Final per the update thread. 

Wow.....13th region officials called very few fouls in the first six Region 8 tournament games....they made it up for it today in a very physical championship.

SK shot 35 free throws; Grant shot 24.     Long game as a result.

Three Grant players fouled out (Naranjo, Cummins, and Scroggins).    Naranjo and Cummins spent most of the first half on the bench; I was really impressed by how Grant - with three subs tasked with keeping Grant close - did exactly that with their top two scorers out most of the first half.    Caroline Barnes came through big for GC , with six second quarter points.    The sophomore substitute finished #2 on the team in scoring with 12.

GC PG Rowe finished the game with four fouls...

SK also piled up the fouls, but the Lady Pioneers played more players and nobody fouled out.

SK defense was very effective; although Grant did much better in the second half, they had 12 turnovers, unofficially, in the first half.

Brynli Pernell (SK) led all scorers with 20 points.   She averaged a team-high 15.3 ppg for the tournament, and was brilliant leading the offense, shooting, and on the defensive end.   SK 5'10" freshman Ella Kelch had her third consecutive double-digit game in the tournament, scoring 10 points and grabbing 9 boards (after tallying 13 against Owen County and 18 against South Oldham in the SF).   Emilee Eggleston had 12 and Haylie Webb scored 11 as SK finished with four players in double figures.   

Webb was strong inside once again for SK.   The 5'9" freshman averaged 11 ppg for the tournament, and 6.3 rebounds and was named the MVP of the tournament.     Though a bit of a surprise to some observers - not because Webb wasn't deserving, she certainly was - but simply in light of Pernell's brilliance on the court - Webb was undeniably one of the most consistent performers of any player in the tournament, and her mobility repeatedly posed problems for opponents' post players.    I was extremely impressed by this young lady's performances.

Webb (MVP), Pernell, Gadzala, and Kelch made the all-tourney team for SK.    Rowe, Naranjo, and Russell made it for Grant County.

Grant County had won two straight over the Lady Pioneers this year and 4 of the last 5 meetings.   SK not only broke that mini-streak, they served notice to the rest of the 8th Region.   The Lady Pioneers start 3 freshmen and one 8th-grader, and they have a deep bench that includes four underclassmen - including a 7th grader.    This group will be around for a LOOONG time.

Emily Naranjo of GC was gallant in defeat, scoring a team-high 15 points and grabbing a team-high 7 rebounds, despite collecting three fouls in the first half, and sitting much of the game.   She fouled out with 3:44 left in the game.

GC's Jada Cummins, also on the bench an extended period due to fouls, was held without a field goal and finished well below her team-best scoring average of 12.4 ppg.   The talented sophomore fouled out with 1:30 to play with 5 points and 6 boards.

Besides Naranjo (15 points) and Barnes (11 points), Sarah Russell finished with an impressive 11 points - well above her average of 5.4 - and 6 rebounds.   Dakota Rowe finished with 9. 

In the end, both teams shot similar percentages, but SK was 27 of 35 at the line (77%), while Grant finished 14 of 24 (58.3%) at the stripe.    The 13 point differential was essentially the difference in the game.

Kudos to both teams; SK wins its 6th Region 8 title in 18 seasons (the Lady Pioneers appeared in the title game for the 12th time in 18 years).    Grant County must wait at least one more year to claim its first region title, but the Lady Braves had a superb year, winning their first District title since 2000 and posting the most victories for a Grant team (20) since 2000.

Grant County finishes 20-11; SK improves to 19-14.

 

 

 

? Congratulations Lady Pioneers! ?  

@Proudgrandpa

SK´s speed gave them fits.