Sweet 16 First Round Recap: Game 1

Photo Credit: Cam Anderson   Most kids growing up in the Bluegrass State dream of one day playing in the four-day tournament, known as the "Sweet 16" at the historic Rupp Arena. Kentucky is one of the few states across the country that does not have a class system. Which means there is no division between big and small schools, or public and private schools they all get an opportunity to play in the postseason, but only 16 teams advance to the Sweet Sixteen State Tournament.   Welcome to The Greatest Show in Hoops!   Bowling Green-46   -5th straight trip to the State Tournament for the Lady Purples under 7th year Coach Calvin Head-   Standouts:   [player_tooltip player_id='502278' first='Natajia' last='Alexander']-SR-SG   Alexander made the first shot of the game showing touch from the mid range, very active glass, applied good ball pressure. Started feeling it from the outside in the second half hit two triples, including a much needed one in the third quarter that brought Bowling Green within four points making the score 27-23 and had a pretty euro-step layup in the fourth quarter.   Stats: 12 points and 5 rebounds   JaSiyah Franklin-SR-F   Franklin used her length to alter shots, crashed the boards hard and got a lot of put-back buckets. She was also aggressive on offense and made a clutch basket in the fourth quarter finishing strong through contact inside.   Stats: 8 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists   Chloe Potter-SR-G   Potter was the unsung hero for the Lady Purples in the game, she did a good job attacking basket and drawing contact that led to trips to the charity stripe. She showed off her range from beyond the arc and scored the ball well in transition.   Stats: 12 points and 3 rebounds   Top Performer:   [player_tooltip player_id='560652' first='Katy' last='Smiley']-JR-PF   Smiley played tremendous low post defense, and protected the rim. She cleaned the glass and created contact inside and took advantage of her free throw opportunities. Also scored well around the rim and hit it a big shot from deep in the third quarter.   Stats: 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists   Owsley County-44   -First Sweet 16 appearance in school history after winning 5 straight district titles-   Standouts:   [player_tooltip player_id='376762' first='Addison' last='Terry']-SO-SG   Terry nailed a 3-pointer in the second quarter and played good defense all game. She hit another triple to end the scoring drought in the third quarter and showed range with a deep three from the key in the fourth quarter, also hit two clutch free throws in the fourth with 1:35 left in the game.   Stats: 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists   Shelby Murray-JR-PF   Murray was as exceptional on the boards, and pulled down a ton of rebounds in the game. She hustled hard on both ends, got on the floor for loose balls and used active hands to force a huge turnover in the third quarter.   Stats: 10 Rebounds   [player_tooltip player_id='885367' first='Aaliyah' last='Lynch']-JR-SG   Lynch did a good job getting out in transition for buckets the other way, she hit a big three from the key, was feeling it early hit two 3's in the first quarter and scored 8 points. Has a nice shooting stroke made a clutch triple in the fourth quarter with 10 seconds left, first basket since the first quarter.   Stats: 11 points and 2 assists   Top Performer:   [player_tooltip player_id='167102' first='Carly' last='Smith']-SR-CG   Smith got things going for the Lady Owls had 4 points in the first quarter, showed a nice pull up game from the mid range, knocked down a 3-pointer at the end of the first. Stayed in attack mode on offense the entire game, had a tough and-1 basket in the second quarter. Has a very high IQ and awareness, very good at finishing with either hand at the rim, facilitated the ball well and is extremely crafty finisher.   Stats: 14 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists

Photo Credit: Cam Anderson