BUCKLEY’S CREEK, Ky. (WMDJ) – Maybe you’ve heard the phrase, “Four times the effort, four times the reward.”

 

Saturday night, the Floyd Central Jaguars faced county rival Betsy Layne for the fourth time this season and in the end, the effort given in the first three losses to the Bobcats was worth the reward, as the Jaguars emerged victorious with a 63-56 in the quarterfinals of the 15^th Region Boys’ Basketball Tournament.

 

Floyd Central capitalized on a 12-plus rebounding advantage, while an extended matchup 2-3 zone defense held Betsy Layne to 5-for-24 shooting from the outside.

 

Four Jaguars scored in double figures, led by junior guard Dylan Boyd’s 14 points. 8^th grader Lucas Howard recorded a double-double, with a 12-point, 11-rebound effort.

 

Because of the new super regional format, it was the first time since 1967 that two teams from the 58^th District faced each other in the quarterfinals of the region tournament. The last time, Maytown defeated Betsy Layne in the quarterfinals, avenging a loss the Wildcats suffered to Betsy Layne in the district tournament the week before.

 

History has a way of repeating itself.

 

Betsy Layne led early enjoying a 16-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Bobcats had their largest lead of the game at the 4:10 mark of the second quarter, when senior guard Cameron Pente knocked down a pair for free throws, giving Betsy Layne a 26-19 advantage.

 

Floyd Central would close the gap, going on a 9-3 run fueled by sophomore Christian Johnson, who came off the bench scoring a layup and a 3-pointer in back-to-back trips. Johnson would also create a steal, resulting in Howard scoring on the other end, making the score 29-28 Betsy Layne at the half.  

 

The Jaguars would keep the momentum rolling in the third quarter with an 11-2 run to begin the second half. Howard gave Floyd Central the lead with a drive to the basket to start the quarter, followed by junior guard James Samons knocking down a shot from the elbow. Floyd Central led 32-29.

 

After a made bucket by Betsy Layne’s Brayden Hall, Floyd Central answered with a 3-pointer in the corner by freshman Wesley Buck, 35-31.

 

Buck would follow that with a fast break pass to Samons for a layup, giving the Jaguars a 37-31 lead with 5:47 remaining in the quarter. The Jags would extend the lead to eight on two free throws from Buck, giving Floyd Central their largest lead of the game at 39-31.

 

Floyd Central started the fourth quarter with a 46-40 advantage, but Betsy Layne stormed back to cut the lead to one with 6:05 left in the game. The Jaguars would not relinquish the lead however, as Buck tossed another assist to Howard for a layup and junior Logan Meade sank a 3-pointer from the corner, pushing the lead back out to 51-47 with 4:18 remaining.

 

Pente would connect on a floater down the lane, cutting the Jaguars lead to 51-49. Junior Chris Spriggs’ layup then a Spriggs pass to Howard for another layup, pushed Floyd Central back to 55-49 with 2:36 left and the Bobcats wouldn’t recover.

 

Pente finished with a game-high 22 points and led Betsy Layne with six rebounds. Isaiah Allen scored 12 points for the Bobcats.

 

Floyd Central advances to their first-ever appearance in the regional semifinals, where they’ll face Martin County on Monday night. The Cardinals soared past Phelps 100-72 in the quarterfinals. Floyd Central and Martin County played on February 1^st with the Cardinals squeaking out a 93-90 win at Eastern.

 

(Photo credit: Stacy Shannon)

 

FLOYD CENTRAL (63) – Spriggs 3, (1) 4-8 11. Boyd 4, (1) 5-5 14. Samons 5, 10. Howard 6, 0-1 12. Buck 2, (1) 3-4 8. Meade 1, (1) 3. Johnson 2, (1) 5.

FG Pct: 45.1%. FT Pct: 66.7%. 3-PT (Spriggs 1-2, Boyd 1-6, Howard 0-1, Buck 1-4, Meade 1-1. Johnson 1-1). Fouls 17. Fouled out: Buck. Rebounds 39. Assists 19. Turnovers 9.

 

BETSY LAYNE (56) – Parsons 3, (1) 7. Pente 6, (2) 8-11 22. Allen 3, (1) 5-6 12. Lance 1, 2. Hall 3, (1) 7. Jarrell 1, 4-4 6.

FG Pct: 34%. FT Pct: 81%. 3-PT (Parsons 1-10, Pente 2-6, Allen 1-3, Hall 1-5). Fouls 13. Fouled out: Pente. Rebounds 27. Assists 12. Turnovers 6.

 

SCORING BY QUARTERS
TEAM                                      1^st        2^nd       3^rd       4^th       TOTAL
Floyd Central                         15        13        18        17        63
Betsy Layne                           16        13        11        16        56