Lady Purples battle past Greenwood for district win
Published 8:04 pm Saturday, January 4, 2025
Bowling Green sophomore Maddie Davenport (24) directs traffic while Greenwood eighth grader Anzlee Hendrix (1) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green junior Aniyah Smith (32) puts up a shot while Greenwood senior Gracyn Nealon (11) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Greenwood eighth grader Anzlee Hendrix (1) controls the ball while Bowling Green sophomore Maddie Davenport (24) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green junior Kori Ware (40) makes a pass while Greenwood senior Gracyn Nealon (11) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green senior Katy Smiley (10) drives to the basket while Greenwood senior Savannah White (5) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Greenwood sophomore Kamber Morgan (3) controls the ball while Bowling Green freshman Neariah Woods (1) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green sophomore Shayna Pratt (2) controls the ball during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green freshman Kaydence Burton (5) puts up a shot while Greenwood senior Gracyn Nealon (11) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green sophomore Emma Macy (12) drives to the basket while Greenwood senior Savannah White (5) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green senior Katy Smiley (10) looks to put up a shot while Greenwood senior Savannah White (5) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Greenwood eighth grader Anzlee Hendrix (1) looks to pass while Greenwood freshman Molly Spidel (15) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green senior Kadyn Carpenter (10) looks to maintain control of the ball while Greenwood senior Garrett Hatcher (5) reaches for a steal during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Greenwood senior Asher Pettus (4) puts up a shot while Bowling Green senior Deuce Bailey (2) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Greenwood senior Garrett Hatcher (5) looks to pass while Bowling Green senior Braylon Banks (3) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Greenwood senior Nick Simpson (3) controls the ball during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green senior Luke Idlett (12) drives to the basket while Greenwood senior Asher Pettus (4) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green senior Luke Idlett (12) drives to the basket while Greenwood senior Garrett Hatcher (5) and Greenwood junior Ojare Murrell (12) defend during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green senior Jace Wardlow (1) drives to the basket while Greenwood sophomore Martell Tuttle (2) defends during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
Bowling Green senior Luke Idlett (12) puts up a shot during a double header hosted by Greenwood against Bowling Green on Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. The Lady Purples won by a score of 45-42, while Bowling Green won 71-67.
It may be the dead of winter, but Bowling Green’s girls’ basketball team showed strong indications of blossoming Friday night against Greenwood.
Still reeling from the long-term loss of standout guard NaTaya Wardlow to a knee injury in the third game of the season, the Lady Purples also contended with early foul trouble for leading scorer Katy Smiley and top rebounder Zara Hall and still prevailed in a hard-fought 45-42 road win in the District 14 opener for both teams.
Buoyed by a near double-double from junior Aniyah Smith and some timely baskets from her teammates, the Lady Purples stayed even and then pull ahead for good late in the fourth quarter for the victory.
“It was very exciting to see some kids step up, especially Aniyah,” Bowling Green coach Calvin Head said. “Katy got in foul trouble, so we rolled the dice to see if we could just wait for scoring with her sitting over there (on the bench). I thought we were pretty blessed to be tied at halftime without her and even Zara Hall, who is our leading rebounding, also in foul trouble.”
The Lady Purples pushed out to a 9-3 lead in the first quarter and still held a 14-12 lead after the first period despite turnover issues. Bowling Green (5-4 overall, 1-0 District 14) continued that trend in the second quarter, repeatedly trying and failing to pass the ball over Greenwood’s Gracyn Nealon — the senior came up with numerous deflections and to help her team force 12 first-half turnovers.
That helped Greenwood (5-6, 0-1) hang close and forge a 20-all halftime score.
“The decision to pass it was the right decision – just making the wrong pass,” Head said. “It should have been a bounce pass by her, not trying to throw the ball over the top of her. They did make that adjustment in the second half. But we’re still trying to find our identity a little bit without Taya.”
The Lady Gators found a hot hand in freshman Molly Spidel in the third quarter. The forward hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored nine points in the frame, part of her game-high 17-point night. Spidel’s final point of the third on a free throw stretched Greenwood out to a 36-33 lead heading into the final eight minutes.
Bowling Green got back-to-back offensive putbacks from Smiley and Kori Ware at the start of the fourth to retake the lead, but the teams swapped that role four times before Smith’s basket inside gave the Lady Purples the lead for good at 41-40 with 2:42 to play.
Those were the final points for Smith, who finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in the win.
“I think today was like a come to Jesus moment for me because before the game we had a talk in the locker room,” Smith said. “Coach Head was like there’s people that need to stretch and grow in order for our team to be successful and one of those is me. And he said that this is my year and I need to blossom and grow out of my shell, so I feel like that’s what I did tonight.”
