guard – an Army football commit – scored seven points in the first 70 seconds of the fourth quarter of the AIT championship game on Friday night.
That lifted the Titans from a four-point hole to Simon Kenton entering the final frame into the lead. The Pioneers tied it up once after that but never led again as Collins pulled away to a 55-48 victory in an all-Eighth Region matchup in Anderson Gym.
Goodin finished with 29 points for the Titans, who outscored Simon Kenton 18-7 in the final period.
Collins coach Chris Gaither credited the Titans’ “defensive energy” for finding that separation.
“We created some and changed the tempo up,” Gaither said. “But offensively, our guys executed. They didn’t turn the ball over, they made some shots and they made free throws down the stretch. That’s a good showing.”
Collins (12-1) grabbed a 19-10 lead late in the first quarter, but Simon Kenton (9-4) responded with a 17-10 edge in the second frame. The Pioneers led from Miles Brown’s 3-pointer at the 3:17 mark of the second quarter until Goodin scored in transition with 7:38 to play in the fourth.
That was the second of his three consecutive buckets to begin the final period.
Simon Kenton got level again on Travis Krohman’s fourth 3-pointer with 5:09 remaining, but Collins’s Quintin Simmons scored 22 seconds later and the Titans tallied nine of the final 11 points of the game as the Collins lead slowly grew.
“A three-point lead in this game felt like a 10-point lead,” Steiner said, “so when that happens, and they took a three- or five-point lead, then we started getting a little antsy, and that’s kinda how the game ended up.”
Collins assigned Darius Evans, the second Titan off the bench, to chase Krohman – the Pioneers’ leading scorer entering the tournament – everywhere he went down the stretch.
“Darius came in the first half and had some turnovers against their zone,” Gaither said, “and so what you want to see is, how do people respond to failure? And Darius has done that all year.
“So he played like two minutes in the first half, and he came back, and his energy in the second half changed the tempo of the game.”
Krohman led Simon Kenton with 14 points. No other Pioneer cracked double figures, but five others scored at least five points. Seven-footer Gabe Dynes chipped in eight points and seven rebounds, and Logan Crisp added eight points.
Simon Kenton was seeking its third AIT title, while Collins was playing in the AIT for the first time in its 67th running.
Both are seeking more, of course, and figure they may encounter each other in a much higher-stakes game to that end later.
“It’s a positive,” Gaither said. “Your guys see a team that could be a regional final team, and they won’t show up to the regional tournament thinking something’s a cakewalk. They know you gotta play and compete.”
Noted Steiner: “I think that should motivate our kids moving forward through the rest of the season, because if that’s what we gotta have to win those kind of games, that’s the defensive intensity we’re gonna see. We gotta be able to execute both offensively and defensively.”
The Titans and Pioneers are scheduled to meet Jan. 21 in the Henry County Classic. Collins will carry an all-time 8-1 series lead into that contest.
S. KENTON 15 17 9 7 – 48
M.L. COLLINS 21 10 6 18 – 55
Simon Kenton (48) – Krohman 14, Bilton 6, Gabbard 5, Dynes 8, Crisp 8, Brown 7, Polly, Bowling. 3-Pt. FG: 6 (Krohman 4, Gabbard, Brown). FT: 2-2. Fouls: 8.
Martha Layne Collins (55) – Simmons 4, Harbin 3, Ka. Goodin 5, Ke. Goodin 29, Cochran 9, Evans 5, Ki. Ledford. 3-Pt. FG: 4 (Ke. Goodin 2, Harbin, Ka. Goodin). FT: 5-7. Fouls: 7.
All-Tournament Team
Travis Krohman (Simon Kenton), Kenyon Goodin (Collins), Gabe Dynes (Simon Kenton), Isiah Cochran (Collins), Kade Goodin (Collins), Colton Ralston (Lincoln County), Konlin Brown (Henry Clay), Tramane Alcorn (Lincoln County), Zander Carter (Ashland), Camden Brewer (Blue Ridge), Rheyce Deboard (Ashland), Reuben McEachern (Carmel). MVP: Kenyon Goodin (Collins).
