CAL's Lady Centurions' last-minute charge allowed Allison Karst the opportunity to shoot a 3-pointer from the corner for the tie in the closing seconds, but the top-ranked Marion County Lady Knights rode off with the victory, in large part due to the impressive play of Makayla Epps with 22 points.

 

If time allows, I'll post stats and summary later, unless someone else beats me to it .

I knew this would be a good one!

Marion County 54 CAL 51

 

Playing their third game in three days, the Lady Centurions came up just one shot short of forcing overtime against the #1 ranked Lady Knights of Marion County. As Coach Don Rice stated after the game, “Win or lose, it helped us. This game told us exactly where we are. We did well. We're right there in the mix (with the state's top teams).”

 

CAL arrived at tournament host Mercy’s Raatz Fence Classic riding a six-game winning streak and an overall record of 15-3 (primarily against ranked teams), but Marion County has yet to lose to an in-state opponent. In the 1st quarter, the teams traded baskets as they adapted to one another's defensive strategy. The Lady Knights’ quickness rose to the forefront in the 2nd quarter as they scored repeatedly in transition, led by Makayla Epps, daughter of former University of Kentucky player Anthony Epps. Hitting only 1 of 7 three-point shots in the opening half, CAL trailed at halftime 23-16.

 

A game of scoring spurts, the Lady Centurions continued to chip away at the Lady Knights’ lead in the 3rd quarter as Antonita Slaughter found more room to maneuver from long and short range. When Marion County’s defense double-teamed Slaughter, Emily Walden drove the left side of the lane for a lay-up or to pass the ball to an open shooter. However, Marion County had answers in Epps and teammate Bre Elder whose 11 rebounds allowed the Lady Knights to keep the ball out of CAL’s hands and to maintain a five-point margin at the end of the 3rd quarter.

 

When CAL starter China Dow fouled out and the Lady Knights raced to a 12-point lead at 48-36 midway through the 4th quarter behind the dribble-driving Epps, Coach Rice challenged the Lady Centurions to battle to the end. Freshman Casey Marshall’s basket off an interior pass triggered the CAL comeback, followed by a Walden lay-up, and a Kate Joss basket after a turnover, trimming the deficit to 48-42. From that point, seniors Slaughter and Allison Karst led the way, supported by the defensive efforts of Marshall, Walden, and Joss. Although Epps hit essential free throws for her team, Slaughter’s turnaround jumper in the lane limited the margin to six points at 50-44. After another Marion County free throw, Karst finally broke through, scoring two field goals in succession as the press caused a Lady Knight turnover, making it a one-possession game at 51-48. Epps continue to show her composure at the charity stripe, but Slaughter sliced the lead to two at 53-51 with a 3-pointer at the 00:16 mark. A final Epps free throw at 00:14 gave CAL the possession and the chance to tie the score. Two 3-point attempts by Karst just missed the mark to award Marion County the win.

 

Sideline notes

--The Lady Centurions may not have gained the victory, but they should gain confidence from the team comeback against the #1 squad in the state. With seven players scoring and everyone contributing defensively, they responded when many may have thought the game out of reach.

--CAL is “in the mix” even without a key component, forward Anna Hart who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the January 16 game at Lexington Catholic and will have surgery in early February. However, she revealed her positive spirit by stating, “I’ll find a way to get through this and those girls (her teammates) are gonna be a huge part of it” as she cheers from the sidelines.

--Marion County deserves its ranking and earned the victory. They could be vulnerable if they continue to produce no offensive points off the bench, especially if Epps, Elder, or Goodin-Rogers get in foul trouble (easier said than done, of course). Obviously, the talented trio creates difficult defensive match-ups for any opponent.

--Key stat: The rebounding and related 2nd-chance points belonged to the Lady Knights by a 7-1 margin.

 

Game scoring by quarter

CAL 9 7 14 21 51

Marion Co. 10 13 12 19 54

 

Player statistics

CAL: Antonita Slaughter (18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals), Allison Karst (8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 steals), Casey Marshall (8 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals), China Dow (7 points, 5 rebounds), Emily Walden (6 points, 5 rebounds), Paige Gardner (2 points, 3 rebounds), Kate Joss (2 points)

Marion County: Makayla Epps (22 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists), Bre Elder (16 points, 11 rebounds), Kyvin Goodin-Rogers (6 points, 6 rebounds), Brooke Roberts (6 points, 3 rebounds), Andrea King (4 points, 4 rebounds)

 

Team statistics

CAL: Total FG 41.7% (20/48); 3-pt. FG 21.4% (3/14); FT 53.3% (8/15); 31 rebounds; 16 turnovers

Marion County: Total FG 35.8% (19/53); 3-pt. FG 30.8% (4/13); FT 52.2% (12/23); 41 rebounds; 16 turnovers

Nice update. Sounds like Marion is the real deal. Are they the toughest Kentucky team you have faced this season and are they overly dependent on Epps?

Nice update. Sounds like Marion is the real deal. Are they the toughest Kentucky team you have faced this season and are they overly dependent on Epps?

 

They are certainly among the toughest. Manual's depth puts them up there as well, especially with April Wilson back, and so many scorers.

 

For ball handling and clutch situations, I would say they do rely too much on Epps...even more impressive due to her young age. However, Goodin-Rogers and Elder know how to score, so the Lady Knights are far from one dimensional. It might be a waste of time to focus on getting Epps in foul trouble. However, she does like to go to the right on her shots, so forcing her to go left may slow her scoring. Of course, that means you need players quick enough on defense to direct the path.