The Allen
County-Scottsville Patriots capped play in the South Central Bank-Halton
Classic (SCBHC) with a 72-71 win over the Owensboro Catholic Aces in the
championship game of the tournament Saturday, December 29. The championship marked
the second time in the 10-year history of the SCBHC that the Patriots have won
the event. AC-S opened
play in the eight-team bracket event with 61-50 win over Lexington Sayre on
December 27. Mason Shirley’s 13 points led the way.
Brett Rippy and Jax Cooper added 11 points. Owen Stamper grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Patriots raced to a 19-13 lead after the initial quarter. In the
second eight minutes, Sayre slowed the paced. The hosts would win the quarter
10-5 to build a 29-18 lead at halftime. The Patriots stretched their lead to
48-34 to start the final frame and opened a 57-38 lead in the fourth. However,
the Spartans closed the game on a 12-4 run to close the final gap to 11.
AC-S (10-2) went 23-49 from the floor (46.9%) with the night including
eight three pointers. At the line, the Patriots were 7-12. Sayre (2-7) shot 40%
from the floor (18-45) and 10-16 for 62.5% at the foul line.
In the tournament’s semifinals on December 28, Rippy scored a game-high
25 points, grabbed six rebounds, and handed out three assists to help AC-S
defeat the Daviess County Panthers, 68-50. Shirley added 20 points and dished
out seven assists. Jax Cooper contributed 11 points while collecting six
rebounds.
The Patriots sprinted to a commanding 20-8 lead after the first quarter.
A 16-6 second frame enabled AC-S to open a 36-14 lead by halftime. The Panthers
used a 26-16 third frame to pull to within 12 to start the final period.
However, the Patriots closed the game on a 16-10 run to notch the win.
AC-S was red-hot from the floor, shooting 61.5% on 24-39 shooting from
the field. The Patriots sank seven 3-point baskets. At the line, AC-S was 13-19
(68.4%). Daviess County was 19-47 (40.4%) from the field and 8-12 at the foul
line for a 66.7 percentage. The Patriots outrebounded the Panthers 31-19.
Shirley led the way as AC-S upended Owensboro Catholic in an intense
game for the title on December 29. The sophomore guard recorded 22 points and
dished out four assists. Stamper added 17 points, Rippy contributed 15, and
Cooper finished with 11 points. The final point numbers reflect the fifth time
in 14 games that four players have scored in double figures for AC-S.
Catholic led 21-19 after the initial quarter
before AC-S used a 24-19 second period to open a 43-40 lead at halftime. The
Patriots led by as many as 11 points in the second half before a fourth quarter
charge by the Aces cut into the Patriots’ lead. AC-S survived missed free
throws and a last-second shot attempt to escape with the one-point win.
The Patriots were 27-56 (48.2%) from the floor compared to Owensboro
Catholic’s 30-58 (51.7%) mark. AC-S was 12-20 at the foul line while Catholic
went 4-7. The team’s combined for 13 3-point baskets----seven by the Aces and
six by the Patriots. Owensboro Catholic out rebounded AC-S 35-30.
In the game, senior Brett Rippy surpassed the 1,000 career scoring mark,
becoming the 10th Patriot player in the history of Allen County-Scottsville to
reach the milestone century mark. Rippy has made 70 career starts while
appearing in 85 games in his varsity career. Rippy starts 2019 with 1,002
points.
AC-S (12-2, 1-0) travels to Monroe
County (7-7, 2-0) Friday night for a 6 p.m. District 15 matchup. Monday, AC-S
will host Warren Central in the quarterfinals of the Kentucky 2A Section 1 Championships.