Final in the AIT semifinals. Ashland will play Butler for the championship tomorrow.

Boyd's second foul changed the game, plain and simple. He had been the most dominant force in the first half. His second foul came on attempting to wrench the ball away on an offensive rebound where he just obviously had no chance of getting the ball without fouling. I think his third foul came on a charge about 2-3 trips later down the floor, which.... you had to know was coming because they knew they needed to look to do that to take him out of the game. From that point on, Boyd could not be as aggressive on the offensive end and Ashland made it a point to go straight at him until he inevitably picked up his fourth foul. Three third quarter fouls for Boyd, and Central only scored seven in the quarter. They recovered to tie the game twice in the fourth, but could never get on top, and spent the rest of the night trying to climb the mountain. That's just not going to work against teams as good as Ashland.

 

Central has never advanced to the finals of the Ashland Invitational in their three trips. They've won third place in all their trips before, and will look to settle for that consolation tomorrow.

Boyd's second foul changed the game, plain and simple. He had been the most dominant force in the first half. His second foul came on attempting to wrench the ball away on an offensive rebound where he just obviously had no chance of getting the ball without fouling. I think his third foul came on a charge about 2-3 trips later down the floor, which.... you had to know was coming because they knew they needed to look to do that to take him out of the game. From that point on, Boyd could not be as aggressive on the offensive end and Ashland made it a point to go straight at him until he inevitably picked up his fourth foul. Three third quarter fouls for Boyd, and Central only scored seven in the quarter. They recovered to tie the game twice in the fourth, but could never get on top, and spent the rest of the night trying to climb the mountain. That's just not going to work against teams as good as Ashland.

 

Central has never advanced to the finals of the Ashland Invitational in their three trips. They've won third place in all their trips before, and will look to settle for that consolation tomorrow.

 

I really wish Boyd didnt get himself into foul trouble. It could have been a completely different game had he not picked up that second foul.

Dragon, where is Boyd going to college? Very impressive and talented player.

Ashland was unusually cold from the arc tonight. They normally knock down a bunch of those 3s. In the end they hit enough to pull them through. I suppose in a defensive struggle like this game the legs get a little fatigued, particularly in the second half.

 

That's of course part of Central's strategy, to wear teams down. So they can take credit for some of that aspect. But they got lucky that Ashland missed so many open looks, because they got entirely too many of them. Ashland was 8/34 from three. The one they hit to break the first tie in the fourth quarter, it was like scales balancing for missing so many of the others. I haven't a clue how that roll got the ball in.

 

I also wish Central had been a bit more patient and run their offense when they finally got the ball in a tie game with just more than a minute left. Lawrence shot that three quick. All the shooters on the team are given a green light to shoot threes, but he has been cold, and would not have been my choice for that shot. Boyd really should have gotten a touch on it. Ashland made them pay on the other end, and that really was that.

Dragon, where is Boyd going to college? Very impressive and talented player.

 

Crazily enough, I'm not even certain he holds any offers. I'm not certain what his college boards are, so perhaps there are those aspects. I really would think he's good enough to play D1, but I could see him going the JUCO route. A couple of Central's talented players recently have ended up on that path.