Winning the Region 4 championship is nothing new for the Bowling Green girls’ basketball team, which claimed its second title in three years and fifth in 11 years with a 59-51 win Saturday over South Warren on at E.A. Diddle Arena.

Yet, this title felt a little different for the program after a roller-coaster season filled with adversity – beginning in August when the program’s most successful coach, LaVonda Johnson, was terminated and former Russellville coach Calvin Head was hired three weeks later.

“These girls were counted out,” Head said. “They were counted out – losing a coach who won 80 percent of their games, losing four seniors from last year and only returning one senior. We had injuries, illnesses, everything that you could imagine thrown at them and they kept fighting and coming.

“I got hired late, no summer with them and had to put in a system in a four- or five-month span and look at us now. We are playing our best basketball at the best time of the year.”

The Lady Purples got off to a 5-2 start but suffered a four-game losing streak around Christmas to fall below .500.

Injuries and illnesses throughout the season also took a toll – with Taylor Ragland, T’Alla Brown, Keyozdon Jones and Shalyn Whitson all missing time.

Perhaps the lowest point came Jan. 30 when, with Ragland sidelined with a concussion, the Lady Purples lost to South Warren 69-30.

Bowling Green’s lone senior, Keely Morrow, said the adversity and setbacks strengthened the team’s bond.

“We’ve been through a lot this year and I think that made us closer together and made us a stronger team,” Morrow said.

Bowling Green kept alive its streak of Region 4 tournament appearances with a win over Warren East in the District 14 tournament and closed the gap with the Spartans in the district championship game – losing 68-62.

A win over Barren County in the opening round of the Region 4 tournament started the momentum for the Lady Purples. That led to Saturday’s thrilling comeback against South Warren when Bowling Green outscored the Spartans 22-1 over the last five minutes.

“We’ve come a long way,” Ragland said. “At the beginning of the season no one thought we would do anything because we had different structures of play from different coaches. I’m just excited that we are region champs.”

All the players were quick to praise Head for being the calming influence throughout the season.

Brown said it took a while to get used to Head, but he helped bring a lot of energy to a young team.

Morrow also praised Head’s ability to bring the team together.

“He’s a great guy, great coach,” Morrow said. “I wish I had him for more than one year. Coach Head brought us together as a team. He installed a lot of good basketball techniques. He came in and really built a team.”

But Head said the team’s success wouldn’t have been possible without players willing to adapt and persevere through the adversity – resulting in the chance to return to the St. Elizabeth Healthcare/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen to face Elizabethtown at 12:30 p.m. CST at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights.

“It wasn’t all good at the beginning,” Head said. “It was very, very rocky. Coaching a girl of (Morrow’s) caliber, kudos to her. She humbled down and allowed herself to be coached. We lost Taylor two times. Keyozden and T’Alla have been hurt. Shayln had the flu for a little bit, so for us to come together like this I am extremely proud.”