Lady Cardinals win big against Woodford County, Cards win double overtime thriller against Madison Southern in first games in GRC Arena
Published 11:04 pm Tuesday, February 11, 2020
GRC Arena opened Tuesday evening with a win from both the boys and girls basketball teams. The Lady Cardinals defeated Woodford County 63-26 and the Cardinals downed Madison Southern 72-70 in double overtime. (Photos by Roman West)
Freshman Brianna Byars, left, was the first player to ever score in a game in the new GRC Arena.
Jeremiah Mundy-Lloyd, 22, knocked down two free throws in double overtime to put GRC ahead for the final time in the new gym’s opener.
Kennedy Igo was recognized for scoring 2,000 career points Tuesday night.
Lincoln Bush picked up the first double-double in the new gym, scoring 22 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
George Rogers Clark’s basketball teams have waited seven long years to play their first “true” home game since opening their new high school.
Tuesday night, they finally got their opportunity.
The state-of-the-art GRC Arena opened up, ending the chapter of GRC playing in Letcher Norton Gymnasium.
The Lady Cardinals took to the floor first against former Kentucky Wildcat Erik Daniels and his Woodford County Yellow Jackets.
Clark County’s Brianna Byars scored the first basket in the new arena and the Cards would never look back.
GRC’s girls team was able to get it done on the defensive side of the floor, forcing 15 first-half turnovers from the Yellow Jackets and held them to 23.8 percent shooting on their way to a 28-11 halftime lead.
The Cardinals kept it rolling in the second half, only surrendering five made baskets in the half on their way to a 63-26 win.
Following the game, GRC senior Kennedy Igo was recognized for scoring 2,000 career points, a feat she accomplished last season.
The boys game did not go the same way.
Madison Southern jumped out to a 6-0 lead before Trent Edwards scored the first points for the Cardinals in the new arena, knocking down a free throw.
Lincoln Bush would come down on the next possession to score the Cardinals’ first basket in the gym.
The Cardinals were suffering the same fate as the Yellow Jackets did in the prior game, turning the ball over. GRC had committed 13 turnovers by halftime compared to the Eagles’ five.
After trailing 25-17 at halftime, GRC turned it on in the third quarter.
“We were moving the ball a lot better to start the second half,” GRC head coach Josh Cook said. “When we pass the ball we’re a better team.”
After only five assists in the first half, GRC dropped 12 dimes in the second half.
GRC had taken the lead back by the start of the fourth quarter, entering the final period up 41-40.
However, the Eagles fought back to tie the game and force overtime.
The overtime period was sloppy. The teams combined for five turnovers, went 2-of-4 from the free-throw line and made only three baskets. The two teams were equally sloppy, forcing a second overtime period.
GRC began the second overtime hot, scoring on their first two possessions and forcing two misses on the other end. But things went south after the Cards missed a pair of free throws and were called for a technical foul.
Jeremiah Mundy-Lloyd was able to step up late and make two free throws to put GRC ahead with less than a minute to play. The Cardinals then got a stop on the other end, giving them a 72-70 win in the opener at GRC Arena.
SCORING
GIRLS
Igo – 20, B. Byars – 19, Flowers – 9, Wilson – 8, Gay – 4,Berry – 2, Miller – 1
BOYS
Bush – 22, Wellman – 18, Rucker – 11, Mundy-Lloyd – 8, Morton – 6, Hernandez- 6, Edwards – 1
