Ashland Falls to Eventual State Championship
James Collier
The Ashland Beacon
BOYS SWEET 16
QUARTERFINALS
WARREN CENTRAL 64 ASHLAND 48
Ashland kept Warren Central in reach for three quarters until the eventual State Champions finally put the Tomcats away in the final stanza for a 64-48 win.
Warren Central raced out to a 5-0 lead in the opening 50 seconds of the contest but Ashland answered with back-to-back triples from Tucker Conway and Rheyce DeBoard to even the game at 6-6. Ashland took its first and only lead on a Zander Carter triple to put the Tomcats in front 9-8 but the Dragons Kade Unseld connected on three free throws to regain the lead for good.
Ashland trailed by five after one but a pair of 3s by Braxton Jennings and DeBoard pulled the Tomcats to within, 22-21 midway through the second. DeBoard drained a pair of freebies and finished at the rim to keep the Tomcats within two, but the Dragons ended the frame on a 7-2 run for a 34-27 lead at the break.
DeBoard pulled Ashland to within three to start the third, but the Tomcats would get no closer as the Dragons pushed the lead to 45-36 after three.
DeBoard led the Tomcats with 21 points and four assists to earn All-Tournament team honors for the Tomcats. Carter added 14 points.
Ashland closed the season at 23-12.
OPENING ROUND
ASHLAND 66 OWENSBORO 65
Ashland needed a miracle in its opening round game with Owensboro.
Ashland found itself down 65-60 with one minute remaining but Braxton Jennings was not about to let the Tomcats’ season come to an end. Jennings followed a Zander Carter layup with a free throw to trim the deficit to two. Owensboro missed the front end of a bonus free throw leaving Ashland a shot at the comeback.
Ashland raced the ball into the front court and the ball found its way into the hands of Jen-nings. With Owensboro keeping Carter and Rheyce DeBoard from the ball, Jennings had only one option, shoot the ball. The sophomore backpedaled to get behind the arc and uncorked the biggest shot of his life that sailed through the twine to give the Tomcats a 66-65 lead.
Owensboro had three looks at the rim and a potential game-winner inside of the final 10 sec-onds, but the final attempts rolled off into the hands of Nate Frieze to lift the Tomcats to the quarterfinals.
Carter led the Tomcats with 25 points and 13 rebounds. DeBoard kicked in 17. Jennings finished with 10 and went 3 of 4 beyond the arc. Frieze grabbed 11 boards including five offensive.