SCORES INSIDE AGAINST OWENSBORO.
INJURIES CATCH UP WITH SOUTH WARREN; BRATCHER, PRINCE FUEL WARREN EAST SWEEP
It proved to be a long day for the South Warren High School boys basketball team on Thursday in the bcbs Holiday Classic at the home of the Spartans.
South used Bryce Button’s 22 points and a balanced scoring attack to turn back East Jessamine High School, 78-67, in its first game of tournament play on Thursday morning.
But injuries and illness caught up with the Spartans in their semifinal tilt, and Red Bank High School of Chattanooga, Tennessee kept the Raiders at arm’s length on Thursday evening. The Lions took that game, 57-52, sending South Warren into a third-place game on Friday afternoon against Owensboro High School.
Warren East, meanwhile, showed the value of depth and versatility in tournament play.
Second-year East coach Kyle Benge’s Raiders opened bcbs Holiday Classic play with a 64-46 drubbing of Murray High School at lunchtime Thursday. After some time off their feet on the other side of town, Warren East returned to South for a semifinal matchup with Owensboro High School, a game that could evolve “into a track meet,” at least in Benge’s estimation.
PUTS THE RED DEVILS ON ICE.
GRABS A REBOUND AGAINST RED BANK.
WITH OWENSBORO ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
The Raiders returned to South Warren and led wire-to-wire against the Red Devils, claiming a 72-68 victory to improve to 7-1 overall. Warren East will square off with Red Bank on Friday afternoon in the championship game.
Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
“We’re a fun team to watch when we share the basketball,” Benge said.
IS A FAMILIAR FACE AT SOUTH WARREN
GIRLS AND BOYS BASKETBALL GAMES.
SOUTH WARREN 78, EAST JESSAMINE 67
South Warren turned in a strong effort to knock off East Jessamine in its opening game.
Junior swingman Bryce Button was strong near the basket, hitting 10 of 15 shots to lead the Spartans with 22 points and nine rebounds. The Spartans were without backup forward Colton Veltkamp, who may be out with an illness for a while, according to South coach Carlos Quarles.
But South Warren’s Jace Jarvis, who had 16 points, and teammate Griffin Rardin, the team’s point guard, were injured in the first game against East Jessamine. Rardin sustained a sprained ankle on a nifty drive to the basket in the third quarter, and he had his foot in ice water for the Spartans’ semifinal matchup against Red Bank.
BY MICHEAL COMPTON OF THE DAILY NEWS.
LED THE SPARTANS WITH 22 POINTS.
“(East Jessamine) shot the ball a lot better than we anticipated,” Quarles said. “Losing Griffin hurt. He’s kind of the straw the stirs the drink … We ask a lot of Bryce. He’s very versatile, and can attack the defense in a lot of different ways.”
Miyo Jones led East Jessamine with 23 points. Teammates Keelyn Daniels and Righteous Harris each finished with 17 points.
EFFECTIVE SHOOTER ON THE BASELINE.
WARREN EAST 64, MURRAY 46
Warren East’s Brenden Bratcher, a wispy 6-foot-2, 140-pound junior forward, got his game going in the lunchtime quarterfinal with Murray High School.
Bratcher led the Raiders with 16 points, bringing the crowd to its feet with a third-quarter dunk on the fast break and hitting some key shots from 3-point range.
Sophomore guard Kaleb Prince gives the Raiders quickness and energy at the point, and two additions from the Warren East football squad — quarterback/forward Dane Parsley and lineman/center Kajari Barber — were effective at both ends of the floor.
Kyler Pedigo, one of East’s top threats from the 3-point line, had 14 points while Prince finished with 11.
BY KALEB PRINCE (LEFT) AND DANE PARSLEY.
SHOOTS AGAINST OWENSBORO.
“I think we can be really good,” Prince said. “I think we can make a run in the Fourth Region.”
Warren East coach Kyle Benge was encouraged by the performance.
“We wanted to make this a transition game,” he said. “Kaleb’s our point guard. He’s our leader. We kind of go as he goes.”
FACE OWENSBORO ON FRIDAY.
RED BANK 57, SOUTH WARREN 52
South Warren stayed within striking distance for most of the night, and the Spartans (4-4 overall) trailed by just three points on two occasions in the final minute.
Senior guard Drew Hudson turned in a strong effort for the Spartans, leading the team with 16 points. Thad Hall, a 3-point specialist, added 14 points.
LOOKS FOR A PATH TO THE BASKET.
SPARTANS WITH 16 POINTS.
Anthony Bonner led Red Bank with 23 points, and teammate Kendrick Lloyd added 16.
“Losing two starters doesn’t help you at all,” South Warren coach Carlos Quarles said. “Hat’s off to Red Bank. They played well down the stretch.
“Our primary scorers had to handle the ball. We had some live-ball turnovers. That was the difference in the game.”
AND WARREN EAST
ARE OFF TO A 7-1 START.
WARREN EAST 72, OWENSBORO 68
The Raiders’ Kaleb Prince was on top of his game, beating the Red Devils with his quick first step and keeping Warren East in front from start to finish.
But it was Brenden Bratcher, the Raiders’ wily man on the wing, who led Warren East with 21 points.
“Brenden’s been in a slump, shooting the ball,” Warren East coach Kyle Benge said. “We’re going to be difficult to guard, when we have our guys playing that way.”
The Raiders improved to 7-1 overall while shooting 54 percent from the field.
Bratcher believes Warren East’s conditioning gives them an edge in close games.
THE BALL FOR THE RAIDERS.
“We’ve got hard workers on this team, we have a lot of stamina,” he said. “We stay in the gym.”
Sophomore guard Kyler Pedigo finished with 13 points, and junior forward Dane Parsley added eight points.
Senior guard Deyshaun Sanders led the Red Devils with 24 points.
PLAYING IN THE KHSAA’s
GLASGOW-BASED 15th DISTRICT.
FROM THE BALCONY AT
SOUTH WARREN HIGH SCHOOl.
SCORES INSIDE AGAINST OWENSBORO.
AND HIS 5-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER, KYLEIGH …
kINDA CUTE, I KNOW …
DADDY, WHAT ABOUT ME, HOMESLICE …”