The Powell County Lady Pirates had a short week thanks to Mother Nature. In fact they only played one game, a road trip to Harrison County. In a game that was close throughout, a shooting drought sealed the fate of the Lady Pirates. They fell to the Lady Thoroughbreds, 58-41.

    The first quarter set the pace as both teams looked ready for a battle. The home team took an early advantage, leading 15-11 at the end on one period. The close game continued with the Lady Thoroughbreds hanging on despite Powell playing right with them. Harrison led at the half, 27-20.

The second half appeared to be Powell’s chance to make a comeback. The Lady Pirates slowly chipped away at the lead. By the time the third quarter ended Harrison held a slight edge, 38-32.

The final frame was even better for Powell, at least for the first three minutes. Harrison held on by a two point margin for a while. with a balanced attack in the quarter’s early stages the Lady Pirates cut the lead to just three, 40-37 with just 5:00 to play. It was then that Powell’s shooting went cold. The team went scoreless for just over 3:00, while Harrison took advantage of the dry spell. Powell did add a couple of baskets down the stretch, but the damage had been done. Harrison won, going away, 58-41.

    Neither team looked real good from the field. Basically their shooting percentages were just slightly warmer than the temperatures outside. Powell was16-of-43 (37 percent) from the field, while Harrison was a little colder. The Lady Thoroughbreds hit 21-of-57 shots (36 percent) from the field.

    Three pointers belonged to the home team as they connected on 2-of-8 (25 percent), Powell missed all seven attempts. As for free throws, a recurring issue for the Lady Pirates, they were 9-of-20 (45 percent) from the charity stripe, while Harrison was 14-of-21 (66 percent).

   Turnovers and rebounds were also a concern. Powell committed 22 miscues to their counterparts 14. Harrison scored 10 points off Powell turnovers, the Lady Pirates picked up four points off Harrison turnovers. As for controlling the boards, Harrison took the advantage 35-26.

    Harrison was led by Sydney Morris with a game high 21 points and 18 rebounds. Madison Kellione added 19 for the home team.

    Powell was led by Dakota Brown with 16 points and eight boards. Ashley King tossed in 10 points and three assists in the game. The Lady Pirates fell to 8-7.

    The Lady Pirates were scheduled to pay Leslie County at home this past Monday and set to host Lee County on Friday. Powell’s game at Estill County which was postponed due to last week’s winter weather, has been rescheduled for Jan. 21. They will be back home on Jan. 22 to play Breathitt County.

          The Powell County Lady Pirates opened up the second half the schedule breaking even in the first week of 2018. The Lady Pirates won on the road at Menifee County, but fell in a home game to 14th Region opponent Hazard. Not exactly what they had hoped for, but bot a bad start either.

     The ladies took to the road last Tuesday on the short trip to Frenchburg to play the Menifee Lady Wildcats. It was a big night of Powell’s “bigs”, that is their inside players. Senior Dakota Brown and freshman Macey Howell combined for 39 points as Powell took the win, 59-42.

The Lady Pirates hit 24-of-49 shots from the field and was 2-of-5 from three point range, showing a pretty good improvement from some earlier outings. Powell was also 9-of-14 from the charity stripe for a strong 64.3 percent in an area that has been bothersome in other games. Powell also dominated the rebounds, grabbing 37 boards to the Lady Cats 27.

     Brown led the way with a game high 21 points and 12 rebounds, with her partner in the paint, Howell, tossing in 18 points and grabbing nine boards. Emma Hacker led Menifee with 20 points and was the only player in double figure for the Lady Cats, who dropped to 8-5.

     Powell then made up a game last Thursday as they hosted the Hazard Lady Bulldogs. The game was close early, as the first quarter ended with the visitors leading, 17-14. Hazard opened up their lead in the second period and held a 34-23 edge at the intermission. Both teams played dead even in the third quarter and the Lady Bulldogs closed out the quarter leading, 54-43.

     In the final frame, Hazard steadily open up their lead. They outscored the Lady Pirates 21-12. Despite an good effort to challenge the visitors, Powell fell to Hazard. The final score was 75-55.

     Powell hit 20-of-54 shots from the field (37 percent) and 6-of-13 (46 percent) from behind the arc. Hazard was not much better, shooting 45 percent from the field (28-of-62) and 43 percent (7-of-16) from three point range. But the charity stripe was very different. The Lady Pirates connected on 9-of-24 attempts for a cool 37 percent, while the visitors were hot. Hazard hit 12-of 15 for a blistering 80 percent. The Lady Bulldogs also out rebounded Powell, 39-29.

     Powell placed three players in double figures led by Gracie Hall with 18 points. Hall shot 50 percent on two point attempts, going 7-for-14 and nailed four treys on eight attempts. Dakota Brown chipped in 16 points and grabbed 10 boards, Macey Howell tossed in 10 points of the Lady Pirates.

Hazard, who improved to 10-4, was led by Hayley Caudill with 28 points. Desiree Sturgill scored 18 and Haley Turner added 15.

