Somerset — Southwestern and Pulaski County are two teams that have been headed in opposite directions of late, but when they renew their rivalry tonight at The PC Gym, you can throw the records and the past out the proverbial window.
The Lady Maroons come into tonight’s game with a 10-13 record overall, but are in the midst of a 10-game losing streak.
Compounding matters for PC head coach Brian Miller, is the fact that he has lost two starters for the remainder of the season, Shelbie Phelps and Mariah Meeks, who are out due to having mono.
“Those are key losses for us, but I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason,” pointed out Miller. “When a key player goes down, somebody else has to be ready to step up and contribute in any what that they can.”
“With those two girls being out, it’s created some other opportunities for some of our younger kids, and hopefully they will be ready to take advantage of the playing time that’s available,” Miller remarked. “We’re not feeling sorry for ourselves one bit. We’ve just got to go out and compete as hard as we possibly can, and let the chips fall where they fall.”
Meanwhile, Southwestern comes into this matchup with a 16-7 record overall, and is coming in off a thrilling, 60-57 win over Somerset last Saturday night, in a game that saw junior guard Danay Fothergill hit a 26-footer at the buzzer to give the Lady Warriors a thrilling victory.
Fothergill, the second leading scorer in the state of Kentucky averaging 28.5 points per game, has been on fire of late.
Fothergill scored 41 points in an overtime loss at Wayne County last Friday, before notching 35 points last Saturday in the win over Somerset, which included the game-winning three-point bucket at the buzzer.
Despite the way things have been going for both clubs of late, Southwestern head coach Tim Rice says he isn’t taking anything for granted tonight, when his troops invade The PC Gym.
To the contrary, the Southwestern coach says he expects a war tonight with the Lady Maroons.
“I know they’ve got some of their main players out right now, but that really doesn’t matter as far as I’m concerned,” stated Rice.
“Anytime you play against Pulaski, you always know they’re going to play hard and they’re going to get after you defensively,” continued the SWHS head coach. “We have to make sure that we take care of the basketball and make the most of our shooting opportunities. Regardless of the players PC has out, I expect this to be a very hard-fought ballgame.”
As for Miller, the Lady Maroon coach has seen the losses of Phelps and Meeks almost as a blessing for his club, as it has allowed some opportunities and valuable experience for some of his younger kids.
Miller says that first and foremost, to have any shot at pulling off the upset over Southwestern tonight, his team must try to find a way to slow down the Lady Warriors big gun, Fothergill.
Slowing down Fothergill however may be much easier said than done.
“I’m not sure what we can do or who we’ve got to try to guard her,” Miller stated.
“Danay is arguably the best player in our region, and she’s just an outstanding basketball player,” continued the PC coach. “She can take you off the dribble and go to the hole and score, and if you leave her alone behind the arc, she will make you pay. She averaged 38 points per game over the weekend, and I don’t care who you are or who you’re playing against, putting up those kinds of numbers against anybody is flat out getting it done.”
Southwestern has been mentioned as a possible darkhorse in the 12th Region this season, and with two seventh graders starting in Adison Corder and Destiny Molden, Rice says his young team has even surpassed his own expectations.
“We didn’t really know what to expect coming into this season,” pointed out the SWHS head coach.
“We started out the year with four girls that had never started a varsity game, and two or three of those had never even played in a varsity game,” remarked the Lady Warrior head coach. “We’ve really came along a lot better and a lot quicker than I thought we would earlier in the year.”
Tipoff for tonight’s Southwestern—Pulaski County game is set to get underway at 7:30 p.m.
Local Sports
Related Photos
-
Tonight's Starting Line-ups Steve Cornelius, Tommy Wilson Photos
Southwestern, Pulaski playing in back-to-back cross-town games
- Local Sports
-
-
Warriors squeak out 5-4 win over McCreary
Heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, visiting McCreary Central had a slight edge over Southwestern, as they held a 4-3 lead over the homestanding Warriors.
But Alex Eaton’s Warriors would not let that slight edge affect them, as they plated a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame to grab a 5-4 victory in the opening round of the 48th District Baseball Tournament last night at Warrior Stadium. -
Impact of a state track meet
For most high school track athletes, the state championship is the grand finale to a to grueling high school track season or the cultivation of a long prep career filled with sweat, pain, nagging injuries and constant sore muscles.
-
An old friend and a new face
On Wednesday afternoon, Somerset High School announced their new basketball head coaches for the upcoming season.
-
A ‘Storm’ is heading to UK
Somerset High School’s WB Jones Auditorium was packed with ‘purple and gold’ clad students on Tuesday afternoon during their annual year-end award cermony.
-
Warriors top Pulaski in Scott McAninch Memorial
Over the past three weeks, not a single baseball team inside the 12th Region had been any hotter than the Southwestern Warriors or the Pulaski County Maroons.
-
Somerset track teams win Region, again
Both the Somerset High School boys and girls track teams claimed regional team titles late Saturday night in the Class A Region 6 Track and Field Championships at Somerset’s Joan Spurlock Track Complex.
-
Pulaski boys finish second in Regionals
Less than three weeks ago, the Pulaski County High School boys track team downed Madison Central by a whopping 50 points in the Warrior Classic.
-
Lady Maroons down Madison Southern, 3-0
On an afternoon when the Pulaski County Lady Maroon softball team honored seniors Kendra Hyden and Brittany McKee on ‘Senior Night’, it was only fitting PC’s two seniors were at the center of a key victory for coach Scott Taylor’s club.
-
Historic soccer game played at Clara Morrow
History was made on Tuesday evening, as the first-ever sanctioned Kentucky Select Soccer League game was held at Somerset High School’s Clara Morrow Field between the Madison United Soccer Association (MUSA) Flyers and the Somerset chapter of the Kentucky Rush Soccer Club U17 girls.
-
Maranda Mills, Pulaski boys keep on winning track meets
Both the Pulaski County High School boys track team and Somerset High School freshman Maranda Mills continue to win on the track.
- More Local Sports Headlines
-
Astrodome Fades As Houston Decides Fate
Egyptians Vote in Historic Presidential Election
Franciscan Files Tell Stories of Priest Abuse
Wildfire Destroys 2 Homes
Flight Diverted After Suspicious Note
Joplin Remembers Deadly Tornado, 1 Year Later
Panel Recommends Against Routine Prostate Test
Fired Lingerie Employee Claims Discrimination
Joplin Marches to 'Remember' Tornado Victims
Facebook Shares Continue Negative Slide
Cuba Waiting for Cyber Age to Come
8 Hurt in Oklahoma Shooting After NBA Playoff
Sheriff: DNA Links Suspect to Missing CA Teen
US Airways: Diverted Flight Has 'Landed Safely'
Revived Focus on Regulation After JPMorgan Loss
