Final from two of the better teams in the 8th region.

Great HS basketball, had the feeling of a regional final, packed house. 3 point shooting clinic by both teams. A game either team could have won.

Luke Morrison had 43 points for South Oldham.

Packed house... great energy, amazing shooting, down to the wire! this is what high school basketball is all about!

Without a doubt, the most exciting game I've seen this year, featuring good shooting from both teams, a Herculean effort for Luke Morrison in a loss (I'll say it again, this kid has to be one of the top 3 candidates currently for player of the year in the 8th), and a tremendous resilience from both - Oldham fighting the battle despite foul issues and South continuously battling back from deficits.

 

Oldham took the lead for good at 22-20 when Christian Harper tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer to end the first period. The lead stretched to 11 at 41-30 at the half.

 

South scored the first 6 points of the third period, but Oldham rebounded to take their largest lead at 13 late in the period. The Colonels would settle for another 11 point lead at the end of three.

 

South would eventually pull within a single point - and had the ball - but couldn't get over the hump as Oldham bent, but didn't break. And in the fourth, with South forced to foul, the Colonels hit their free throws consistently to stave off the Dragons.

 

Still, a missed FT by Oldham with 5.5 seconds left gave South a chance to tie, trailing 83-80. But although the Dragons got off a decent look off the left wing, Oldham did a great job of denying the ball from the best three-point shooters (such as Luke Morrison, who made SEVEN), and the Colonels escaped with the win.

 

Cole Mesker had 21 and Matthew Teague 20 to lead Oldham; Morrison had 43 for South, but the Colonels did a real good job of shutting down the Dragons' second-leading scorer, Seth Johnson.

 

Oldham moves to 2-0 in district play; the Colonels play their final district seeding game at North Oldham next Friday, and can clinch the #1 seed with a win. (NOTE: Oldham has won 8 straight 29th district titles, a streak second in KY only to Madisonville North-Hopkins' 9 straight district titles)

 

The Dragons fall to 1-1 in district seeding play; they play North Oldham on 1/25. They still have a shot at the #1 seed if North upsets Oldham and South defeats North, forcing a three-way tie for first and invoking the tiebreaker.

 

Congrats to both teams on a GREAT GAME!

 

CM