Powell, 8-5, will enjoy most of this week off as they prepare for a boy’s/girl’s varsity double header this Friday at district rival Estill County. The Lady Pirates will take on their Engineer counterparts at 6 p.m. The boys will tip it off at 8 p.m.

After that matchup Powell will return for a three game home stand. The Lady Pirates will host Leslie County on Monday and Lee County on Friday. Powell finishes the home stand on Jan. 22. The Breathitt County Lady Bobcats will come to Stanton for a 14th Region matchup.

     Powell topped Breathitt 59-30 back on Dec. 13. Game time is 6 p.m. for the JV game, with charity tipping off at 7:30 p.m.

   Following a short break after Christmas and to round out 2017, the Powell County Lady Pirates took to the road. The team took part in the Chain Rock Classic in Pineville last week. It was overall a success trip, as Powell took two of the three games.

    Last Wednesday the Lady Pirates played the host team, the Pineville Lady Lions. The home team opened up a 20-4 first quarter lead and never looked back. Powell was cold from the field and the free throw line throughout the game. The Lady Pirates shot a cool 29 percent from the field (17-58) and was 9-20 from the charity stripe.

     The Lady Pirates did get the offense going, but the damage had been done early. They trailed 41-23 at intermission and tried to stay close, finally outscoring the Lady Lions by two in the final quarter. Pineville won 69-47.

     Macey Howell led the Lady Pirates with 12 points and was the only one in double figures. Emily Branham and Lauren Payne each had eight points. Pineville improved to 8-2.

    Last Thursday the Lady Pirates played Lynn Camp. The slow start seemed to continue for Powell, but also for the Lady Wildcats. Powell held a slim 3-1 lead after one quarter. But both teams warmed up in the second period, as Powell held a 16-11 lead at halftime.

      The second half was all Powell. The Lady Pirates outscored Lynn Camp 35-21 in the second half. Powell’s shooting improved as they were 19-44 from the field for 43 percent. The improvement helped lead to the Lady Pirates to a 51-32 win.

       Dakota Brown led Powell with a game high 20 points and 10 rebounds, also a game high. Ashley King poured in 16 points and a game high five assists. Both players were on the floor for the entire game. Lynn Camp fell to 5-6.

     That set up the Lady Pirates for their final game of the tournament as they hit the hardwood against the Middlesboro Lady Jackets. This Friday matinee game was probably the best one for the Lady Pirates. Powell jumped out to an 18-11 first quarter lead and looked strong. That strength was evident by a better shooting performance from the floor and the charity stripe. Powell hit 58 percent (25-43) and nailed 19-28 from the free throw line for 67 percent.

     Powell extended a 35-23 halftime lead by outscoring the Lady Jackets 34-29 in the second half. The Lady Pirates took advantage of Middlesboro’s 14 turnovers and scored 10 points, while the Lady Jackets only scored two points off Powell’s nine miscues.

     Powell had a better balanced attack in the 69-52 victory. Brown led the way with 18 points. King tossed in 15, while Howell chipped in 14. Middlesboro dropped to 4-6.

      Powell, now 7-5 as they entered the New Year, was scheduled to play at Menifee County this past Tuesday. They will host Hazard tonight (Jan. 4) before taking to the road to play Harrison County next Monday. The Lady Pirates will then travel to Irvine on Jan. 12 to play district rival Estill County.

SportsStaff Report

     The Powell County Pirates never seem to take it easy just before the holidays. This year is no exception. Last week the Pirates took on Richmond Model, Leslie County and Rowan County. Despite a few bright spots, the Pirates are also are seeing areas that need work on to be competitive as the district and regional play gets closer. But there is plenty of time and lots of gems to go.

    Last Tuesday Powell hosted the Richmond Model Patriots in what would be a game runs. Unfortunately, it was a late run of missed shots that led to a Pirate loss.

Early in the game both teams seemed timid and rushed their shots, but the  Pirates eased into their game and took control. Powell held a 14-6 lead early and following a balanced attack moved out to a 23-14 lead with 4:17 to play in the first half. The Pirates seemed to be in control.

     But the Patriots started a slow comeback and Powell started missing some opportunities. Missed layups, free throws and open looks at good shots by the home team helped the visitors to move slowly back into the contest. Powell went scoreless for nearly three full minutes as the Patriots calmed down and started scoring with a a more deliberate offense. By the time the half time horn sounded Model had taken the lead, 27-25.

    Model kept up the momentum in the third quarter and pushed their lead put to 39-31 late in the third quarter.  Powell picked up their intensity as well. Both sides got a little too intense leading to a flagrant foul and the ejection of Model’s Adam Lewis-Durham for shoving Payton Barnett. Barnett had been fouled by Will Feese and as the two were being separated, Lewis-Durham vape from nowhere to shove Barnett from behind. At the time Lewis-Durham was single-handedly leading Model on their run with an awesome performance from outside then three point arc. It took both sides a little time to regain their poise. Powell trailed Model, 42-39.

     The final frame saw Model open up by letting the air out of the ball. In fact they did so well, they did not take a shot for 1:48 into the quarter and missed when they did. But Powell hit on their first attempt to  make it a 42-41 game.

