Jim Mashek

SOUTH WARREN EXTENDS WINNING STREAK TO EIGHT GAMES; GREENWOOD FINISHES SEASON AT 11-18

You could see it in her eyes.

You could see it in her drives to the basket.

And you could see it in her aggressive defensive play, on the perimeter, and her ability to generate South Warren High School’s fast break.

Junior guard McLaine Hudson, the Spartans’ two-sport star, took the initiative quickly in South Warren’s postseason opener, Monday evening’s 56-41 thrashing of crosstown rival Greenwood in the KHSAA 14th District semifinals at Bowling Green High School.

South Warren will play in next week’s KHSAA 4th Region Tournament at WKU’s E.A. Diddle Arena, after the Spartans tangle with five-time defending 4th Region champion Bowling Green in Thursday’s 14th District championship game. The Spartans improved to 15-13 overall while extending their winning streak to eight games.

Greenwood finished Terrance Williams’ second season as the Lady Gators’ head coach with an 11-18 record. Greenwood has a young team, with eighth-grader Anzlee Hendrix and freshman Molly Spidel leading the Lady Gators when they return for the 2025-26 season.

South Warren coach Lane Embry could tell McLaine Hudson, his junior guard, was intent on taking charge in the opening minutes of Monday night’s game at the BGHS Arena.

“She had a look in her eye tonight,” Embry said.

Hudson and the Spartans bolted to an 11-3 lead in the first quarter, and they maintained that defensive edge going into halftime. It was 22-9 at the break.

“We talked all week about throwing the first punch,” Hudson said. “You can’t really rely on the ‘3’ in the postseason. We’ve definitely improved on the defensive end.”

That’s what Embry was looking for, but Hudson hit 3-point field goals from the top of the key in back-to-back possessions in the first quarter, helping the Spartans set the tone for the rout. Hudson finished with a game-high 31 points, taking a seat for the final three minutes of the fourth quarter as Embry emptied his bench.

Freshman forward Jooniper Strow had 10 points for South Warren, while teammate Jenna Lindsey added eight.

But it was the Spartans’ defense, at least in Embry’s estimation, that allowed South Warren to take control early in the game. Greenwood pulled to within 15 points at one point in the fourth quarter, but the Spartans quickly extended their lead and never looked back.

“Our girls came out and executed the defensive game plan to perfection,” Embry said. “We feed off our defense … We knew Greenwood wasn’t going to ‘fold up’ … We were able to get some critical stops when we needed them.”

Embry said that defensive prowess carries over to offense, and the Spartans’ fast break came to life in the third quarter. Junior guard McLaine Hudson, the University of Kentucky softball commit, was effective in getting to the free-throw line, and the Spartans’ defense completed the task at hand.

South Warren will face Bowling Green High School, the five-time defending 4th Region champion, in Thursday’s 14th District championship game at the BGHS Arena. The Spartans twice lost to the Lady Purples during regular-season play, both times by double digits.

Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday.

The boys semifinals unfold on Tuesday evening, with 14th-ranked Warren Central (22-5) facing Greenwood (17-12) in the first game, followed by Bowling Green (23-6) and South Warren (15-10) in the second semifinal. Those games also will tip off at 6.

South Warren girls coach Lane Embry has a couple days to work with his team in the gym before the Spartans tangle with Bowling Green on Thursday evening.

“In this district, in this region, if you’re the same team tomorrow, that you were today, you’re getting behind,” Embry said. “Everybody gets better as the year goes on. We know Bowling Green has a really good team. They play great defense. We’re going to have to sit down, figure out a few things that we can do to work against them.

“We’re happy to get this win and we’re ready to move on.”

Anzlee Hendrix, Greenwood’s eighth-grade point guard, led her team with 12 points. Teammate Molly Spidel finished with 10 points, while senior forward Savannah White finished with nine.