McCOY EMBRACES GREENWOOD’S ‘TEAM EFFORT’ IN TENSE VICTORY
It all came down to one final possession, whether Greenwood High School’s boys basketball team could deliver its most dramatic victory in months. Maybe years.
Bowling Green High School, trailing by a single point with 4.3 seconds left, got the ball nearly the length of the court before sophomore forward MJ Wardlow got a decent look from the free-throw line.
Greenwood defenders Jax Buchanon and Lofton Howard were able to challenge Wardlow as he put up a hurried shot, and when the ball fell off the rim, the Gators could finally celebrate their amazing 72-71 victory over the crosstown rival Purples.
Greenwood won for the sixth time in its last seven games, improving to 15-3 overall and gaining an edge on Bowling Green (14-4) in the battle for the No. 1 seed in the KHSAA 14th District Tournament next month at Warren Central High School. And the Gators pulled it off without star guard Cade Stinnett, who was sidelined in the game’s opening moments with a lower left leg injury, a devastating blow Greenwood coach Will McCoy’s team was able to withstand.
“We came together as a team tonight, and did what we had to do, defensively, to win the game.”
— Greenwood junior guard Luke Stansbury
Howard might have come up with the biggest play in the game, finding Aaron Brown on a back-door pass that put Brown at the free-throw line in a game tied at 71 points with 4.3 seconds left.
Stinnett left the gym to get medical attention immediately afterward, and McCoy told BGHS coach DG Sherrill “it doesn’t look good, but we’ll see when the swelling goes down.”
Sherrill and McCoy embraced as the Purples filed toward their waiting buses, understanding that they could face one another once or even twice in postseason play. Greenwood squared the series at one game apiece, using Aaron Brown’s 19 points and 12 rebounds to slip past its longtime rival.
Bowling Green point guard Turner Buttry, who’s headed for Eastern Kentucky University next season, pretty much kept his team in contention, finishing with a game-high 33 points.
Buttry’s Greenwood counterpart, senior guard Brakton Stinnett, said the Gators were inspired by Cade Stinnett’s mental toughness in a game that had one lead change after another.
“When Cade went out, we were obviously concerned for him,” Brakton Stinnett said. “He told Coach (McCoy) he wanted us to get the win for him. A lot of our big guys stepped up for us … Aaron, Jax Buchanon, and definitely Lofton Howard … This is a huge win for us. All we have to do now is win the rest of our (district) games and we’re the No. 1 seed in the tournament.”
“I kind of flashed up, high in the post,” Howard said, “and we wanted to get a quick layup. The free throws worked, too.”
McCoy and Howard’s teammates were talking about the play when it was over, too.
“Lofton was using his quarterback skills, finding Aaron to make the pass,” McCoy said. “That window was really small. We’ll give our kids a couple days off and come back and get to work Monday. It was a great ‘team effort.'”
It’s the kind of play Cade Stinnett has been making throughout his splendid high school career. Stinnett is averaging 20.7 points per game this season, but he’s also a creative passer and rugged defender.
“Cade might be the toughest kid I’ve ever coached,” McCoy said.
Aaron Brown missed the first free throw, gained his composure and hit the second one. After a couple BGHS timeouts, Bowling Green passed the ball upcourt quickly before Wardlow took the game’s final shot at the free-throw line.
Brakton Stinnett said the Gators’ defensive strategy was to keep the ball out of Turner Buttry’s hands at all costs. Buttry hit shots all over the place and helped give the Purples a chance in the final seconds.
“We knew they probably wanted to take me out of the play,” Buttry said. “I have confidence in MJ. I’ve seen him hit that kind of shot, like he did against Pikeville in the Ashland Tournament. He hit an off-balance 3 to give us the win by one point. I’m really proud of my team.
“This is a tough place to play.”
McCoy said Cade Stinnett came to the Greenwood bench in the game’s opening moments in obvious pain. He was wearing a protective boot on the Gators’ bench in the second half
“Cade came over and said, ‘Coach, I can’t walk,'” McCoy said. “It was a great environment, a packed house. But we’ve got a long road ahead. I’m glad we were able to find a way to win.”
Sherrill was impressed with the play of junior Greenwood guard Luke Stansbury, who hit three 3-pointers off the bench in the second half. Brakton Stinnett had 11 points for the Gators, and Mason Thornhill added eight.
Stansbury’s 4-point play — he hit a 3-pointer from deep on the left wing before adding the free throw — tied the score at 48 late in the third quarter.
“The big key for us was too many unnecessary fouls,” Sherrill said. “We put them on the free-throw line way too much and didn’t make them work for the big shot. Stansbury hit some big 3s.
“We showed a little of our youth tonight. We will learn from this game. Greenwood got some big contributions from some of their other guys when Cade went out. It motivated them.”
BGHS sophomore forward Mason Ritter scored on a put-back that put the Purples in front 69-65 in the final two minutes. Brakton Stinnett’s two free throws cut that lead in half, and Lofton Howard scored near the basket to tie things up at 69.
Brakton Stinnett’s transition basket made it 71-69 in the final minute, and Ritter’s deft pass in the high post allowed Purples guard Curtis Lin to score on a layup and tie the game at 71.
That set the stage for Aaron Brown’s free throws with 4.3 seconds left.
Wardlow had 9 points for the Purples, while Lin and BGHS teammate Deuce Bailey added 8 and 7 points respectively.
Bowling Green will play host to Grayson County in a Saturday game to’ begin at 5 p.m., while Greenwood resumes its district schedule on the road against Warren East (7-7) on Tuesday night.
“We came together as a team tonight,” Stansbury said, “and did what we had to do, defensively, to win the game.”
BOWLING GREEN GIRLS 73, GREENWOOD 40 — The Lady Purples remained unbeaten in six KHSAA 14th District games, winning for the ninth time in their last 10 games.
Bowling Green is 14-4 overall.
Junior forward Meadow Tisdale led the Lady Purples with 16 points, and teammate Ava Bennett added 15. Saniyah Shelton and BGHS teammate LynKaylah James had 8 points each.
Junior guard Leia Trinh led Greenwood with 27 points.