     The rest of the game was about ball control and missed opportunities. Model controlled the ball and hit key free throws down the stretch. Powell had several opportunities including three good looks at three point shots in the waning seconds, but came up short. Model took home the low-scoring 47-44 win.

     Powell was led by Chimaobi Ajuonuma with 14 points and 15 rebounds. Barnett tossed in 10 points. Powell was 6-of-16 from the charity stripe. Model was led by Lewis-Durham with 16 points and Feese with 13. Model improved to 6-0.

Last Friday Powell traveled to Leslie County to play the Eagles. Despite a breakout game for Payton Barnett, Powell took a tough road loss. The Eagles won, 76-66.

     Barnett scored a career high 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds on the game. Drew Ginter also had a good night, scoring 15 points and picking up nine boards. But Powell’s three point shots were quite frigid. The Pirates were 3-of-19 from behind the arc, but did show improvement at the free throw line, going 11-of-18. But the Eagles used a more balanced attack to seal their win. The Eagles had seven players in the scoring column. Nick Hoskins led Leslie with 28 points, followed by Tyler Dixon with 14 and Darron Whitaker chipped in 13. Leslie improved to 3-3.

The Pirates ended last week’s action hosting Rowan County last Saturday. Powell regrouped from their earlier losses, learning as they went, to grab a 67-52 victory. Powell’s attack was well rounded. Seven Pirates hit the shots, with four of them in double figures. Powell looked better from the perimeter and the three point area, while going 19-of-27 at free throw attempts.

    Carlos Hernández led the way with 21 points. Barnett, Ginter and Bryce Merion each poured in 11 points. The win improved Powell to 3-3 on the season.

     The Pirates were scheduled to host Owsley County this past Tuesday in a 56th District matchup. The Pirates will host Lee County in another district showdown on Friday night in Stanton. Powell will then play in the Gateway Holiday Classic at Montgomery County Dec. 28-30. Their first game will be Dec. 28 against Woodford County.

Staff Report

   The Powell County Pirates started out on a whirlwind schedule, but that has slowed down some now. In fact in the past week they have only played one game. That was a home contest against the Paintsville Tigers last Monday night. Despite a good game full of action, Powell fell to the Tigers, 57-53.

     The game started out with a fury of action for the Pirates Bryce Merion racked up the first four points, on a baseline move and a fast break layup. Following a quick three from the visitors, Payton Barnett nailed a baseline shot to give the Pirates a quick 6-3 lead.

The Tigers rolled off seven unanswered points before Merion nailed a trey to make it 10-9. Both teams kept up the quick style of play and with only one foul on each team, the quarter ended with Paintsville leading, 18-14.

    The second quarter was just as fast and fun to watch. A balanced attack from Merion, Barnett, Chimaobi Ajuonuma and Carlos Hernandez helped the Pirates to outscore the Tigers 12-4  in the period. The physical contest still heard very little whistles from the referees. Powell enjoyed a 26-22 halftime advantage.

     The third quarter saw a quick change in momentum as the Tigers Seth Williams caught fire from outside the three point arc. That, coupled with a blitzkrieg offense, caught the Pirates a little off guard. The Tigers came from behind to go on a 12-0 run to take a 34-28 lead at the 4:37 mark in the quarter.

     The Pirates regrouped and began to climb back into the fray. Two charity tosses by Barnett and a six foot jumper in the lane, as well as a put back by Colby Cook and a 12 foot baseline jumper and a tap in by Ajuonuma pulled Powell to a 38-38 tie. A basket late in the quarter gave Paintsville a 40-38 lead entering the fourth quarter.

     The final frame saw the Tigers use a two-three zone to try to slow the game down a bit. The game became a battle of  trading baskets. Like two heavyweight boxers in the last round of a prize fight, both teams traded baskets back-and-forth. The Tigers did manage to push ahead, 53-47 with just 2:03 to play.

    Powell bought back hard and furious in the final two  minutes of the game. Hernandez put back his own his to make it four point game. The Tigers then committed two straight turnovers, but the Pirates missed a couple of chances with some rushed shot selections.

     The Pirates did make the game interesting when Barnett nailed a three pointer to make it 53-52. After a missed Tigers shot the Pirates were driving, but turned the ball over.  Paintsville’s Mason Moore hit a 12 foot jumper in the lane and Hernandez connected on one of two free throws.. But a wide open layup by the Tigers Braxton Tharp gave the visitors a 57-53 lead. The Pirates missed two three point attempts in the final 20 seconds, as Paintsville hung on for the 57-53 win.

     Williams led all scorers with 24 points. He as the only Tiger in double figures. Paintsville improved to 2-0.

Powell was led by Barnett with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Hernandez scored 10 points and picked up six boards. Merion added nine, Ajuonuma added eight points and 13 rebounds, while Cook scored four points. The Pirates shot 35.4 percent from the field and was three of four from the charity stripe.

     Powell was set to play Richmond Model this past Tuesday. The Pirates travel to Leslie County on Friday and then return home to host Rowan County this Saturday night. The team will then host Owsley County on Dec. 19 and Lee County on Dec 22, in back-to-back district matchups.