Who:   30th district runner-up Spencer County (16-5) vs. 31st district champ Owen County (16-9)

What:  8th Region semi-finals

Where:  North Oldham HS, Goshen, KY

When:  Monday, March 29th

Broadcast:  Free live video coverage begins at 5:30 pm ET on www.pegasussportsky.com

Spencer County was 0-5 in the 8th Region tournament since 2000; they got their first win this century by topping last year's region runner-up, South Oldham, in a come-from-behind win in round 1.   Of the four semi-finalists (Spencer/Owen/Walton-Verona/Anderson Co), the Bears average the fewest points (51.3 ppg), and they are the poorest shooting tea (39.9% from the floor), but the Lady Bears have won 5 of their last 6 games and their only two losses to a region 8 team this year came against Anderson County.   Spencer defeated Owen County on 2/6/21, 53-44, in Owenton, behind 21 points from Lexi Runion.

Owen County was 14-3 against 8th Region teams this year, but their three losses came against each of the other three semi-finalists.   Playing in their fifth consecutive Region 8 tourney, Owen has reached the semi-finals in 4 of the last 6 tournaments.   

Neither Spencer County or Owen County has ever won the 8th Region tournament.

This is a matchup featuring tradition (Owen County) vs "young blood" (Spencer County).

It seems that Owen County is always in the semi-finals; the Lady Rebels have had a number of fine teams over the decades, and one of the big reasons why is the stability in the coaching ranks.   Delmas Castle was one of the longest-tenured coaches in the 8th region, and he turned the program over to his assistant, the late Bob Osborne.   Osborne held the reins for a long, long time, before surrendering the reins to former assistant Amy Wesselman.

Those three coaches have given Owen decades of consistency, stability, and success.

The Spencer program is more of a recent addition to the upper tier of the 8th Region.   But the Lady Bears are starting to make a name for themselves, and Spencer has won 88 games over the past 5 seasons, an average of about 19 wins a season.    This year's 16-5 team has just 2 seniors on the roster, and the leading scorer is a sophomore, so the future ahead holds continued promise for the Lady Bears.

On air with the pregame show

www.pegasussportsky.com  (Free live video coverage)

I'll post updates as I can....

end of one

Owen County 10 Spencer County 4

HALF

Spencer County 14

Owen County 13

end of three

Spencer County 23

Owen County 19

Spencer on a 4-0 run to end the quarter and break the tie

0.6 seconds left

Spencer 32-28

Bears at the line for 2 shots 

FINAL

Spencer County 32

Owen County 28