Greenwood 72 Bowling Green 71

[DragonFire]

Aaron Brown splits a pair of free throws with 4 seconds remaining in the game to lift the Gators to a critical win in district play.  I think of the mantra in professional playoff series where they say the series doesn't begin until the road team wins.  In the round robin between Greenwood, Bowling Green, and Warren Central, the road team has yet to win.  Well, on the actual court they haven't - we still need to figure out just what happens with the Greenwood/Warren Central Covid cancellation, which I have a pretty good idea what Greenwood plans there....

It was a back and forth affair and a win Greenwood had to have.  Most significantly, both for this game and moving forward, it was a win they got without the services of superstar Cade Stinnett, who missed most of the night after coming up limping on a non-contact injury, and spending the second half on the bench in a walking boot.  His team went to celebrate with him immediately after the game went final, and assisted him over to celebrate with the fans in the stands.  At least for tonight, it did not look good.  His health moving forward will be one of the more impactful storylines in the district and region.  The result denied Bowling Green a chance to win the district pretty much outright - they'd have had to lose to South Warren or Warren East not to have it all wrapped up, and that is not likely to happen.  Without a strange result, the only way Bowling Green gets the 1 seed now is if Greenwood and Warren Central ultimately split and the Purples win the blind draw, OR, if one of the other results take a strange turn.  They cannot win a two-way tiebreak with Greenwood, as the Gators hold the tiebreaker in the district (the EXTREMELY stupid "winner of the second game" wins a two way tiebreaker - be better 14th District).  The Purples can win one with Warren Central.  They have not yet updated the schedule online, but the Warren Central/Warren East Covid game is due to be made up the first week of February, so that result will be wiped off - actually a good thing for Bowling Green at this point.

Turner Buttry poured in 33 tonight as he tried to will his team to a win.  I got to watch just a little bit of the game, but he was hitting shots from the volleyball line, that's how far out he was drilling threes.  Bowling Green did have a look for the win late, as Wardlow drove into the lane and put up a floater, but the bank was not open on that one.  For Greenwood, this snapped a seven game losing streak to Bowling Green, and was their second win in the last 25 meetings (and third in last 35).  They haven't beaten Bowling Green anywhere other than at Greenwood since 2009.

[DragonFire]

Listening to Will McCoy's postgame comments on Cade - he said specifically it wasn't good.  They think not season-ending, but that he will miss time.  It doesn't sound positive for his chances of playing in a big game with Warren Central next Friday.

[Purple88]

On 1/21/2022 at 11:13 PM, DragonFire said:

Listening to Will McCoy's postgame comments on Cade - he said specifically it wasn't good.  They think not season-ending, but that he will miss time.  It doesn't sound positive for his chances of playing in a big game with Warren Central next Friday.

I hate to hear that for Stinnett.  He is a very fine player.  Yes, I'd like BG to win it, but not by kids being hurt.

It's unfortunate, but part of the game too.  Thanks for the perspective!