STINNETT’S RETURN SETS THE STAGE FOR SHOWDOWN AT WARREN CENTRAL
The Greenwood Gators milled about in the corner of the gym, ready to take the court but patiently waiting their cue.
Except standout guard Cade Stinnett.
Stinnett, the Gators’ 6-foot-3 senior swingman, had not played in three weeks because of a high ankle sprain, sustained in the opening moments of Greenwood’s pulsating 72-71 victory over Bowling Green High School on January 21.
The Gators had gone 7-0 in Stinnett’s stead, finding different ways to win. But to make a serious run in the postseason, to get out of the KHSAA’s 14th District Tournament, for starters, they were going to need Stinnett’s presence.
No problem.
Stinnett returned on the floor on Friday night and got the Gators back on the prowl in a workmanlike 69-56 victory over visiting Warren East. The slender swingman scored a game-high 28 points and showed no signs of favoring the ankle, giving Greenwood a shot in the arm when it’s needed the most.
Greenwood (22-3 overall, 7-1 in district play) has now won 10 straight games and 13 of its last 14. The Gators will tangle with Calloway County (15-11) of the KHSAA’s 4th District on Saturday evening, at the East vs. West Classic at Lyon County High School, before squaring off with crosstown rival Warren Central (17-4, 5-3) on Monday night on the Dragons’ home floor.
That game could decide the KHSAA 14th District regular-season champion, but more important, the No. 1 seed for the district tournament, to be played at Warren Central.
Greenwood, Bowling Green and Warren Central have the best records in the KHSAA’s 4th Region, but one of them will get knocked out in semifinal play before the top two finishers move on to the regional tournament at Western Kentucky University’s E.A. Diddle Arena.
Cade Stinnett’s return should pay dividends in that regard, but the slate will be wiped clean once the 14th District tournament tips off later this month at Warren Central.
“I got cleared (by the medical staff) on Monday, and I thought I’d be ready to play tonight,” Stinnett said when it was over. “I’m not going to lie to you. I was nervous. Three weeks … you’re going to have a lot of nerves.”
Stinnett consulted with Greenwood coach Will McCoy beforehand, and the senior-laden Gators have been remarkably resilient while Stinnett was on the mend.
McCoy was thrilled to see what happened when the band got back together at The Swamp.
“I thought Cade looked confident, with his ankle, with his skill set,” McCoy said. “I thought Cade was Cade … He got back on the court, Tuesday, and had a couple full practices in before the game. It’s a whole different game plan when you have Cade out there.
“A lot of people don’t realize how valuable he is, defensively.”
Warren East (9-14, 1-7 in 14th District play) trailed throughout but made the Gators earn it. Junior forward Isaiah Andrews led the Raiders with 22 points and long-range bomber Kaleb Matlock finished with 14, but Greenwood kept East at arm’s length before McCoy emptied his bench in the final two minutes.
“They’re a great basketball team for a reason,” Warren East coach Kyle Benge told the Daily News’ Jeff Nations. “We knew Cade would probably be coming back pretty soon … They’re tough to guard without Stinnett, then you throw him in there and they’re just a really good basketball team.”
Greenwood point guard Brak Stinnett kept his team on the attack and made the necessary adjustments in getting Cade Stinnett (no relation) back into the flow of the offense.
“When things break down, we usually go to Cade right away,” Brak Stinnett said. “We’re headed toward the postseason, and this team has a lot of potential. We all tried to encourage him, when he went through his rehab. We’d ask him, ‘When are you coming back,’ and every day it seemed like we got a different answer.”
Hunter Raymer had 13 points for the Gators, and flashy forward Aaron Brown added 12.
As for Monday night’s showdown at Warren Central, Greenwood forward Lofton Howard was quick to point out that Calloway County was the Gators’ next opponent.
“We really can’t get ahead of ourselves right now,” Howard said. “We’ve got to play the next game in front of us, and that’s Calloway County.”
