Final: Clark County 77, Christian County 71 (OT)

• Evan Bennett sank two free throws with 7 seconds left in overtime to help Clark County survive. Preston Knowles had hit two free throws with one minute left to give Clark County a 72-70 lead. After Christian County made a turnover, Robert Hatton hit one of two foul shots to make it 73-70. Clark County fouled Corey Wilford with 7 seconds left, and Wilford hit one of two free throws. Bennett was then fouled on the in-bounds play and hit both free throws to seal it. Tristan Jones added 2 more free throws with one second left.
• Photo at right: Clark County’s Robbelle Rogers consoles Christian County’s Jamaizz Baker after the overtime game.
• Clark County escaped after blowing an 11-point lead in the last 2:30 of regulation.
• Preston Knowles led the winners with 24 points and 13 rebounds. Tristan Jones had 20 points and 15 rebounds. Corey Wilford led Christian County with 17 points.
• Christian County’s Jamaizz Baker hit a three-pointer with 12 seconds left to tie it 68-68. Clark County’s Preston Knowles then hurried down the floor, but walked before going up for a contested shot at the top of the key with 5 seconds left. Baker missed a 30-footer and the game went into overtime.
• Add Western Kentucky University Coach Darrin Horn among those here to watch Clark County’s Preston Knowles, and his teammate Tristan Jones. Jones has signed to play football at WKU but has said he’d like to be a walk-on basketball player for the Hilltoppers. Clark County leads 58-48 with 4 minutes left in the game.
• The computers on press row that show up-to-date stats on the game flashed up a web-site carrying news that UK Coach Tubby Smith has resigned to become coach at the University of Minnesota for $2.5 million a year. That’s been a rumor sweeping through Rupp Arena for the last couple hours, and it seems to have been true.
• Both teams went ice-cold in the closing minutes of the third quarter. Preston Knowles’ two free throws were the only points in the last 2:50 as Clark County leads 49-42.
• Clark County is up 47-42 with 2:50 left. Tristan Jones has 16 points and 10 rebounds. Preston Knowles has 11 and 7. Christian County cut the deficit to 45-42 and had the ball with a chance to tie but missed a three.
• Halftime score: Clark County 38, Christian County 31. Preston Knowles hit a 15-footer and a three-pointer on consecutive possessions to give the Cards a boost.. Knowles has 9 points and 6 rebounds. Tristan Jones leads Clark County with 13 points and 8 rebounds. (Christian County’s Kortez Ivory has 8 points and 8 rebounds. Jones and Ivory are shown at right battling for a loose ball.)
• I guess it’s a credit to Christian County’s overall quickness in getting the ball up the floor, but when a Clark County player is shooting free throws, his four teammates are back on Christian County’s end of the court. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, Clark County leads 33-25 as Tristan Jones has 13 points and 6 rebounds.
• Clark County is ahead 22-17 after one quarter. Tristan Jones has 8 points and 4 rebounds for the Cards, who are out-rebounding Christian County 13-7. Preston Knowles is 1-for-4 with 3 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
• Wade Houston, who coached Male to the 1975 state title, has a mid-court seat. Wade’s son Allan led Ballard to the 1988 state championship before playing for his dad at Tennessee.
• Both teams are shooting well early … Clark County has hit 4 of 9 three-pointers and leads 18-13. Robert Hatton has 2 of the threes, Robbie Stenzel and Preston Knowles have one each. Christian County is 3-for-5 from long range with 2:40 left in the first quarter.
• Clark County star guard Preston Knowles has drawn at least a couple college coaches to Rupp Arena to size him up — Anthony Grant of Virginia Commonwealth, and Rick Stansbury of Mississippi State. Stansbury is sitting next to former UK assistant (and former Clark County coach) Lake Kelly.

---

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Final: Mason County 60, Shelby County 50
• Clark County stuns Mason County
• Game 8: Mason County 66, Elliott County 62
• Washoe County Leads Nevada in Swine Flu Cases