GLASGOW – For Barren County seniors Bailey and Mallory Pedigo, basketball has been a family affair.

From pickup games in the backyard, to starting for Barren County the past three years, to wrapping up their careers in the KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen, basketball has created a bond for the twin sisters that goes beyond the game.

After the frustration of Mallory suffering a season-ending knee injury right before the Region 4 Tournament last season, the Pedigos have perhaps saved their best basketball for last – helping Barren County get to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007. The Trojanettes open against Pikeville at 11 a.m. CDT on Thursday at Rupp Arena in Lexington.

Bailey and Mallory won’t be the first ones in the family to play in the Girls’ Sweet 16. Their mother Michelle was part of the Allen County-Scottsville squad that reached the state tournament in 1985. Now Bailey and Mallory get their chance.

“It’s what everybody strives to do,” Bailey Pedigo said. “So for us to finally do that and go out on that stage is something we’ve always wanted. It’s a great feeling.”

The Pedigos credit their parents for their love of basketball, with the earliest memories of three-on-three games in the backyard with their parents and siblings. Eventually those became one-on-one matchups, where the sisters say no one has the clear advantage.

“At this point we know each other’s moves, we know what each other is going to do,” Mallory Pedigo said.

Their familiarity can also be traced to how much they talk about basketball, even when they aren’t on the court or in the gym.

“Whenever we come from home games,” Mallory Pedigo said. “We will stay up really late and say, ‘Man, we need to find something else to talk about.’ We love it. It runs through the family.”

Their games have also developed similarly. Both are left-handers, both enjoy to dig in on the defensive end and both are capable of taking control on the offensive end and calling plays in the half court.

Mallory said they’ve developed a chemistry you can’t fake. Barren County coach Piper Lindsey agrees.

“It’s almost like they are the same person,” Lindsey said. “They really do feed off each other. They are such a joy to coach. They always want to do the right thing, especially Mallory who always wants to be perfect. She doesn’t score a lot like her sister Bailey does, but she does so many things that you don’t see on the stat sheets. She’s one of our best defenders, but Bailey is a really good defender, too. We put them a lot of times on the two best players and they have to give as much energy defensively as they do on the offensive end.

“They really do a good job of handling the basketball and passing the ball as well.”

While the sisters’ games are similar, they also bring something unique that has led to Barren County’s success.

Bailey likes Mallory’s composure.

“Nothing really rattles her,” Bailey said. “She handles the ball and makes such smart play calls.”

Mallory said she is impressed with Bailey’s ability to get up the floor.

“She can coast to coast with no problem,” Mallory said. “That’s something we need a lot since we need so much in transition offense.”

This year’s success has taken on added significance for Mallory, who went down with a season-ending knee injury in practice one day before the Region 4 Tournament opener against Bowling Green – a game the Trojanettes would lose.

“At first it was really hard, sitting on the bench, watching my team go to battle and not being able to help them out,” Mallory said. “It had just happened, so it was a very emotional time. I knew that if we wanted to do something great this season that I was going to have to work my butt off this summer.”

Mallory said it helped to have Bailey there to motivate her and be a shoulder to cry on.

“Sometimes I would be upset and be like, ‘Man, I don’t want to do my stretches today,’ but Bailey would always be like, ‘Hey, you need to do them so you can get back in the gym in October,’ ” Mallory said.

Mallory said once she got back in the gym, things started to get easier. There was also the motivation of unfinished business – winning a region title.

Bailey said it was hard to see her sister in so much pain, but she knew Mallory needed her to be there and help push her through the tough times.

“Especially the day it happened because I knew she was a big factor in the next game we were playing,” Bailey said. “I continued to motivate her and tell her we are going to reach our goal next year and get to the state tournament.”

That promise comes to fruition Thursday.

“Growing up we always talked about how cool it would be to get to the state tournament,” Mallory said. “That’s been our goal all season, so for it to actually happen is just really exciting for all of us as a team.”{&end}