Who:   North Oldham Lady Mustangs (17-13) vs. South Oldham Lady Dragons (27-8)

What:  29th District Championship

Where:   North Oldham HS, Goshen, KY

When:  Friday 2/24/23   6 pm tip 

Broadcast Coverage:  FREE, live, hi-def video coverage starts at 5:30 pm on www.pegasussportsky.com   (broadcast will also be archived indefinitely on the website.)

NORTH OLDHAM has achieved some key "firsts" since Mac McIntosh took over as head coach last year.    Although NOHS opened in the 2003-4 season, the Lady Mustangs had never won a post-season tournament game or played in a region tournament.

Last year's squad earned the #1 district seed, gaining a bye in the district tournament that propelled them to their first-ever Region 8 tournament berth.    But they lost in both the district finals (to South Oldham) and in the Region 8 tournament first round.

This year's squad set a new "first"; Tuesday's 51-47 win over Oldham County in the first round of the District 29 tournament was the school's first-ever post-season win (NOHS is now 1-20 in district tournament play, and 0-1 in the region).    McIntosh is hoping his squad can now gain its first-ever district title, and then its first-ever Region tournament win.

Impressively, North won Tuesday with both of its two leading scorers - Gracie Sipes and Liz Boyd, who both average over 13 ppg - combining for just 5 points.   Katelyn Vize had a dominant game, recording a double-double, to lead the way.   Katie Smith had 13 in the first half to spark the Lady Mustangs early, and from there, it was all Vize.

Vize had an incredible game the last time North met South, scoring 29 points and grabbing 18 rebounds in a 4-point loss to the Dragons on 1/27/23.

SOUTH OLDHAM, the top seed in the 29th, is no stranger to the district title game.   "If you want to win the 29th, you have to go through Crestwood" has been the mantra in the district for basically the last 15 years.   Gene Heffington's 2022-3 version of the Lady Dragons has a potent offense, and is particularly adept at getting out and running in transition. 

South is on a 6-game winning streak, which started on 1/27/23 against - North Oldham.   Freshman sensation Maddie Young had 26 points to lead South to that win, and Ella Morrison added 16.   One or the other has led South in each of those six games, with Morrison scoring in double digits in five of the six contests - including a 34 point monster outing at Carroll County on 2/10, when she hit 12 of 20 shots, including 3 of 7 beyond the arc.

Morrison averages just under 20 points a game; Young checks in at 15.9 ppg / team-high 7.0 rebounds.   The scary thing about South is their youth; there are four seniors on the team, but none start.   Morrison is a junior; Young is a freshman.   Morrison is a 4-year varsity starter with a year to go; Young saw substantial varsity minutes last year as an 8th grader.   The rest of the starting five includes two juniors and an 8th grade point guard, Gracie Turner.  

On air tonight beginning at 5:30 pm ET.   Former Mercer County / South Oldham / Ballard coach Frank Wright joins me on the broadcast at www.pegasussportsky.com.   Free, live, hi-def video coverage.

CM