Hickman County (12-13, First District Champions) v. Heath (16-14, Second District Runner-Up)
Head to Head...December 8 @Heath...Heath 79-69 over Hickman County
Last five games...Hickman County 4-1, Heath 2-3
Games decided by five points or less...Hickman County 0-4, Heath 2-2
When scoring 50 points or more...Hickman County 12-6, Heath 11-5
When scoring 50 points or less...Hickman County 0-7, Heath 5-9
Average points per game...Hickman County 64.0, Heath 50.9
Average points allowed per game...Hickman County 55.8, Heath 52.4
Against the regional tournament field...Hickman County 3-4, Heath 5-6
Strength of Schedule...Advantage, Heath. Hickman County was a perfect 10-0 against First District competition, but only 2-13 against everyone else. The Lady Falcons 12 wins came against five teams (they beat 2-18 Fulton City five times) that averaged 5.4 wins on the season. Heath is the only tournament entry to have faced every team in the field. The Lady Pirates own wins over 23-win Paducah Tilghman and 16-win Graves County.
Fantastic Forwards...Paige Barclay could just as easily be listed at guard, but the 5-9 senior offers a frontcourt résumé, averaging 23 points per game and hauling down nearly 11 rebounds a game. She is one of only three players in the region to average a 20 and 10 (Averee Fields and Cari McMullen are the others). Barclay became Hickman County's all-time leading scorer in the Lady Falcons' district title win over Carlisle County, and she enters the tournament with 1,820 career points. Heath understands the damage Barclay can do, and after the Lady Pirates' December 8 win over Hickman County, you can be sure the Lady Falcons know what Lauren Paxton can do. The 5-7 senior scored a career-high 42 points that night, and her offensive explosion helped hasten her arrival at the 1,000 point plateau for her career. Paxton has a relentless motor to match Barclay's outstanding athleticism, and she puts up her own impressive numbers each night (18 points, six rebounds).
Three's Company...Hickman County will be putting threes in the air, and when they go down, the Lady Falcons can become very difficult to beat. Brianna Terrell was on fire during the First District tournament, scoring 32 points against Fulton City and making nine threes total in the tournament. She and Sam McClain provide Hickman County with a pair of dangerous weapons from beyond the arc, and frankly, almost everybody in a Lady Falcons uniform is capable of making the triple...including Barclay and point guard Korrina Savage. Heath relies much more on a game inside the arc, led by Paxton and guard Lauren Baer, but the Lady Pirates have a trio of young ladies capable of making the triple as well. Allison Garrett is Heath's three-point specialist, and Elizabeth McSparin and Baer can knock down the trifecta as well.
Hickman County wins...
- If Barclay scores 20 or more and the Lady Falcons make ten threes or more.
- If the Lady Falcons dominate the glass.
- If the Lady Falcons force 15 turnovers or more.
Heath wins...
- If the Lady Pirates shoot 50% from the field.
- If the Lady Pirates shoot 25 free throws.
- If the Lady Pirates dominate the glass.
- If the Lady Pirates keep their turnovers under 15.
