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Lincoln County's Tiandra Hocker (50), Kourtney Belcher (21) and Chansler Gilbert (25) celebrate with the trophy after the game against Casey County. (Clay Jackson / cjackson@schurz.com / January 23, 2013) |
For the first time in the history of girls’ basketball at Lincoln County High School, the Lady Patriots have earned back-to-back berths in the Girls Sweet Sixteen state tournament.
The Lady Patriots successfully defended their 12th Region title to earn a second straight trip, fighting their way past Casey County 56-54 in overtime in the region championship game last Tuesday at Pulaski County.
Lincoln, led by coach Cassandra McWhorter, will face Region 3 champion Owensboro Catholic at 1 p.m. (Eastern) Thursday at E.A. Diddle Arena on the campus of Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.
The Lady Patriot team had planned to depart for Bowling Green Wednesday evening. LCHS¿will be taking pep buses to Bowling Green today with a departure time set for approximately 10 a.m.
Lincoln, a Final Four semifinalist last year, comes into the Sweet Sixteen with a record of 27-5. The Lady Patriots have scored 1,969 points while allowing 1,672 points, shooting 44 percent (653-for-1,500) from the field. The team is at 24 percent (157-for-655)¿from 3-point range and 71 percent (383-for-543) from the foul line.
Owensboro Catholic comes into the tournament at 24-7. The Lady Aces have scored 1,945 points while allowing 1,525. From the field, the team is at 45 percent (735-for-1,618). Catholic shoots 33 percent (123-for-370) from 3-point range and 63 percent (353-for-558) at the line.
Senior Lady Patriots Emily Fox and Sydney Harris lead the team in scoring. Fox has scored 546 points so far this season, averaging 17 points a game, and Harris has 509 points for an average of 15.9 points. Fox shoots 43 percent from the field and is a threat from 3-point range, draining 80 treys this season. She is at 78 percent at the free-throw line. Harris is at 46 percent from the field and 75 percent at the line.
Harris is also among the team’s top rebounders, grabbing a team-high 281 rebounds, 8.8 per game. Rachel Spangler has 243 rebounds through 31 games for an average of 7.8 boards and Kourtney Belcher has 208, averaging 6.5 rebounds.
Miss Basketball candidate Rebecca Greenwell is among Catholic’s leading scorers despite sitting out 12 games due to an injury. The senior guard has 423 points in 19 games for an average of 22 points a game, and is the Lady Aces’ 3-point scoring threat with 70 treys on the season. Kaylyn Pearson has 435 points through 31 games to average 14 points a game.
On the boards, Pearson leads the way with 285 rebounds, 9.2 per game. Greenwell has 167 for an 8.8 average and Destiny Howard has 218, 7 per game.
