Bearcats edge Rebels

Basket with 0.9 seconds remaining dooms OCHS

By Tim Mandell
timm@owentonnewsherald.com

— Photo by TIM MANDELL
Owen County junior Jordan Downey dribbles against Walton-Verona’s Josh Jones Friday night at Owen County High School.

It was almost another spectacular victory for the Owen County boys basketball team.
Instead, it was another letdown in the final seconds.
The Rebels (11-14) trailed Walton-Verona 52-50 with 17 seconds remaining on Friday night at home, when senior Glenn Smith drove to the basket, was fouled, and while falling down, managed to hoist a shot into the air that banked off the glass for a bucket.
Smith sank the free throw to give the Rebels a 53-52 lead.
Walton-Verona took over on offense and nearly ran the clock out dribbling the ball around.
In the final seconds, the Rebels double-teamed the ball-handler, and somehow the ball ended up in the hands of Reggie Hensley, who banked in the game-winner with 0.9 seconds remaining.
“We knock the ball loose and we had a couple guys go for it and it squirted to him,” Owen County coach Gran Mefford said. “I think it was just sort of a bad break. Somehow they got it.”
On Jan. 27 the Rebels took a 76-75 lead against Eminence on a 3-pointer with 5.5 seconds left in the game, only to lose the game on three free throws with 1.1 seconds remaining.
“We gave a great effort,” Mefford said of the Walton-Verona game. “I think our effort was good all night. We just have to do a better job executing at the end.”
After the game was tied 12-12 at the end of the first quarter, the Rebels went ahead 25-20 at halftime and led the entire third quarter until a basket by Franklin Daugherty in the final seconds of the quarter, gave Walton-Verona a 40-39 lead heading into the final period.
Owen County grabbed a 41-40 lead on a pair of free throws by Clint Hamilton, then spent the rest of the quarter playing from behind, until Smith’s basket and free throw.
The Rebels played last night at South Oldham and finish the regular season at 7:30 p.m. Friday at home against Grant County.
Walton-Verona 54,
Owen County 53
WVHS 12 8 20 14 — 54
OCHS 12 13 14 14 — 53
Walton-Verona (54)
Josh Tungate 20, Josh Jones 9, Reggie Hensley 8, Franklin Daugherty 8, Josh Roberts 5, Curtis Burch 2, Kyle Lynn 2.
Owen County (53)
Justin Toole 15, Glenn Smith 14, Danny O’Toole 8, Aaron Sutherland 6, Jeremy Kermicle 4, Jordan Downey 2, Cameron Logan 2, Clint Hamilton 2.
Owen County 54,
Trimble County 44
TCHS 8 11 13 12 — 44
OCHS 10 11 14 19 — 54
Scoring: Justin Toole 24, Danny O’Toole 9, Jeremy Kermicle 8, Glenn Smith 7, Colin Gamble 3, Aaron Sutherland 2, Jordan Downey 1.