Miners edge PC for regional title

By LARRY GOFFINET
Sports Editor

PHOTO: Danny Bolin

Perry Central forward Tanner Cassidy slips past Linton-Stockton defender Dess Fougerousse for a layup in Saturday’s regional championship boys basketball game.

Buy this photo

PHOTO: Danny Bolin

Perry Central guard Abe Schwartz shoots a jumper against Linton-Stockton in Saturday's regional championship game.

Buy this photo

PHOTO: Danny Bolin

Southridge Principal Mike Eineman, a former Perry Central basketball coach, presents the regional runner-up game ball to Perry Central senior Tanner Cassidy Saturday.

Buy this photo

HUNTINGBURG—Taking advantage of its superior height, Linton-Stockton worked the ball inside consistently to beat Perry Central 68-63 for the Class 2A boys basketball regional title Saturday night.
Dess Fougerousse, a 6-foot-5 forward, and Austin Karazsia, a 6-8 center, combined for 48 of the Miners’ points on 19 of 25 field-goal shooting and 9 of 10 free-throw shooting.
All eight of Karazsia’s field goals were scored from within 7 feet of the basket and eight of Fougerousse’s 10 came from within 5 feet of the basket.
Fougerousse did hit a 16-footer and a three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer.
That was the first three-pointer the Miners shot, as their game plan was clearly to go inside to their two big men to shoot over the shorter Commodores on nearly every possession.
With those two leading the way, their team hit 69.7 percent from the field.
Yet the Commodores still had a chance to win in the final minute.
After falling behind by as much as 10 points in a cold-shooting first half (10 of 33 from the field), they hit 60.0 percent (15 of 25) in the second half and also used their defensive pressure to get back into the game.
Derek Thomas hit a three-pointer from the corner with 3:03 left in the third quarter to give them their first lead of  the second half, 39-38.
Linton built its lead back to eight points, 53-45, early in the fourth quarter after hitting two three-pointers.
On one of those, Perry Central nearly made a steal, but the ball deflected to an open Bryant Jackson, who drilled the three-pointer.
But again Perry Central battled back to take the lead on a 6-foot baseline shot by Colten Hedinger with three minutes left.
After a Linton turnover, Dillon Hubert hit an 18-footer to increase the Commodores’ lead to 60-57 with two minutes left.
Linton scored the next 11 points, though, including six after three Perry Central turnovers. The Commodores had committed only one turnover in the second half until then.
The Miners hit 9 of 10 free throws in that run and also got an inside basket from Karazsia.
After Perry Central missed a three-point shot, Fougerousse hit two free throws with 0:16 left to put Linton up 66-60 and pretty much seal the outcome.
“We made an unbelievable run—we just couldn’t quite finish it,” said Perry Central Coach Matt Carter.
“I told people it would take a heck of a basketball team to put us out,” he added. “And Linton-Stockton is an outstanding team with those two big guys and good guards who handle the ball well.”
The Miners did commit 17 turnovers, though, including 10 on Perry Central steals. Hedinger and Tanner Cassidy each made three steals.
Despite the height difference, Linton won the rebound battle by only three, 24-21.
Cassidy grabbed six rebounds to lead the Commodores. Fougerousse had 12 for Linton.
Cassidy scored 18 points, Austin LeClere 13, Thomas 12, and Hubert 10 for the Commodores.
LeClere scored nine consecutive Perry Central points early in the fourth-quarter comeback. Hubert was 5 for 5 from the field—all in the second half.
“Dillon and Austin were awesome,” said Carter.
“And our seniors were just unbelievable for us all year, not just for what they did on the basketball floor but in the community and the classroom as well.
“They’re great leaders. They’re absolutely special guys and they’re going to be missed.”
Perry Central finished the season 22-4. Linton advances to the semistate with a 23-3 record.

At Southridge Regional Saturday
Championship Game
Perry Central (63)
    fg-a    ft-a    reb    pf    tp
Cassidy    6-11    5-7    6    4    18
LeClere    5-12    2-2    2    4    13
Hedinger    2-4    0-0    1    3    4
Thomas    5-12    0-0    2    2    12
Huber    0-5    0-0    3    1    0
A. Schwartz    0-4    0-0    2    3    0
Schaad    1-3    0-0    0    1    3
Edwards    1-2    0-0    0    1    3
Hubert    5-5    0-0    2    1    10
Team            3
    Totals    25-58    7-9    21    20    63
Linton-Stockton (68)
    fg-a    ft-a    reb    pf    tp
Bohnert    2-5    7-8    3    2    11
Fougerousse    10-14    5-6    12    4    26
Karazsia    9-11    4-4    3    3    22
Jackson    2-3    3-4    3    1    8
Fulk    0-0    0-0    0    2    0
Riddell    0-0    0-0    2    0    0
Woodward    0-0    0-0    0    1    0
Team            1
    Totals    23-33    20-24    24    13    68

  Three-point shooting: Perry Central 6-17 (Cassidy 1-3, LeClere 1-2, Thomas 2-4, Huber 0-2, A. Schwartz 0-2, Schaad 1-2, Edwards 1-2), Linton 2-2 (Fougerousse 1-1, Jackson 1-1). Assists: Perry Central 12 (Cassidy 5, Huber 3, A. Schwartz 2, LeClere, Hedinger). Steals: Perry Central 10 (Cassidy 3, Hedinger 3, LeClere 2, Thomas 2). Turnovers: Perry Central 8, Linton-Stockton 17.

Perry Central    13    11    20    19  -     63
Linton-Stockton    19    11    18    20  -     68