Paducah Tilghman (24-8, Second District Champions) v. Calloway County (20-10, Fourth District Runner-Up)

How they got here...Paducah Tilghman defeated Carlisle County 70-31, Calloway County knocked off Ballard Memorial 50-38

Head to Head...January 12 @Paducah Tilghman...Tilghman defeated Calloway 63-52, February 19 @Calloway County...Calloway defeated Tilghman 66-51

Shakespeare Knows the Score...'To Thine Ownself Be True'.  That's from Hamlet (we think), and it's not just our daily dose of culture, it's good advice if Tilghman wants to pull an upset.  Billy Shakes was no basketball coach, but the Bard knew that to be truly successful, you have to be true to who you are.  For Tilghman, that means running and jumping, pushing and pressing.  It's not that re-invention doesn't give you a fighting chance; Calloway County's Lakers proved that with a brilliant performance limiting the number of possessions against Graves County last night...it's that against Calloway County's Lady Lakers that you have to find a way to score.  Averee Fields' brilliance is almost all-consuming for opposing coaches, and they stay awake at night wondering how to STOP her.  The question they should be asking is how do we SCORE against her and the Lady Lakers' defense?  For all of her offensive and transition gifts, Fields is even more dominant defensively, and her teammates aren't bad, either.  Ballard Memorial held the Lady Lakers to 50 points, which isn't a bad number at all, but their 38 points game them no chance to win the game.  Tilghman knows that they can score the ball some with the breathtaking talents of Chelsey Shumpert (she had 31 in the last meeting between the two), but to score the ball enough, they must create points off of their defensive pressure and in transition.  If that means that Fields gets a few more points on the run, or that the Lady Lakers break pressure and shoot a layup, so be it.  To spring an upset, Tilghman has to be who they are.

All-State Great...For the third time this year, western Kentucky's biggest stars share the floor.  Both Averee Fields and Chelsey Shumpert are truly unique and truly special.  Fields is a 6-1 marvel, possessing unmatched grace and balance.  She has the handle and passing ability of a guard, and she has become a tenacious rebounder.  Fields continues to improve her offensive game, and she is one of the most dominant defenders...maybe the best...the region has ever seen.  Shumpert is 5-3, with the competitive heart of a lion, and she is just as dominant thanks to her ball-on-a-string handle and relentless explosiveness.  She gets where she wants to go when she wants to go there, and as her perimeter shooting matches her ability to finish in traffic she will become unstoppable.  Her ability to break down defenders on the bounce allows her to create for her teammates and make them more effective.  Shumpert is brilliant in transition, and she is capable of changing the game defensively with her speed.  Both teams tonight will go to great lengths to try and combat these great stars.  Expect Tilghman to provide Fields with multiple escorts in the halfcourt, and you can expect Calloway County to do everything they can to see that Shumpert stays out of the lane.  When all is said and done, both players will rank among the best ever to play in the First Region, and sooner or later, they both deserve to be recognized as among the very best in the state of Kentucky.

You Start, I'll Finish...Tilghman will be wise to give Karlee Wilson plenty of attention in tonight's first half.  The sophomore shooting guard has come out blazing in her last two starts, blitzing both Murray and Ballard Memorial with four three-point field goals in the game's first sixteen minutes (more like the first nine against Ballard), helping the Lady Lakers get off to great starts.  Wilson is a dangerous shooter under any circumstances, but she becomes infinitely more dangerous when she gets her confidence rolling early.  And when she is good, the Calloway County offense is great.  Wilson has been slowed in the second half, but that's when Taylor Futrell has come to the rescue.  Wilson's sophomore classmate has had a terrific year, and whether it has been a transition basket, a pull-up jumper, or a pair of free throws, Futrell has shown a knack for coming through in the clutch.  That's the biggest key with both Lady Laker guards...they aren't afraid to embrace the big moment.

Tornado, With a Twist...Shumpert will need offensive support if the Tornado hopes to knock off Calloway County again in a regional semifinal.  Where will it come from?  Could it be Ngodoo Itiavkase, Alexis Parker, or LaQuesha Prather on the interior?  Kendra Patterson, Destiny Skinner, or Meko Buchanan on the perimeter?  Tilghman probably needs at least one, and perhaps two, members of the rotation to join Shumpert in double figures to put enough points on the board against the Lady Lakers.  Itiavkase and the graduated Megan Bunte were two huge keys last year in a semifinal surprise; someone will have to provide the plot twist for it to happen again.

Paducah Tilghman wins...

• If Shumpert scores 30 points and at least one teammate joins her in double figures
• If the Tornado forces 20 turnovers or more and scores at least 20 points off them
• If Fields is held to fewer than 20 points and none of her teammates join her in double figures
• If Tilghman does not lose the rebounding battle by more than five

Calloway County wins...

• If the Lady Lakers hold Tilghman to 40 points or less
• If the Lady Lakers score at least 15 points in transition
• If Fields scores at least 20 points and at least one teammate joins her in double figures
• If the Lady Lakers commit fewer than 15 turnovers