WHO: North Oldham vs. St. X

WHERE:   Louisville, KY at St. Xavier HS

WHEN:  Friday 2/18/22

COVERAGE:  Free live hi-def video coverage begins at 7 pm ET on www.pegasussportsky.com

I'll post updates as I can.

CM

North has been a real mystery to me all season, I'm aware they 've had a lot of injuries.  I've thought all year they would get it together and win the 8th.  After I watched Collins beat them this week I'm even more confused.  We'll see in a couple weeks how this plays out.

I'll go with St. X by a few in this game.

1 hour ago, 4 Quarters said:

North has been a real mystery to me all season, I'm aware they 've had a lot of injuries.  I've thought all year they would get it together and win the 8th.  After I watched Collins beat them this week I'm even more confused.  We'll see in a couple weeks how this plays out.

I'll go with St. X by a few in this game.

Interesting score.    Collins is a tough place to play....interesting that North only shot three free throws all night, but I wasn't there.    Saw a team shoot just one free throw in a game the other night ....seems like a lot of games where the officials just aren't putting kids at the line this year as in the past.   

Mustangs are very capable of winning the 8th....but I truly believe that every team in the 8th has warts this year.    Someone has to overcome their warts over a three game stretch in New Castle - or hide them so they don't cause so much harm - in order to take the crown.    But this very well could be one of the most wide-open region 8 tournaments in a while in the sense that, on any given night, most of the teams in the tournament - if not all of them - will have a chance at a victory.    Who can make it three in a row is the question...

St. X will be a formidable opponent tonight.   Looking forward to calling the game.

CM

Wish I could go to game but unfortunately working tonight. I'll tune into broadcast though.

1 hour ago, ColonelMike said:

Saw a team shoot just one free throw in a game the other night ....seems like a lot of games where the officials just aren't putting kids at the line this year as in the past.   

hey, I saw that game too.  heh.  In that case, the free throw disparity is easily explained:  the team that was more aggressive, often playing man to man, shot 23 free throws, and the team that often played a zone shot 1 free throw.  Err, wait, maybe it doesn't make sense in hindsight. Agree with your overall point - I heard Bilas the other day just ranting about college officials, and their hesitancy to call fouls, and how it's really mucking up the college game. Same is true for the high school game.  I try not to cast any stones, it's a difficult job and parents I know can be unmerciful.  But if a kid gets to the rim, and goes to the ground, that's probably a foul, and yet often it's not called.  I don't know what has led to this mindset....

As for North v St X, we've played both.  We led St X for most of that game, and were up 5 fairly late in the 4th if I recall right, and they pulled it out. Had one kid (#2 Williams) who hit several clutch threes, and from deep, and that made the difference.  The North game, meanwhile, wasn't particularly close after say midway through the 3rd.  Based only on those 2 contests, I'd say North wins by between 5 and 10.  But, it's at X....and more than that, as you guys are saying, North has an unpredictable element this year.  It may be as simple as they show up for the perceived tough games and not for others, and that explains some of the head-scratching losses.  Net of all that, if you put a gun to my head, I'd say X by 3.....

2 hours ago, ColonelMike said:

Interesting score.    Collins is a tough place to play....interesting that North only shot three free throws all night, but I wasn't there.    Saw a team shoot just one free throw in a game the other night ....seems like a lot of games where the officials just aren't putting kids at the line this year as in the past.   

Mustangs are very capable of winning the 8th....but I truly believe that every team in the 8th has warts this year.    Someone has to overcome their warts over a three game stretch in New Castle - or hide them so they don't cause so much harm - in order to take the crown.    But this very well could be one of the most wide-open region 8 tournaments in a while in the sense that, on any given night, most of the teams in the tournament - if not all of them - will have a chance at a victory.    Who can make it three in a row is the question...

St. X will be a formidable opponent tonight.   Looking forward to calling the game.

CM

Yes, the 8th region tourney will be very entertaining this year.  Woodford, Oldham, N. Oldham, and Collins are all legit contenders, with a lot of pretenders very close behind.  It should be a good time at a packed ROY this year.

St. X Nelson Williams who is good 3 point shooter has been out last few games with injury. I don't know if his status has changed or not.

End of one quarter

St. X 17

North Oldham 15

6:29 to play till half

X on a run, leading 25-15

TIMEOUT

North had four reserves on the court to start the second and St. X took advantage with an 8-0 run.

Nelson Williams with two threes in that spurt for X

HALF

St. X 40

North Oldham 33

 

end of three

St. X pulling away

St. X 63

North Oldham 55

 

5:47 to play

St. X 69

North Oldham 51

North's Ian Higdon having a great game, with 18 points and 9 rebounds

St. X shooting lights out from beyond the arc.

FINAL

St. X 84

North Oldham 72

Ian Higdon leads North with 22 points / 10 rebounds

Mekhi Smith leads X with 26 points