4th Region Week 9 Review

[DragonFire]

1) Bowling Green (16-2) - 3/2 65-54 W at #3 Allen County-Scottsville, 3/3 76-56 W Owensboro, 3/5 56-39 W North Oldham, 3/6 57-47 W Paducah Tilghman    
Previous Rank: 1    
This Week: 3/8 vs. #12 Warren East, 3/9 at #4 Franklin-Simpson    
    
2) Warren Central (7-5) - 3/2 82-41 W Christian County, 3/5 64-42 W LaRue County    
Previous Rank: 2    
This Week: 3/9 at Adair County, 3/11 vs. Muhlenberg County    
    
3) Clinton County (18-3) - 3/2 58-48 W at #11 Glasgow, 3/5 44-42 W Evangel Christian (at EKU), 3/6 57-74 L St. Henry (at EKU)    
Previous Rank: 4    
This Week: 3/9 vs. Somerset Christian, 3/11 at Pulaski County    
    
4) Franklin-Simpson (12-2) - 3/1 52-43 W #15 Logan County, 3/4 60-48 W #17 Todd County Central, 3/5 65-57 W #16 Monroe County    
Previous Rank: 6    
This Week: 3/9 vs. #1 Bowling Green    
    
5) Barren County (17-7) - 3/2 61-47 W #14 Cumberland County, 3/5 67-24 W at Caverna, 3/6 45-71 L at Madison Central    
Previous Rank: 7    
This Week: 3/9 at Grayson County    
    
6) South Warren (13-5) - 3/1 56-39 W Daviess County, 3/2 49-38 W at #15 Logan County, 3/3 54-44 W at #12 Warren East    
Previous Rank: 8    
This Week: 3/8 vs. #10 Russell County, 3/9 vs. #7 Metcalfe County, 3/11 at Ohio County    
    
7) Metcalfe County (15-7) - 3/2 69-64 W #5 Greenwood, 3/5 84-46 W #3 Allen County-Scottsville, 3/6 75-67 W #11 Glasgow    
Previous Rank: 10    
This Week: 3/9 at #6 South Warren, 3/11 at Campbellsville    
    
8. Allen County-Scottsville (12-6) - 3/2 54-65 L #1 Bowling Green, 3/5 46-84 L at #10 Metcalfe County    
Previous Rank: 3    
This Week: 3/9 at #9 Greenwood, 3/11 at #14 Cumberland County    
    
9) Greenwood (13-10) - 3/1 54-42 W at Western Kentucky Trailblazers, 3/2 64-69 L at #10 Metcalfe County, 3/5 75-62 W at Owensboro Catholic, 3/6 58-56 W Ohio County    
Previous Rank: 5    
This Week: 3/9 vs. #8 Allen County-Scottsville, 3/12 at University Heights    
    
10) Russell County (12-12) - 3/2 62-44 W #16 Monroe County, 3/5 57-61 L at Wayne County, 3/6 73-48 W Jackson County (at South Laurel)    
Previous Rank: 9    
This Week: 3/8 at #6 South Warren, 3/11 vs. #11 Glasgow    
    
11) Glasgow (9-13) - 3/2 48-58 L #4 Clinton County, 3/5 50-71 L at Hart County, 3/6 67-75 L at #10 Metcalfe County    
Previous Rank: 11    
This Week: 3/11 at #10 Russell County    
    
12) Warren East (4-7) - 3/1 80-41 W Foundation Christian Academy, 3/3 44-54 L #8 South Warren, 3/6 59-65 L Campbellsville    
Previous Rank: 12    
This Week: 3/8 at #1 Bowling Green, 3/12 at #14 Cumberland County    
    
13) Russellville (8-8) - 3/2 36-78 L Muhlenberg County, 3/5 53-42 W at #15 Logan County, 3/6 63-49 W Edmonson County    
Previous Rank: 13    
This Week: 3/9 vs. Hart County, 3/11 at Owensboro Apollo    
    
