Bardstown Basketball

Boys’ 19th District: Bardstown tops Bethlehem in another thriller

March 2nd, 2010 Posted in What's New?

Bardstown to face Nelson Co. Saturday

 

Photo by Peter W. Zubaty

Bardstown’s Chance Grundy has a big congratulation for teammate Keaton Hall (20) following the third of Hall’s clutch three-pointers late in the game to help lift the Tigers to a 71-69 win Thursday over Bethlehem.

By Peter W. Zubaty

Corey Hall made a name for himself with his clutch play while leading the Tigers to a 5th Region crown in 2008. Now, it’s his little brother’s turn.

“He’s carved out his own niche for us this year and done a great job leading the team,” Bardstown coach Gary Goode said of Keaton Hall, who hit clutch three-pointers on three straight possessions during a span of 1:20 late in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s boys’ 19th District semifinals, lifting Bardstown to a 71-69 win over host Bethlehem and putting the Tigers into the 5th Region tournament, which opens Wednesday at Nelson County High School.

The Tigers (8-15) won all three meetings with the Eagles this season by a grand total of eight points.

“We came back hard twice — we were 12 down at the half and came back and tied it, and then Hall made those threes, and there wasn’t enough time to come back again,” Bethlehem coach Larry Miller said. “We made a good run at it. We had an opportunity at the end, (but) couldn’t get a steal or a basket.”

Bardstown’s win put the team in Saturday’s 19th District championship against Nelson County, which took place after press time. Check www.kystandard.com for a wrap-up of that game, as well as for pairings for the 5th Region tournament, which draws today.

The Tigers will make their seventh consecutive trip to the 5th Region tournament, but after a 1-9 start to the season it looked like Bardstown might be staying home this year.

Keaton Hall said there were definitely some doubts in December, but the Tigers kept to task in practice and tried to put the rocky beginning of the season behind them.

“Every day, I feel we worked just as hard — if not harder — as any of the other teams in the region,” he said. “Our young guys are stepping up and filling their roles.”

The game started out much like the prior meetings between the Eagles and Tigers, with both teams trading leads early and Bardstown staking out a 21-20 lead after one quarter.

“I wish I knew” why the Eagles and Tigers seem to bring out the best in each other, Hall said. “Both teams played to the best of their abilities, and you expect that in the district tournament.”

A big second quarter for Bardstown saw the Tigers open a lead as large as 14 in the first half. But the Eagles got big buckets from Brandon Ray and Jalen Phillips during a 7-0 spurt early in the fourth quarter — part of an extended 21-9 run over a span of 10:19 — eventually drawing even at 54-54 when Phillips got a steal and went coast-to-coast.

Things went back-and-forth for the next two minutes until Hall hit the first of his trio of three-pointers at the 3:20 mark, stretching the Tiger lead to 61-57.

“My adrenaline was rushing,” Keaton Hall said. “The (Bethlehem) crowd had been talking to me the whole game, and it just kind of pumped me up some more to try and shut them up. Fortunately I did.”

By the time Hall hit the third in the stretch (and fifth for the game), Bardstown held a 67-61 lead with under two minutes to play. From there, the Tigers did just enough down the stretch to keep the plucky Eagles at bay.

“What can you say? We needed them in the worst way,” Goode said. “And he stepped up and delivered. It’s really satisfying to see a senior come through for you like that in the clutch. That’s what you want to happen at district time.”

It wasn’t the first time Hall had hit big shots, of course. In the first installment of the Bardstown-Bethlehem saga, Hall drained a pair of free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining to propel his team to a 67-65 win.

“I just want to do whatever I can to help my team win,” he said. “My job is to hit big shots, being a senior.”

And he wasn’t the only Hall to deliver in the clutch, either. Junior Nathan Hall’s two free throws with 15.9 left put the Tigers up 71-67 and all but sealed the win. While not related to Keaton and Corey, Nathan Hall looked ready to join the extended family with his game-high 22 points, including 7-of-8 on free throws.

“Nathan stepped up really big,” Goode said. “He’s been working hard, staying late after practice shooting, and it’s paying off.”

Bethlehem’s first season under Miller wrapped up at 9-14.

Photo by Peter W. Zubaty

Bethlehem’s Brandon Ray (left) and Dalton Reed (rear) trap Bardstown’s Marcus Cosby during the Tigers’ 71-69 win Thursday.

“We did play well,” Miller said. “(But) I’d have liked to have had Jordan Cooper in there at the end of the game.”

Cooper, the Eagles’ talented freshman, spent much of the night on the bench in foul trouble, and picked up his fifth in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. He had tallied nine points and two steals in just 16 minutes on the floor.

“It was played at a high level by both teams, and we were fortunate to come out on top,” Goode said.

Bethlehem’s Brandon Ray put up a double-double with 18 points and 11 boards

“Maybe his best game of the year,” Miller said.

Jalen Phillips added 16 to go with five assists for the Eagles despite being in foul trouble much of the game.

19th District tournament

at Bethlehem

• Bardstown 71, Bethlehem 69 — Reed 9, Cooper 9, Phillips 16, Rogers 9, Ray 18, Mudd 8.
• BE 21 24 9 17—69
• BA 20 13 14 22—71
• BE (69)
• BA (71) — Cosby 10, Grundy 8, N. Hall 22, McCarty 10, Coulter 2, K. Hall 15, Brooks 4.