Basketball is often described as a ‘game of runs,’ or in this case, the game of ‘the run.’
A dominant 25-0 run spanning the end of the third quarter and into the fourth propelled Simon Kenton’s girls to a 56-27 victory over Walton-Verona, securing the top seed in the 32nd District Tournament.
“It’s always a tough and physical game with good crowds; it’s a rivalry game, a district game,” Walton-Verona head coach Rianna Gayheart said. “Obviously, we want to go out and compete, and I thought we did that pretty well for two and a half quarters. Then we got out of our game, and they took advantage really quickly. A good team is going to take advantage when you’re not doing the right thing, and that happened tonight.”
Shooting and defense—longstanding strengths of the Lady Pioneers—fueled their impressive surge.
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They connected on nine triples while holding Walton-Verona to single-digit scoring in every quarter.
“When we can get easy buckets and our defense holds the lead just goes up just like it did tonight,” Simon Kenton head coach Jeff Stowers said. “We knew at some point and time the run was going to come. Get stops, get stops, get stops and get the ball out and run.”
The point of focus was on the Bearcats Braylin Terrell, who finished the game as the team’s top scorer with 10 points.
“We tried to not let her get the lob,” Stowers said. “We made sure somebody was in help-side. We put (Meg) Gadzala on her, who’s our best defender and one of the best around, and I think she did a great job.”
Leading the charge was Anna Kelch, who tallied 23 points and sank five of the team’s nine 3-pointers.
“I had a lot of confidence,” Kelch said. “My shot has been off the last couple of games and just to hit one was important. I got in a groove and I knew they were cash.”
Alongside her, teammate Brynli Pernell had 15 points, including 10 during their big run, embodying the team’s unselfish style of play.
“We’re very unselfish,” Kelch said. “Whoever’s got the hot hand, they know to get the ball to and tonight that was me. We just have that chemistry. They know where I’m at and I know where they’re at.”
Fueled by three quick makes from long range by Kelch, the Lady Pioneers jumped out to a 16-5 lead after the first quarter. Despite their lowest-scoring quarter of just six points, they maintained a 22-12 advantage at halftime.
Walton-Verona’s defense found its rhythm, but it failed to carry over to the offensive end.
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“We really got in trouble turning the ball over,” Gayheart said. “Once they start getting a couple easy layups and kick out shots, those are going to fall a good percentage of the time. Being more disciplined on the offensive end is going to help us on the defensive end.”
Simon Kenton went on their 25-point run in the third and the game was quickly out of reach with the Lady Pioneers leading 43-21 at the end of the third quarter. They extended their advantage to 31 before the final buzzer.
Improving to 14-3 and 2-0 in district play, Simon Kenton is looking forward to the postseason but has a test ahead, facing Cooper in Independence on Thursday with a 7:30 tip-off.
The Bearcats drop to 12-7 and 1-1 in district play, with a district matchup against Grant County awaiting them Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Dry Ridge.
LADY PIONEERS 56, BEARCATS 27
SIMON KENTON — 16-6-21-13— 56
WALTON-VERONA — 5-7-9-6— 27
Scoring
SIMON KENTON (56) — Kelch 23, Pernell 15, Webb 8, Gadzala 7, Niece 3
WALTON-VERONA (27)— Terrell 10, Logue 7, Christy 4, Dryden 2, Fuller 2, Hargett 2
Game Stats
3-Pointers: Simon Kenton 9, Walton-Verona 2
Free Throws: Simon Kenton 11/11, Walton-Verona 3/4
Fouls: Simon Kenton 10, Walton-Verona 11
Records: Simon Kenton 14-3, Walton-Verona 12-7