Warren Central's Drevin Bratton (0) shoots and scores. Warren Central fell to Elizabethtown, 49-46, St. Xavier bested Owensboro Catholic 54-52, and Lyon County beat Central Hardin 86-72 Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024 in the Wes Strader Schoolboy Shootout at Warren Central High School. The annual basketball showcase, sponsored by Leachman Buick GMC, started in 2016 and featured three boys’ varsity games Saturday with some of the top high school players in the state. (Daily News photo by Joe Imel/joe.imel@bgdailynews.com)

Warren Central has occasionally seemed a different boys’ basketball team from day to day this season.

There’s a good reason for that.

With Dragons star guard Kade Unseld still prohibited from playing back-to-back nights as he recovers from offseason meniscus surgery, Warren Central can look dynamite one night and not so hot the next.

Case in point – Unseld played in Friday’s 84-53 demolition of District 14 rival South Warren, tallying 16 points and eight rebounds. But with a matchup against Elizabethtown scheduled for Saturday afternoon in the Wes Strader Schoolboy Shootout at Warren Central, Unseld had to sit – doctor’s orders.

Missing the 6-foot-6 Unseld, a Western Kentucky University signee, plus injured regular Elijah Howard – and having Armani Byrd miss the second half with an injury – the Dragons struggled to find consistent scoring in a 49-46 loss to the Panthers.

“It is what it, but we’ve got to manage Kade as far as how we play him,” Warren Central coach William Unseld said. “They don’t want him playing back to back. You’re talking about a mid-major Division I basketball player. We ain’t got another one behind him, so when he’s not playing we struggle scoring. The kids fought. They gave me everything they had.”

Warren Central (8-8) still had a chance late. Trailing by 10 points at 49-39 with 3:41 to play, the Dragons got a 3-pointer from Dominque Anthony, then got a pair of defensive stops that turned into baskets by Braylon Boards and Drevin Bratton to cut the margin to three with 1:10 to play.

The Dragons needed to foul and Elizabethtown (15-6) promptly missed two free throws. Warren Central misfired on its next offensive possession and had to send the Panthers back to the free-throw line – two more misses and Central still had a chance.

After a time out with 11 seconds to go, Bratton took the sideline inbounds pass and shook free for a 3-point try that caught the back of the iron and bounced away before Elizabethtown corralled the loose ball and ran out the clock for the win.

The Panthers got solid production from the Evans brothers, Ayden and Alex. Ayden, a 6-10 Ohio University signee, finished with 12 points, six rebounds and a pair of blocks. Alex, a 6-6 forward, had 10 points for Elizabethtown (15-6).

Elijah Starks posted a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Bratton tallied 11 points and eight rebounds for the Dragons. It wasn’t enough, not without Kade Unseld. The plan all along is to have him ready to play back-to-back when it really counts in the postseason.

“I’m not disappointed that we lost,” William Unseld said. “We had a shot at the end, it wasn’t bad. They fought to get back in the game again. They’re giving me everything I’m asking for so there’s nothing I can complain about. It’s hard when we don’t have Kade out there. This is his team and he makes us go.”

Warren Central returns to action Tuesday night at home against Butler County.

EHS 8 12 18 11 – 49

WCHS 10 10 13 13 – 46

EHS – Ay. Evans 12, Al. Evans 10, Durbin 8, Townsend 7, Hainer 6, Williams 4, Sherrard 2.

WCHS – Starks 15, Bratton 11, Byrd 8, Anthony 6, Boards 2, Dye 2, Kirk 2.

Lyon County 86, Central Hardin

Lyon County star and leading Kentucky Mr. Basketball candidate Travis Perry, the state’s all-time leading scorer in boys’ basketball, dropped 35 points on Central Hardin to lead the Lyons to an 86-72 win in the opening game of the Wes Strader Schoolboy Shootout, sponsored by Leachman Buick GMC, on Saturday.

Perry did much of his damage in the paint and on the perimeter, finishing with just three 3-pointers.

Brady Shoulders added 20 points and Bray Kirk had 14 points for Lyon County (21-3).

Central Hardin’s Brett Decker, a Liberty signee, tallied 19 points. Ace Jaggers Cameron Elmore added 17 points each for the Bruins. Central Hardin dropped to 11-8 overall.

St. Xavier 54, Owensboro Catholic 52

St. Xavier held on a for a 54-52 win, withstanding two potential game-tying shots by the Aces in the final seconds Saturday.

Chance Dillingham scored 12 points to lead the balanced Tigers in the win. Jermaine Cameron tallied 11 points, and Jeremiah Jackson and Will Hanke had 10 points apiece for St. Xavier (20-3).

Luke Beickman scored 18 points and Kaiser Frick had nine points for Owensboro Catholic (14-6).{&end}