3 Teams Finding Victory Through Team-Building Wins

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Basketball is the sport and probably always will be what the Bluegrass State is known for! Every season brings highs and lows for teams, players, coaches, and fan bases. Right now, these three teams are building confidence and momentum through hard-fought, team-building victories that are paying off on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Apollo High School</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Apollo is in rebuild mode, but progress is showing! The Lady E-Gals are coming off a gritty two-point win over Lewis County, and Coach Michael Riggs understands that rebuilding is a process. His team is buying in, putting in the work, and starting to see positive results!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Key performances vs. Lewis County:</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>LaShay Vera</strong>&nbsp;finished with&nbsp;<strong>13 points and 11 rebounds</strong>. She is an athletic forward at her best when attacking downhill and slashing to the basket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>Taylor Mattingly</strong>&nbsp;contributed&nbsp;<strong>10 points and 6 rebounds</strong>. She is averaging&nbsp;<strong>9.9 rebounds per game</strong>, and her ability to control the glass is a major factor for Apollo every night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>Emersyn Bullington</strong>&nbsp;added&nbsp;<strong>6 points</strong>. As the team's leading scorer, she brings consistency and stability to the offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>Aubrey Johnson</strong>&nbsp;scored&nbsp;<strong>6 points</strong>, including a&nbsp;<strong>huge three-pointer</strong>&nbsp;that tied the game with less than a minute remaining.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>Eriyah Curry</strong>&nbsp;chipped in&nbsp;<strong>5 points</strong>, but none bigger than the&nbsp;<strong>game-winning three</strong>. The pressure is real for this freshman point guard, and she is already proving to be a&nbsp;<strong>player to watch in the 3rd Region going forward</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>⸻</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marion County</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marion County is already showing major progress early in the season! Coach Makayla Epps is changing the culture, and the Lady Knights are fully bought in. Two big wins over the weekend show that something special is being built!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1096656' first='Kyra' last='Smith']</strong>&nbsp;leads the way as a tough, two-way guard who can score at all three levels. In the win over [player_tooltip player_id='1100034' first='Grace' last='James'], she poured in&nbsp;<strong>17 points</strong>, including&nbsp;<strong>10 made free throws</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1096633' first='Patience' last='Staples']</strong>&nbsp;is a long, athletic lefty who makes plays on both ends. Against Thomas Nelson, she delivered&nbsp;<strong>17 points and 8 rebounds</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>Deona Shivley</strong>&nbsp;brings relentless effort and athleticism every night. She contributed&nbsp;<strong>11 points and 6 rebounds</strong>&nbsp;in the win over [player_tooltip player_id='1100034' first='Grace' last='James'].</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1234534' first='Aubree' last='Walker']</strong>&nbsp;combines strength and skill to create difficult matchups. In the win against Thomas Nelson, she posted&nbsp;<strong>14 points and 7 rebounds</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>⸻</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marshall County</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Marshall County continues to dominate. The Lady Marshals went&nbsp;<strong>2–0 last weekend</strong>, remain&nbsp;<strong>undefeated</strong>, and sit at&nbsp;<strong>8–0 on the season</strong>. Coach Aaron Beth has this group rolling, and they are clearly chasing big goals!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='743669' first='Kenzlee' last='Terry']</strong>&nbsp;is a dynamic&nbsp;<strong>three-level scorer</strong>, leading the team with&nbsp;<strong>19.6 points per game</strong>&nbsp;while knocking down over&nbsp;<strong>three triples per game at nearly 46% shooting</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1214063' first='Addi' last='Wall']</strong>&nbsp;thrives attacking the paint. She is the second-leading scorer at&nbsp;<strong>9.9 ppg</strong>, shoots over&nbsp;<strong>56% from the field</strong>, and leads the team with&nbsp;<strong>5 rebounds per game</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='997369' first='Rylan' last='Darnall']</strong>&nbsp;brings versatility across the board. She is&nbsp;<strong>third in scoring (8.1 ppg)</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>second in rebounding (4 rpg)</strong>, and second on the team in three-pointers made.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>• <strong>Lauren Noles</strong>&nbsp;provides consistency and efficiency. She ranks&nbsp;<strong>top five in scoring</strong>,&nbsp;<strong>third in rebounds</strong>, and is shooting&nbsp;<strong>over 55% from the field</strong>&nbsp;during her senior season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->