rerun

I have only seen Preston Hoskins a couple times so I'm not the best source but it seems he will definitely make a nice addition to the Tomcats. Should be a fun region.

Boyd County is a much better team than the one that showed up for this one. They have been an excellent three point shooting team this year, those shots were just not there, credit Ashland's defense. However, at some point in time you need to start taking the ball to the basket. This leads to points and/or fouls. For the most part, they didn't. This led to frustration which led to losing their focus. You could see it in their body language, especially in the second half. Down the stretch they would shoot the three, miss, and then commit a "frustration" foul. The frustration and loss of concentration was also evident on the boards and on the 50/50 balls, where Ashland dominated. Credit coach Bonner, in the district final the Tomcats went 4/23 from long range, in his pre-game interview he said he thought they had an advantage off the dribble. The game plan was to take the ball to the basket, it worked, and when they did shoot from long range they were open shots which yielded a higher success rate.

Congrats to the Lady Devils!

True words.

Intense defense for both teams. I'm going to watch this one again but it seemed like Ashland had the most success when they played an extended zone. I may be mistaken but their comeback and eventual lead ran concurrently with their longest stretch of zone. Water under the bridge at this point but if one of these two teams wins the 16th (as expected) their defense could allow them to pull an upset or two at Rupp. I don't have the stats but Ashland's mid and long range shooting was uncharacteristically bad. A lot of that can be attributed to Boyd's defense but they did miss a lot of open shots (and so did Boyd). Both teams left a lot on the table, should be a fun time in Morehead, especially with Fleming and a few others with plenty enough talent and coaching to play the spoiler role.

I believe both teams were playing without their best player. Woods was dressed with a knee brace so I assume she'll be back soon. Not sure about the young lady from GRC. Hopefully both return going into the post season.

Not that it matters but I remember them being down at halftime so I checked on Mytowntv and the score was Ashland 29 DCA 13 at the half. The final was 60-37. Ashland did not have a good shooting night but had a nice defensive performance. I'm sure with the addition to the roster DCA is a formidable team and has good things to come.

Danville Christian? Ranked by all outlets? I saw them play in the AIT and they were treated roughly. I thought maybe some quality wins later in the season but after a quick look at their schedule their best win may have been against Morgan County (in the AIT)?? As always, I may be wrong....

Tough assignment to rank the top three. I believe Boyd has been a hair more consistent than the other two but I also believe Ashland may have the highest ceiling...and yet...Fleming has beaten both of them. Based on what has happened lately I believe you're correct for the current week. But...I can't get past the past so I still believe the regional champion hails from the 64th district. Hard to remember when but I believe we have to go back to the Elliot County days to buck the current trend...

Just watched the game on Mytown. I expected Crossing to shoot a high percentage in the paint but their performance at long range was exceptional. Just looking at the game stats I would've figured an embarrassing loss for the Tomcats. Ashland stepped up their game and although after the first quarter the outcome was never in doubt, it was still a fun game to watch.

I feel you but late January and early February losses to Montgomery and Rowan keep me from going all in. It's easy to get motivated for Ashland and Boyd. I take nothing away from Fleming, but catching a favorite off guard at home on a weeknight is not the same as being at the top of the region and taking everyone's best shot every game. But hey, "to be the man you have to beat the man", and they did. Now let's see if they can do it in Morehead where they will take no one by surprise...and... with all the chatter going on about them they will have to shoulder a lot more pressure. I think it's at least a four horse race....

Moral victories are not sweet but at the same time this loss should translate to a confidence boost heading into March for Rowan County. The Vikings are a quality team. The Tomcats had their second February overtime game and they stepped up in this one. Ashland's next game at Lawrence County is going to be a tough out and then follow that the next day with Great Crossing. Hoping for a win on Friday and one of those "moral" victories on Saturday, we'll see.

Go-o-o-o-llee!! Buddy is flexing his Panther muscle as of late. Taking down the region favorites in two consecutive weeks is impressive. With Rowan pushing Ashland to overtime it seems we can throw the idea of a two horse race out the window. Let's see if this is for real or if it has just snapped the two giants from their late season slumber. Fun times!

Nice win for the Musketeers. On any given night Greenup can make noise within the region. They will be a tough draw come tournament time. And if you don't know already, Russell's young talent pool will translate to a regional contender and maybe even a favorite within a short period of time. Great kids and one of my favorite coaching families will make for many wins down the road.

Surprise! Surprise! Buddy must've done his homework. Tough one for the Tomcats at this point in the season. Consistency has been an issue. Hard to believe at this point that they can string together enough good shooting nights to win the region. Hope I'm wrong.

Zander Carter was the difference. I believe he finished with 35. After being down at the half he took matters into his own hands. GW had no answer.

"Nip it in the bud"....that's all you have to do....no one ever did. Now this.

Ashland didn't have a good shooting performance in the second half and they couldn't buy a free throw. In the end the better team won. Good luck down the stretch to both teams.

Ashland has no answer for Miller. To stay in the game Ashland has to shoot lights out in the second half and be more aggressive with Miller. I don't claim to be a basketball strategist but slowing him down may begin with fouling earlier and sending him to the line more often.

If Ashland plays a complete game on defense and has a great shooting performance they can keep it respectable but unfortunately I don't see them winning. The short turnaround and the bus ride may initially impact the Colonels but with the blowout last night they should have plenty left in the tank to take care of the Tomcats. But...bigger upsets have happened which is why you play the game.

Winning ugly is still better than losing. Grinding it out when things aren’t going your way and finding a way to win is a good thing.

I do agree that Ashland is the one, at least for now, as we awkwardly debated (my fault) last week. In the end I think Boyd wins the region but at this point in time they are just a tick behind the Tomcats...but... as sure as the wind switches direction that tick can shift the other way. And as Reno said, Morgan County is definitely capable of beating Ashland or Boyd on any given night. The recent loss to Danville Christian keeps them, in my mind, out of the top two spots.

Nice tournament win for the Tomcats. Not their best shooting performance...but.... as was stated in the post, their defense was top notch.

Maybe I'm mistaken you for another Russell advocate who has openly expressed their "disdain" for anything Ashland. If that's the case then my "disdain" comment was misplaced. And I don't think you denied them anything, this is just a simple message board with opinions, I doubt we make locker room fodder for either team. I do appreciate the time you take in preparing this weekly review.

Boyd County lost two games to two mountain teams in which they were clear favorites. Ashland lost two games to quality northern Kentucky teams and managed a win against a good Louisville team. Giving Boyd the "benefit of the doubt" is hilarious, especially considering Ashland blew out the team that blew out Boyd County. Boyd County was and still is my pick to win the region, but they should not be the "one" right now. I guess how you perform during the "week" has no bearing on "weekly" rankings. Hey, Devil, I appreciate the work you put into this but don't let your disdain for the Tomcats keep you from being objective. Yes, I believe Boyd will end up on top but they are a struggling group right now and clearly not the top team in the 16th at this point in time. Heck, I would be more comfortable putting Fleming at the one right now versus Boyd. You're just rewarding them for mediocrity. Not that these rankings mean anything but if we're going to play the "weekly" game then do it from a "weekly" perspective, not how you or I think the region will end up at the end of the season.