BOWLING GREEN, Ky.
The Clark County girls’ basketball team shot 3-pointers with near-record success, and junior forward Sandra Skinner rarely missed in the paint. It was outside-inside excellence that sent the Lady Cardinals to the quarterfinals of the Houchens Industries/KHSAA Sweet 16.
Skinner had 25 points and seven rebounds, and her teammates shot 10 of 17 from 3-point range — tying for the second-most made threes ever in a state tournament game — in a 79-70 win over Corbin in the first round at E.A. Diddle Arena.
Clark County (25-8) advanced to face Marshall County, which beat Perry County Central 54-38, at 7:30 p.m. EDT today.
“We want to pound the ball inside to Sandra and Maddie (Hamlin),” Clark County coach Robbie Graham said. “We feel like we have an advantage on a lot of teams with our post players. … We were hoping … when they started doubling our posts, that there would be kick-outs to our shooters (to) get some wide-open threes.”
Clark County, champion of the 10thRegion, shot 61.9 percent (26 of 42 from the floor) and fell just one 3-pointer shy of tying the state tournament record of 11 made by Clinton County against Lexington Catholic in 2005.
“We’ve got some shooters,” Graham said.
Lexxus Graham, who made four threes, and Sydney Anderson, who hit two, each added 14 points for Clark County. Graham, the coach’s daughter, also had six assists.
Hamlin had eight points and seven rebounds.
Corbin (26-8), the back-to-back champion of the 13th Region, had a good shooting day, too, making 48.2 percent overall and 7 of 16 from 3-point range. Corbin hung around by forcing 20 Clark turnovers, including 13 off steals.
Senior guard Miranda Wilson had a huge game — 29 points, four assists and six steals — to lead the Lady Redhounds. Her identical twin, Kayla, had six points, six assists and four steals. Both have signed with St. Catharine College.
“Clark County is a very nice team with their size, and Skinner is a very good post player,” Corbin coach Jason McDaniel said. “They shot the ball exceptionally well. In the film I reviewed, they didn’t shoot the ball that well, but that’s what happens when you come up here.”
Clark County, which led 36-30 at halftime, made five threes in the third quarter to take a 57-44 lead late in the period.
Skinner, who is a recruiting target for multiple Ohio Valley Conference and other mid-major colleges, scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, including 6 of 7 at the foul line, to seal it. She finished 9 of 11 from the field and passed well out of the post, with four assists.
“We kind of know what she’s got, but it’s probably an opportunity to let the rest of the state (see), (to) play in front of them and showcase her skills,” Robbie Graham said.