14) Cumberland County (5-17) - 3/1 58-77 L Wayne County, 3/2 47-61 L at #7 Barren County, 3/4 50-49 W Caverna, 3/5 41-50 L Adair County    
Previous Rank: 14    
This Week: 3/9 vs. Green County, 3/11 vs. #8 Allen County-Scottsville, 3/12 vs. #12 Warren East    
    
15) Logan County (4-11) - 3/1 43-52 L at #6 Franklin-Simpson, 3/2 38-49 L #8 South Warren, 3/5 42-53 L #13 Russellville    
Previous Rank: 15    
This Week: 3/1 at #6 Franklin-Simpson, 3/2 vs. #8 South Warren, 3/5 vs. #13 Russellville, 3/6 at #3 Allen County-Scottsville    
    
16) Monroe County (3-18) - 3/2 44-62 L at #9 Russell County, 3/5 57-65 L at #6 Franklin-Simpson, 3/6 38-75 L at LaRue County    
Previous Rank: 16    
This Week: 3/8 vs. Adair County    
    
17) Todd County Central (5-11) - 3/4 48-60 L at #6 Franklin-Simpson, 3/5 75-50 W at Foundation Christian Academy    
Previous Rank: 17    
This Week: 3/9 vs. Foundation Christian Academy, 3/10 vs. #15 Logan County   

Notes:

-Easily the result that I found most head-scratching this week was Metcalfe County absolutely devastating Allen County-Scottsville. The Patriots were coming off a solid performance against top-ranked (albeit shorthanded) Bowling Green, and really, they've been consistently very good all year long. Metcalfe County just dragged them, knocking down 10/27 from three en route to an 84-46 victory.  When the Patriots lost to Warren Central by a large margin earlier in the year, Mason Shirley was not playing, but they had no such explanation in this case, as Shirley finished with 10 points.  I would rank it as one of the 2-3 oddest results in the region this year (alongside Russell County upsetting Clinton County and Warren East dealing Franklin-Simpson one of their two losses).  

-It was overshadowed by the seismic shift that was that win over AC/S, but Metcalfe County had a pretty big win over Greenwood as well, knocking the 14th District team off 69-64 three days prior.  That snapped a seven game losing streak in the series for Metcalfe County, which hadn't beaten the Gators since their legendary 30 foot buzzer beater in the 2006 4th Region Semifinals that sent them to the region title game.  It was Metcalfe's first home win over Greenwood in 23 years.  Their matchup with Russell County in the 16th District tournament just over a week from now is likely the best district semifinal to watch.

-Clinton County made a fantastic run to the All "A" championship game, knocking off Owensboro Catholic, Murray, and Evangel Christian before bowing out 74-57 against BGP Top Ten team St. Henry.  The Bulldogs have established themselves by now as a bona fide dark horse candidate for the 4th Region title, and they were very game against an outstanding St. Henry squad.  That 17 point loss marks the only one of their three losses to come by more than TWO points, and it is the first game they allowed more than 61.  Their defense will carry them to at least the region tournament.  

-Franklin-Simpson carries a seven game win streak and a sparkling 12-2 record into their toughest test of the year, hosting #1 Bowling Green.  The Wildcats finished a perfect 6-0 in district play, climbing back to the top seed in the 13th District after a few years away.  They'll hope to use this game against Bowling Green as a measuring stick, to find out just how serious a threat they are in the region tournament.  They've lost 13 in a row to Bowling Green, though they're the fourth most recent team in the region to defeat the Purples (after Warren Central, Greenwood, and Barren County).  That win was twelve years ago.

-Other than that game, there are a couple of last minute games to watch that could impact the final rankings.  #6 South Warren hosts both #10 Russell County and #7 Metcalfe County this week, while both #8 Allen County-Scottsville and #9 Greenowod will be looking to use their matchup in Scottsville to wipe away the pain of last week and gain momentum going into the postseason.