The Pattonsburg Panthers captured their first district basketball title since 1990 by defeating Grand River Conference West Division rival Worth County, 63-53, on Saturday at North Harrison High School.
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The Pattonsburg Panthers, in transition, proved to be too much for Worth County Saturday afternoon in the Class 1, District 14 championship game.
Revenge may or may not have been a motivating factor for the Panthers after the #4 seeded Tigers knocked off top-seeded Mercer in the semifinal round. Pattonsburg absorbed a bitter loss to Worth County back in November in the 8-man football semifinals but Saturday was post season payback for the Panthers, who came on strong in the fourth quarter to claim a 63-53 victory.
Pattonsburg’s boys last won a district in 1990. They also made it to the district finals in 1991. Worth County had won back-to-back district crowns and was a state quarterfinalist last season after winning 24 games.
The Tigers took a 42-41 lead into the final period but Cameron Jones scored on a layup to give the Panthers a lead they would never relinquish. Trevor Ireland added a bucket on the next PHS possession. A Carter Crone putback, second Jones layup and Patrick Crowley shot from the right side put the #2 seeded Panthers in front, 51-44, with 5 minutes left to play. Pattonsburg stretched its advantage to 57-51 with a pair of Crone free throws, Cowley layup and Connor Ireland basket in the paint.
With the score 57-52, the Tigers missed a good opportunity to cut the gap. Trevor Ireland missed a free throw attempt but Jones was fouled after controlling the defensive rebound. Jones hit 1 of 2 foul shots with 54 seconds left and Crone blocked an Alex Rinehart shot on the next Tiger possession. Jones, Crone and Cowley combined for 5 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory for the Panthers.
Jones scored 17 of his game-high 18 points in the second half. Crone notched 10 points in the first half and finished with 15. Connor Ireland chipped in 13 points and Cowley added 10 for the Panthers, who topped the 20-win mark with the victory. Caleb Parman led Worth County with 15 points. Rinehart finished with 14 and Jackson Runde chipped in 13 for the Tigers, whose season ended at 13-12.