Jim Mashek

SOUTH WARREN’s CARLOS QUARLES: ‘WE HAD TO KEEP OUR COMPOSURE’ …

The ebb and the flow started flowing at a fever pitch.

South Warren High School’s boys basketball team, looking for its first victory, all-time, against Bowling Green High School, needed all the internal fortitude it had to put this one away.

And then some.

Sophomore guard Brandon Perkins, known as “Junior” to his teammates and classmates at South, led a balanced scoring attack as the Spartans withstood a furious fourth-quarter comeback attempt, claiming a tense 50-47 victory over the Purples on Friday night inside the frenzied BGHS Arena.

“It’s been a long time coming,” South Warren guard Owen Shively said.

South Warren won for the sixth time in seven games, improving to 13-3 overall and 2-1 in the KHSAA’s 14th District. Bowling Green, last year’s KHSAA Sweet 16 runner-up, dropped to 8-8 and 0-3, respectively.

“We knew (Bowling Green) had two or three runs in them,” South Warren coach Carlos Quarles said. “We were able to answer them. We knew what was coming, with their (defensive) pressure …

“We had to keep our composure, handle our business.”

Bowling Green, fielding a young squad with a revamped roster, led for most of the first quarter. But the Purples managed just four points in the second quarter, which allowed the Spartans to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room at the break.

From there, it was all uphill for the Purples.

“I feel like the game was lost in the second quarter,” BGHS coach D.G. Sherrill said. “I’m just really proud of how we competed tonight … Junior Perkins is strong, aggressive. I think South might be the second best team in the 4th Region, after Warren Central.”

There was no shortage of drama in the fourth quarter.

Perkins extended the Spartans’ lead to nine points, 45-36, with a 3-point field goal in the opening moments of the quarter. The Purples battled back, however, and BGHS sophomore guard Hudson Aikins scored twice over the next few minutes, once on an inside basket and then on an open 3-pointer, and South Warren was holding on to a 45-41 lead.

BGHS freshman Anthony Davis, the starting quarterback on the Purples’ football team, made a series of big plays to tie things at 47-all with 3:25 left in the game.

The Spartans had a critical basket of their own, when senior SWHS swingman Jax Decker scored on a baseline drive to the basket, but the Purples were in position to move in front.

It never happened.

Decker broke a 47-47 tie by taking an entry pass from Perkins and scoring inside, and Perkins later split on a pair of three throws to make it 50-47. Both teams had fouls to give, in the final two minutes, and the Purples had a chance to force an overtime in the final seconds.

Freshman guard Tre Thomas got off a deep 3-pointer, before time expired, but it was off the mark, and South Warren’s side of the expansive BGHS Arena could savor the breakthrough victory.

“I took two (timeouts) home with me,” BGHS coach D.G. Sherrill said. “I probably should have called time there, tried to set something up inside. ‘Rack the basketball,’ as they say.

“(BGHS teammates) Arlando (Davis) and Embree (Dotson) were great tonight. South hit big shot after big shot. I have nothing but respect for South Warren.”

South Warren’s Jax Decker, who had been battling the flu for most of the last week, said he’d had a conversation with teammate Owen Shively about being part of the senior class to break the Bowling Green’s stranglehold on the all-time series.

“Me and Owen were talking,” Decker said, “and we wanted to be part of the team to beat these guys. It gave me goose bumps, to be honest with you.”

Shively added, “It’s in the back of your mind, for sure.”

South Warren coach Carlos Quarles reminded his players that they were involved in only a handful of those 37 previous defeats, including last year’s semifinal game in the KHSAA 14th District Tournament at the BGHS Arena.

Suffice it to say the elephant in the room has left the building.

“We wanted to keep them off balance, defensively,” Quarles said. “Owen got us going in the first quarter … Jax gutted it out, after being treated for the flu. He wasn’t going to miss this game for the world …”

South’s Brandon Perkins led his team with 14 points, while senior forward Johan Pratt and Shively added 13 and 11 points, respectively. Bowling Green’s Braylon Anderson hit three 3-pointers, all in the first quarter, while leading the Purples with 14 points. BGHS teammate Anthony Davis finished with 13 points.

South Warren is on the road to face Breckenridge County on Saturday afternoon, while the Purples will make the short trip to Russellville High School for a non-district game, also on Saturday.

BOWLING GREEN GIRLS 32, SOUTH WARREN 21

Bowling Green bounced back from Tuesday’s blowout at Barren County, relying on defense to turn back the Spartans, 32-21.

The Lady Purples remained unbeaten in three games against KHSAA 14th District opponents, while improving to 8-7 overall. South Warren dropped to 5-12 overall and 1-2 in district play.

South Warren’s JaNya Anderson led all scorers with eight points.

Bowling Green’s Kori Ware finished with seven points, while teammates Jooniper Strowe and Amaya Brown combined for 11 points.

Bowling Green plays host to McCracken County on Saturday afternoon at the BGHS Arena, while the Spartans will square off with Daviess County on Tuesday night at South Warren.