2020DMRG12

2008 Houchens Industries/KHSAA Girls’ Sweet Sixteen® State Basketball Tournament

E.A. Diddle Arena Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, KY

March 15, 2008

Franklin-Simpson (34-2) vs. Butler (33-5) (Championship)

Franklin-Simpson coach Lex Lindsey started the following lineup: 5-9 Jr. Brittany Payne, 5-6 Jr. Drea Gooch, 6-2 Fr. Chasity Gooch, 5-7 Jr. Dominique Cook, and 5-8 Sr. Kelleshia Cook.  Butler coach Eddy Wilson countered with 5-9 Sr. Tia Gibbs, 5-9 Sr. Brittany Harris, 5-10 Jr. Tiarra Hooper, 5-7 Sr. Kara Pile, and 5-5 Jr. Shontel Bates.

Butler got an excellent 25 point effort from their bench to defeat Franklin-Simpson 58=57 for the championship.  Butler star Tia Gibbs went scoreless in 14:55 minutes of action and during the game was taken to the hospital for observation because of a possible concussion.  Free throw shooting was the Achilles’ heel for Franklin-Simpson as they were only nine of 22 from the stripe.  The Lady Wildcats had a last second opportunity for the win but a three point attempt was off target.

Butler shot 41.8% from the field including two of eight from the three point line.  The Bearetts connected on 10 of 17 free throws, pulled down 38 rebounds, and scored 24 points off 19 Franklin-Simpson turnovers.  Franklin-Simpson shot 50% from the field including six of 15 from beyond the arc.  The Lady Wildcats connected on nine of 22 free throws, grabbed 30 rebounds, and scored 10 points off 12 Butler turnovers.

Tiara Hopper led Butler with 15 points and 11 rebounds.  5-8 Fr. Megan Cureton, 5-4 Fr. Heather Wheat, 5-7 So. Whitney Reed, and Kara Pile added nine, eight, eight, and eight points respectively.  Kelleshia Cook led Franklin-Simpson with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists.  Chasity Gooch, Brittany Payne, and Drea Gooch added 17, 11, and 10 points respectively.

Franklin-Simpson,13,13,13,18,57

Butler,10,14,16,18,58

Franklin-Simpson (57) – Payne 11, D. Gooch 10, C. Gooch 17, D. Cook 0, K. Cook 19.

Butler (58) – Gibbs 0. Harris 7, Hopper 15, Pile 8, Bates 3, Reed 8, Wheat 8, Cureton 9.

All Tournament Team – Kendall Noble (Breathitt County), Mariah Robinson (Ohio County), Rinesha Soaper (Henderson County), Maggie Prewitt (Montgomery County), Danielle Woodmore (DuPont Manual), Brittany Wilson (DuPont Manual), Jenna Goblirsch (Elizabethtown), Alex Jones (Elizabethtown), Kelleshia Cook (Franklin-Simpson), Brittany Payne (Franklin-Simpson), Chasity Gooch (Franklin-Simpson), Brittany Harris (Butler), Tiara Hooper (Butler), and Tia Gibbs (Butler) (MVP).

A special thanks to WL Stats and the KHSAA for providing the stats and updates for this event.