OVERTIME THRILLER: Southwestern falls in battle against West Jess

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern senior Kinsley Molden (center) attempts to finish near the basket with a layup past the defense of West Jessamine junior Katie Mastin (11) during the Warriors' 60-59 loss in overtime to the Colts on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024.

SOMERSET - For the Southwestern Warriors, revenge was on the menu on Friday night as they welcomed in the Colts of West Jessamine in a rematch of last year's semifinal contest in the 12th Region Tournament. An early battle for supremacy of a very talented 12th Region? It may have been the beginning of the KHSAA State Championship games for football today, but a match like this is bringing early feelings of that wonderful feeling of madness in March.

The game did not disappoint either, and despite the Warriors taking a dominating double-digit lead after one quarter of action, the game eventually was sent into overtime where a pair of late free throws from the Colts handed West Jessamine a narrow 60-59 victory over Southwestern.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern sophomore Mollie Osborne (center) grabs a rebound between West Jessamine sophomore Claire Marshall (left) and junior Kimberly Johnson (right) during the Warriors' loss to the Colts on Friday.

Mollie Osborne opened the scoring for the Warriors on an offensive rebound and two, before talented sophomore forward Claire Marshall scored her first two points of the contest. From there, however, it was all Southwestern in the period as they used a stifling defense to hold the Colts to just one more point during the rest of the quarter. Three-pointers began raining down for the Warriors as well, as Jaelyn Dye hit two shots from long range and both Kinsley Molden and Megan Loudermilk added one each as the home team took a 14-3 lead after the first eight minutes.

Katie Mastin hit a three right at the beginning of play in the second quarter to cut into the Colts' deficit before a pair of baskets inside from McKaila Monroe. Both teams went cold from the offensive side of the floor for several minutes before Mastin and Jessalyn Flynn traded threes for their respective teams. After three made free throws from Isabella Lewis, it looked like the Colts would be taking a single-digit deficit into the second half, but a late three from Molden gave Southwestern a 25-15 edge at the break.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern senior Ava Jones (center) hands the ball off to fellow senior Kinsley Molden (right) during the Warriors' contest against West Jessamine on Friday night.

At least on the offensive side of things, the Warriors had to be confident heading into the third quarter after they got contributions from seven different players. However, the Colts had other plans as after a three from Ariana McLoney and two from Kimberly Johnson cut the Warriors' lead down to 27-20. Dye was certainly on fire early on though, as she scored the first six for her team as they still managed to keep a double-digit lead midway through the period at 31-20.

A basket from Marshall seemed to be the catalyst for the Colts' offense though, as following a timeout from head coach Matt Hilkens, West Jessamine went on a 10-0 spree to tie the game up at 33-33 with Marshall scoring another four points on the run. In a 18-7 run to end the quarter overall, Marshall could not be stopped with 10 points including a three-pointer. Just as it looked like the Warriors would trail heading into the final quarter, a late three from Ava Jones knotted things up at 38-38.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: West Jessamine sophomore Claire Marshall (15) shoots a floater near the basket past the defense from Southwestern senior Megan Loudermilk (right) and sophomore Mollie Osborne (33) during the Colts' victory over the Warriors on Friday at the Wig Wam.

Jones was fouled on a three early on in the fourth and hit all three from the line, giving her team a 41-40 lead. After a three from Marshall tied the game up, Molden was able to successfully convert a traditional three-point play to give the Warriors a 48-45 lead. A potential injury to Molden and a technical foul called on Dye allowed the Colts to build a 50-48 lead late in the game, with both Dye and Osborne soon fouling out of the game. To her credit, Molden showed her toughness and returned to the game, hitting two free throws to tie the game up at 50-50 and force this game into overtime.

Two from Kylie Dalton gave the Warriors the first lead in the overtime period, before Johnson immediately tied the game right back up. Neither team could build much of an advantage until some free throws from Marshall and Mastin put the Colts on top 57-54. A basket inside on an inbounds pass was good from Monroe to cut the West Jess lead down to one before Molden would foul out of the game. Down three starters, and perhaps showing the depth of this team versus previous years, head coach Junior Molden was not daunted in the slightest, turning to sophomore sharpshooter Kenzie Williams.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern senior Jessalyn Flynn (1) hugs her sophomore teammate Kenzie Williams (left) after Williams hit a three-pointer during overtime of the Warriors' contest against West Jessamine on Friday.

With seven seconds left in the contest, and following her first attempt from deep missing, Williams would connect from long range to give her team a 59-58 lead, with the Wig Wam exploding for the youngster. Unfortunately for the home team, there was just a little bit too much time left on the clock, with Lewis able to draw a foul with about two seconds left. The junior hit both of her free throws to put her team and after a full court heave was unsuccessful, the Colts celebrated a 60-59 victory in overtime over Southwestern. Make no mistake about it though, both of these teams will be threats come regional tournament time.

The Warriors were led by Kinsley Molden with 15 points. Other scorers included Dye with 14, Monroe with 10, Jones with six, Flynn, Williams, Dalton and Loudermilk all with three apiece and Osborne with two. West Jessamine was led by Marshall with a game-high 21 points. Other scorers for the Colts included Mastin and McLoney with 11, Lewis with nine and Johnson with eight.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern sophomore Jaelyn Dye (center) looks to finish with a move towards the basket during the game between the Warriors and the West Jessamine Colts on Friday.

Southwestern falls to 1-2 and will next be in action next Friday on the road against the South Laurel Lady Cardinals. West Jessamine improves to 2-0 and will be back in action on Tuesday as they travel to Scott County to take part in the Billy Hicks Classic, where they will take on the Jackson County Lady Generals.

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