Hoptown ‘Leavells’ Maroons to Advance to Region Semifinals

Bubba Leavell’s three-point play with 10.9 seconds to go and Antonio Williams blocked shot on the final play of the game capped off a wild finish as the Hopkinsville Tigers upended the Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons 51-49 in the second quarterfinal game Thursday night of the boys’ 2nd Region tournament. The frenetic finish capped off a game that saw 14 ties and 13 lead changes.

The first quarter saw plenty of pace and energy, with both teams willing to hit the floor for loose balls. The Maroons took an early 8-2 lead but then Bubba Leavell got going for the Tigers. Leavell scored eight points during an 11-2 run that saw Hoptown take a 13-10 lead. Madisonville scored the final four points of the quarter to go up 14-13 after one.

The Madisonville lead might have been bigger after the opening quarter except for the Maroons getting a little too enamored with the three-point shot early.

Hoptown’s Antonio Williams was actively patrolling the lane on defense, coming up with a pair of blocks in the first.

The second quarter was more of the same. Both teams continued to struggle from the field, both inside and behind the arc. Much of the story in the second was Bubba Leavell for Hopkinsville and Marcus Eaves for Madisonville-North Hopkins.

Eaves scored 9 of his team’s 10 points in the second quarter, allowing the Maroons to stay right with the Tigers. Leavell scored five more in the second to bring him to 13 for the half, but he had a bit more help from the rest of the team.

The second quarter had four lead changes and three ties. Madisonville’s Marcus Eaves made two free throws with 4.5 seconds left in the half to put the Maroons up 24-22. A Bubba Leavell three was just off the mark ahead of the halftime horn.

Hopkinsville was 9 of 33 from the field in the opening half and 2-10 on three-pointers. Madisonville was 6-23 from the field and 2-12 behind the line. The difference came at the free throw line, where the Maroons were 10-15 while the Tigers were just 2 of 4.

While the shooting woes continued for both teams as the second half got started, the intensity did not drop off one iota. There were four ties and two lead changes in the third.

Madisonville had problems with ball security in the quarter, coughing it up seven times. The problem for the Tigers was that their cold shooting from the field would not let them take advantage of the mistakes. Hoptown shot just 5 of 16 from the field in the third.

A late basket from Bubba Leavell would give the Tigers a 32-31 lead heading into the final eight minutes. Freshman big man Christopher Watkins had a big quarter and kept Madisonville close heading into the fourth.

The back-and-forth battle continued as the final quarter kicked off. The first five minutes of the final quarter saw two more ties and two more lead changes. The Tigers appeared to have taken the momentum after Madisonville missed three-pointers on back-to-back trips, which Hoptown then converted into five points and a 44-39 lead.

But the Maroons were not quite willing to go away that easily. Led by senior Marcus Eaves, Madisonville ripped off a huge 8-0 run and took a 47-44 lead with just 1:54 to go in the game.

Bubba Leavell knocked down a pair of free throws to cut the lead to one with 1:46 to go. After a Maroon miss, the Tigers went down with a chance to go ahead but lost the handle on the ball and let it get out of bounds.

The Maroons then attacked the press and looked like they had a lead-extending layup, but Antonio Willilams elevated and rejected the shot. The rebound ended up in a held ball, giving the ball to Hoptown in the final minute.

After a timeout, Bubba Leavell drove to the basket but could not get the shot to go down. Destin Cheirs pulled down the rebound with 28.7 seconds to go with Madisonville then taking a timeout.

The Tigers fouled LaJaun McAdoo with 25.1 seconds left. McAdoo made both free throws, but, stepped over the line on the second thinking he had left it short, putting the Maroons up 48-46.

Leavell was fouled with 18.2 seconds left on a drive to the basket, but made only one of the two free throws, cutting the lead to 48-47.

The Tigers were forced to foul McAdoo again, this time with 17.5 seconds left. McAdoo made one of two, putting the Maroons up 49-47.

Leavell then drove the ball down the court, getting to the basket, laying it in, and drawing the foul. Leavell drilled the free throw putting Hoptown up 50-49 with just 10.9 seconds left. After a Madisonville turnover, the Maroons were forced to foul Leavell with 7.4 seconds left. Leavell made one of two at the line to put the Tigers up 51-49.

The Maroons pushed the ball upcourt and took a timeout with 2.8 seconds left in the game. On the inbounds, the Maroons got the ball exactly where they wanted it, in the hands of big man Christopher Watkins down on the block. As Watkins turned to put up the shot, Hopkinsville’s Antonio Williams skyed and made the block of the season sending the Tiger faithful into a frenzy as they advanced to a date with Henderson County on Monday night.

A big finish and a big game for Bubba Leavell, who led the Tigers with 24 points. Antonio Williams stepped up with big plays late and finished the night with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Marcus Eaves led the Maroons with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Freshman DeAaron Watkins ended up with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

The Tigers won the game despite shooting just 31.7 percent from the field and being outshot at the line 31 attempts to 15.

With the win, Hopkinsville improves to 14-16 on the year and will advance to Monday night’s second semifinal game, where they will take on the Henderson County Colonels, who defeated Trigg County in Thursday night’s first semifinal contest.

The Maroons see their season wrap up at 22-10.