Head was glad to see the junior forward have a breakout performance.
“That’s the best game of her career, honestly,” Head said. of Smith. “Glad it came in a district game, in a moment like that. We challenged her this morning and pregame. She stepped up, so hopefully she’ll continue to excel.”
Greenwood failed to score on its ensuing possession, and Maddie Davenport hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Lady Purples some desired breathing room. The Lady Gators then turned the ball over and fouled Smiley, who hit one free throw to push the lead to 45-40.
Mia Murrell’s baseline jumper gave Greenwood some hope and Bowling Green missed a pair of free throws – part of an 8-for-19 night at the line – to open the door further. Down three points and missing fouled out regulars Anzlee Hendrix (10 points) and Savannah White, Greenwood tried to push the ball downcourt but Hall picked off a cross-court pass for the steal that sealed the win.
“Our seniors, for the first time all year, really did a good job of helping lead them,” Williams said. “Savannah White, Gracyn (Nealon) did a great job … maybe not on the scoreboard, but in other areas the game they were huge for us whether it was their leadership, communication, deflections, blocks, rebounds – they did an awesome job. I thought it was maybe one of our best all-around games and we just came up short.”
Bowling Green was set to host Breckinridge County in the German American Bank Shootout on Saturday, while Greenwood was slated to travel to George Rogers Clark.
BGHS 14 6 13 12 – 45
GHS 12 8 16 6 – 42
BGHS – Smith 15, Smiley 7, Davenport 6, Hall 5, Macy 4, Ware 4, Burton 2, Woods 2.
GHS – Spidel 17, Hendrix 10, White 8, Nealon 5, Murrell 2.
BOYS
Bowling Green 71, Greenwood 67
Bowling Green held off a determined rally by host Greenwood to claim a 71-67 win in Friday’s district opener for both teams.
The Purples led by as many as 16 points at 26-10 after a 3-pointer from Braylon Banks capped an 8-0 run – all coming from Banks – with 5:23 left in the second quarter.
Bowling Green (9-2, 1-0 District 14) held a 32-25 halftime lead, but the Gators were far from done.
A 5-0 spurt to end the third quarter got Greenwood (11-2, 0-1 District 14) back within nine at 56-47, and then the Gators really surged to open the fourth. Down 10 early in the final period, Greenwood put together a 10-2 rally highlighted by a pair of Asher Pettus 3-pointers to get back within two at 59-57 with 5:01 to play.
Joseph Hurt (team-high 20 points) slowed the charge with a basket inside for the Purples, but Pettus answered with his third trey of the quarter to get his team within one at 61-60.
The Purples got a basket the next trip down on a driving layup by Deuce Bailey, then Luke Idlett’s 3-pointer with :1:30 to play stretched the lead to six at 66-66-60. The Gators never got closer than four the rest of the way.
“You had to answer and you hoped to have a big enough cushion that you could keep answering,” Bowling Green coach D.G. Sherrill said. “They were getting some 3s from guys that normally don’t hit them, but they were hitting them. The momentum, the crowd was getting loud … we just had to come back down the floor and play offense. We couldn’t worry about it; that shot was over. We had to come back down the floor and execute offensively and continue to be in attack mode. I feel like we’re a very versatile basketball team. I think any guys on our team can initiate offense, we can all handle it and all score.”
Idlett added 17 points, Banks finished with 13 and Bailey had 11 for the Purples. Bowling Green shot 49.1% (28-of-57) from the field. The Purples were outrebounded 29-14 in the game.
“We’re not in the basement, but we’re maybe on the first floor,” Sherrill said. “Our ceiling is pretty high, but we’ve got a lot of work to do and I think we can get a lot better. We’ve just got to work at it.”
Nick Simpson scored a game-high 25 points and hit four 3-pointers to lead Greenwood. Pettus added 18 points with four 3s and also had a team-high eight rebounds.
“Those are our two guys and what’s so special about that is every team we play knows that,” Greenwood coach Will McCoy said. “They’ve still been able to bring that consistency for us this season. We’ve got such a great one through 10 group that rallies behind them and plays so well off of them. These guys enjoy playing with each other.”
Greenwood was set to play Calloway County and Bowling Green was hosting Woodford County in the German American Bank Shootout on Saturday at Bowling Green.
BGHS 16 16 24 15 – 71
GHS 6 19 22 20 – 67
BGHS – Hurt 20, Idlett 17, Banks 13, Bailey 11, Carpenter 7, Kirkwood 2, Wardlow 1.
GHS – Simpson 25, Pettus 18, Sampson 7, Meador 5, Troutman 5, Tuttle 4, Hatcher 3.
