Quickly, name the integer between 10 and 12.
The correct answer: 11, which also described Campbell County’s latest boys 37th District title, Wednesday’s 76-65 win – an 11-point margin – over Scott at Campbell County Middle School.
Campbell County coach Brent Sowder has been involved in 10 of the 11 as a coach; he credits former Camels head man Aric Russell for much of the success.
Some other numerals for the Camels to enjoy: Connor Weinel’s 18 points, 16 each from Broc Sorgenfrei and Garyn Jackson, and 10 by Zach Franzen, including identical 3-pointers from the left wing that gave his team a 50-32 lead.
“Big moment, big game, big-moment shots from that kid,” Scott coach Steve Fromeyer said of Franzen. “They were daggers.”
Campbell County (23-6) had the opening scoring streak, an 8-2 run in a little more than three minutes.
Scott did some defensive work in the first quarter a few seconds later, when Dylan Giffen and Carter Eten forced a held ball on Weinel – a play Xarek Saratkatsannis converted into a three-point play when he hit a fallaway jumper and made the free throw.
But there was some trouble late in the period – Weinel drew his second foul with 12.4 seconds left, and he sat the rest of the half. The Camels’ solution: spread the offense, create driving lanes, go with five players around the perimeter (a 5-Out), make the Eagles defend.
“We had to play small ball, we had to push the ball,” Jackson said.
Scott (14-17) briefly took advantage – Connor Griffin’s layup with a second left in the first (he led the Eagles with 16 points) and Jon Evans’ 5-foot bank shot in the paint in the second quarter closed Campbell County’s lead to 18-15.
“We’re still a quick lineup,” Sowder said. “We’ve got a ton of confidence in Xavier (Fancher) and Zach, and they came in and made plays. I was really happy with how they responded.”
Did that work? Well, it did.
In order: Jackson’s bucket, Cole Johnson’s triple from the right wing, a free throw, Fancher’s bucket between two defenders, Sorgenfrei’s field goal, and Nathan Smith’s reverse layup.
The result: a 13-9 second quarter and Campbell County’s 31-22 halftime lead.
After Sorgenfrei’s runout layup gave the Camels a 36-24 lead a little more than two minutes into the third quarter, the Campbell County student section gleefully serenaded Scott with shouts of “Ballgame’s over.”
It wasn’t.
Saratkatsannis’ and-1 closed Campbell County’s lead to 62-57 with 1:52 to go in the game, and Griffin’s bucket made it 64-59 some 15 seconds later.
Enter Weinel – his bucket and four free throws led a 12-3 run the rest of way.
Campbell County and Scott advance to the 10th Region tournament beginning Wednesday at The Fieldhouse in Maysville.
CAMELS 76, EAGLES 65
SCOTT 13 9 12 31 – 65
CAMPBELL CO. 18 13 21 24 – 76
Scott (65) — Giffen 11, Saratkatsannis 15, Griffin 16, Evans 12, Lowe 10, Eten 1. 3-Pt. FG: 4 (Evans 2, Sarakatsannis, Lowe). FT: 13-18. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.
Campbell County (76) — Weinel 18, Smith 5, Johnson 8, Jackson 16, Fancher 3, Sorgenfrei 16, Franzen 10. 3-Pt. FG: 5 (Franzen 2, Weinel, Johnson, Fancher). FT: 17-24. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: Johnson.
All-tournament team
Scott: Dylan Giffen and Connor Griffin. Campbell County: Garyn Jackson and Nathan Smith. Most valuable player: Connor Weinel, Campbell County.