After missing out on a chance to chase a state title last season due to COVID and losing their top-5 scorers to graduation, the Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons appeared to be a long shot to return to the top of the 2nd Region this year. However, after a 39-point explosion by Kale Gaither on Thursday night, the Maroons have the opportunity to repeat as region champs after topping Hopkinsville 66-65 in overtime.
The Tigers scored the first 6 points of the game and led 11-4 after Daisjuan Mercer came up with a steal and layup with 3:15 left in the first quarter. Kale Gaither answered with an and-1 and closed the quarter with a pair of free throws to trim the Tiger advantage to 16-11.
The margin was 8 after Arthur McKnight scored on a layup, but Gaither drilled a 3-pointer and Zach Tow scored 4-straight to give the Maroons their first lead at 21-20 with four and a half minutes left in the half. 
Watts and Kemarion Smith connected on back-to-back 3s for the Tigers, but Gaither knotted it at 26-26 after another bucket from behind the arc. McKnight closed the half with a pair of 3-pointers to send Hoptown to the locker room with a 32-26 advantage.
Jamarcus Burks got going for the Tigers to start the second half, with the last of his 7 points in the third giving the Tigers their first double-digit lead at 41-31. However, Gaither answered with 5-straight, and Tow’s 3-pointer with a minute left trimmed the margin to 2 at 43-41 going to the fourth.
McKnight’s third 3 of the game put the Tigers in front by 5 with 5:30 to play, but the Maroons battled back to within 1 after an Ashton Gaines corner 3 with two minutes left. Burks hit a pair of free throws to push Hoptown back up by 4 with just over a minute to go, but those would be the last points in regulation for the Tigers.
Gaither scored on a layup and hit a pair of free throws, and after the Maroons forced a jump ball they had a shot to win with :17.3 left. Gaither’s pull-up jumper bounced off and the teams went to overtime tied at 57-57.
Gaither opened overtime with a 3-point play, but a Watts 3-pointer tied it at 62-62 and the Tigers regained the lead after 1 of 2 free throws by Mercer. A Gaither layup put the Maroons back in front by a point before Burks answered with a bucket in the paint with :26 to play.
Hoptown had the ball with a chance to pad the lead, but a turnover set up Gaither’s heroics. His first shot missed, but he pulled down his own rebound and scored on the second try for a 66-65 lead with a second left. McKnight’s half-court heave missed right, and the Maroons returned to the title game on Saturday against UHA.
Gaither’s 39 led all scorers, including 16 in the fourth quarter and overtime. He finished 10-11 at the charity stripe, 6-6 in overtime. Tow added 13 for the Maroons and Gaines finished with 12.
Watts scored 23 to lead the Tigers, followed by McKnight with 15, and Burks with 11. Hoptown finished 9-19 from the line, including 6-14 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Hopkinsville 16 16 11 14 8 — 65
Madisonville 11 15 15 16 9 — 66
Hopkinsville (7-5) — Watts 23, McKnight 15, Burks 11, Jesse 6, Smith 6, Mercer 4
Madisonville (16-4) — Gaither 39, Tow 13, Gaines 12, Frazier 2
