Panthers not perfect, good enough

Local Sports

Discussion

January 12, 2013

Panthers not perfect, good enough

Fleming gets past Boyd behind Steward, Burns

By RAY SCHAEFER For The Independent The Daily Independent Sat Jan 12, 2013, 01:04 AM EST

FLEMINGSBURG — Mark Starns admitted it Friday: the Fleming County boys basketball coach called himself a perfectionist.

The Panthers did not play a flawless game against visiting Boyd County, but it was close enough. Troy Steward's 21 points and Darion Burns' 15 led Fleming County to a 73-66 win.

Both Starns and Boyd County coach Randy Anderson said the second and third quarters — where Fleming County outscored the Lions, 37-20, determined the outcome.

“They were playing hard,” Starns said. “We're just trying to get our guys to play at a consistent level. Boyd County played scrappy to the very end.”

Anderson noticed.

“They got aggressive, they got themselves to the rim way too much,” Anderson said. “When that happened, for us to stay in the game and beat that bunch there, we have got to close gaps, we can't let them get to the rim, and we've got to keep certain people off the free-throw line.”

Fleming County's “certain people” were Brady Saunders (8 of 12) and Steward (7 of 8). The Panthers as a team? Not so much: just 58.8 percent from the line (20 of 34).

The Panthers countered the frigid free throw shooting. All five starters: Steward, Burns, Saunders, Austin Crisp (11 points) and Bryson McKee (12) scored in double figures.

Fleming County won its fourth straight game and ninth of its last 11. Starns said the Panthers were a little spoiled after an 80-61 win Jan. 4 at Rowan County.

“I guess I'm too much a perfectionist,” he said. “... We just want those boys to be the best they can be.”

In Friday's first quarter, Boyd County neither feared Fleming County's full-court press nor hesitated to drive down the lane — the Lions opened with a 9-4 run midway through the first stanza on two layups from senior Brandon Taylor and one each from Austin Hunt and Jesse Wallace. Taylor's first was a reverse past Steward a little more than two minutes in, and he converted one of Hunt's three first-half assists about 30 seconds later.

Taylor finished the half with nine points (he led the Lions with 16), and Hunt added seven of his 13 points.

After Fleming County assistant coach Josh Graham screamed “They want it more than you!” as Boyd County took a 23-18 lead after one quarter, the Panthers responded.

There was defense: It took the Lions (10-8) more than four minutes to score their 26th point on Tristian Burgess' 3-pointer. Thing was, Fleming County didn't immediately take advantage — the Panthers missed five of eight free throws and didn't tie the score at 26-all until Steward's two with 3:31 before intermission.

Boyd County made 24 of 57 field goals last night. Anderson lamented some second-quarter misery in particular.

“We missed way too many bunnies,” Anderson said. “I mean, we get the thing to the rim, and we miss seven or eight that I can think of off the top of my head. That's the ball game.”

Besides Fleming County defense, there was Steward from near and far. His baseline drive and 3-pointer from the top of the circle put the Panthers (13-2) up, 31-29, with 2:29 to go.

Steward remembered Graham's words.

“We needed to pick it up on offense and defense, get 50-50 balls and box out and get rebounds,” Steward said. “... Stay down on defense, really pressure the ball.”

And finally, there was Burns' six points in a 57-second outburst late in the third quarter. He started with six-foot runner in the lane off a spin dribble and one step, added an eight-foot bank jumper and finished with a driving layup.

So which was Burns' favorite shot? The eight-footer.

“I usually don't shoot a lot of pull-up (jumpers),” Burns said.

The result: Fleming County, 55-43, after 24 minutes. It was a lead the Panthers expanded to 65-51 less than three minutes later when McKee's layup converted a Crisp assist.

Boyd County closed to 69-62 on Hunt's two free throws with 57.9 seconds to go. His teammate, Brandon Lowe, crafted a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Text Only

Local Sports

63rd District: Russell double shifts it
During last year’s 63rd District championship game, Russell and Greenup County went eight innings. On Wednesday night the two teams decided more was necessary.

May 23, 2013 1 Photo
63rd District: McCall stands tall for Greenup
Two times Tuesday night did Greenup County coach Greg Logan think about taking Will McCall out of the game, and two times did McCall convince his coach there was no need for a change.

May 23, 2013
64th District softball: Cat-like reflex
All of Ashland’s postseason softball championships are special to Dave Miller during his highly successful run as head coach.

May 23, 2013 1 Photo
With one swing of the Bath
Bath County junior Austin Robinson went from Wednesday's designated hitter to designated winner with one swing.

May 23, 2013
62nd District Softball: East playing second fiddle no longer
East Carter’s Morgan Jacobs fired a pitch across the plate for strike three in the bottom of the seventh inning and jumped into the arms of first baseman Montana Fouts.

May 22, 2013
Salow Show: Ashland ace halts Boyd’s district streak
What’s the encore for a perfect game?

May 22, 2013 1 Photo
62nd District baseball: Staton strives after storm
East Carter’s Conner Staton hasn’t lost a 62nd District in his high school career. As a senior, he wasn’t going to let that change.

May 22, 2013
63rd District baseball: Greenup County outduels Lewis, 7-3
Lightning delayed the 63rd District Tournament championship game several times following the first inning on Tuesday, creating a late night for Greenup County and Lewis County.

May 22, 2013
Boyd’s Fraley commits to Herd
Boyd County sophomore basketball player Logan Fraley has announced her commitment to Marshall University.
The 5-foot-11 shooting guard informed Marshall women’s coach Matt Daniel of her decision on Monday morning, which was confirmed by Boyd County coach/father Pete Fraley via text message.

May 21, 2013
63rd softball: Greenup leans on bunting, baserunning; Russell wins
Immersed in another district contest with little breathing room, Greenup County softball coach Eric Keeton resorted to the strengths of his lineup: bunting and baserunning.
Two bunts and a swinging bunt helped the Lady Musketeers scratch across three runs in the fifth inning of a 6-2 victory over Raceland in the 63rd District Tournament opening round on Monday night at Russell High School. Top-seeded Russell defeated Lewis County, also 6-2, earlier in the evening.

May 21, 2013
More Local Sports Headlines

Local Sports

Search Results

Discussion

Panthers not perfect, good enough

Fleming gets past Boyd behind Steward, Burns

Site Map

Contact Us