Sweet 16 | 5 Best: Bowling Green (68) vs. Graves County (51) – 3/15/17
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In the opening game of the 100th annual Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet Sixteen Tournament at Rupp Arena, Bowling Green defeated Graves County, 68-61, to advance to the quarterfinal round.
The Purples (33-2), who won their 26th-straight game, got off to a slow start, but came alive in the second half and took total control, never allowing the Eagles (27-7), who hung with BG all throughout the first two quarters, to get back into it.
Here’s a look at the five key categories from today’s contest:
- Most Valuable Player: Terry Taylor, Bowling Green – The Austin Peay signee had himself a game, as he scored a game-high 20 points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out four assists. It took Taylor a little while to get into a rhythm, but once he did, he took control of the affair and led the Purples all throughout the afternoon. Taylor hit huge back-to-back three-pointers in the second quarter to put his team up by three at 27-24.
- Best Offensive Performance: Zion Harmon, Bowling Green – The nation’s top-rated eighth-grader finished with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting to help lead Bowling Green to a season-extending victory. Harmon was virtually unstoppable knocking down big-time shots, as his scoring came from layups, mid-range jumpers and three-pointers. The guard kept the game flowing smoothly for the Purples.
- Best Defensive Performance: Chris Vogt, Graves County – The Northern Kentucky signee scored 8 points, grabbed nine rebounds and blocked 4 (!) shots. Vogt, being a 7-footer, altered many Bowling Green shots and helped his team hang with the Purples all throughout the first half. Although his high school career came to an end, he goes down as one of Kentucky’s best all-time shot blockers.
- Best Guy Off The Bench: Jarius Key, Bowling Green – The best guy off the bench was definitely Bowling Green forward Jarius Key. Key came into the game to replace senior guard Deangelo Wilson, who battled foul trouble, and quickly caught the eyes of the packed crowd at Rupp. Zion Harmon stole a Graves County pass and then rushed down the court, threw a pass off the backboard and Key grabbed it and slammed it home. He finished with 6 points.
- Best Coaching Decision/Strategy: Sherrill’s playcalling, Bowling Green – Bowling Green head coach D.G. Sherrill made the proper play calls all throughout the contest and used his jam-packed basketball mind to guide his Purples to another postseason win. Sherrill also had a great game plan for maintaining Chris Vogt.