DCA 6-4 junior Grace Mbugua not only had to score, rebound and block shots but also had to handle the ball against Cooper's pressure defense. (Tonia Witt Photo)
It would have been one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Kentucky High School Girls Sweet Sixteen, a win comparable to the Biblical victory David had over Goliath.
However, 9th Region champion Cooper, one of the top teams in the state, did just enough in the fourth quarter to hold off 12th Region champion Danville Christian Academy 65-63 in the final first-round game Wednesday night.
It was the first state tournament appearance for DCA, a Class A school, that was given almost no chance to win but got off to a great start thanks to 17 first-quarter points by 6-4 Grace Mbugua. She was 6-for-6 from the field, including 2-for-2 from 3, and also had five rebounds and one block as DCA took a shocking 20-12 lead. However, Mbugua got her third and fourth fouls in the second period as Cooper took a 36-33 halftime lead and then extended it to 58-47 after three quarters.
DCA would not fold and got eight fourth-quarter points from Mbugua and cut the lead to one-point twice but could not quite finish.
“I just told them this might be one of my favorite games I have ever coached,” DCA coach Billy Inmon said.
He said Mbugua — 34 points on 12-for-18 shooting from the field and 7-for-11 at the line, 14 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in 28 minutes — had an “unbelievable” performance. Inmon admitted he was worried his team would “crumble and fold” against Cooper’s veteran players with Mbugua in foul trouble.
“They glorified God through their effort and attitude. Just amazing,” Inmon said. “I could not have been more proud if they had won the game. I feel like it is a privilege to coach them. That performance probably deserved a better coach.”
DCA is unique in that the team prays on the court before and during games. Every timeout, the huddle ends with a prayer from Inmon.
“It helps us a lot and makes our brains focus,” Paisley Metz, who had eight points, said.
“I asked God to not let me play scared even with four fouls,” Mbugua said. “I did not think about getting a foul called on me and giving it my all. I glorify God in everything I do.”
She can do plenty, too. Cooper coach Justin Holthaus has won three straight regional titles and this year’s team has been ranked No. 2 in the statewide media poll. He couldn’t ever remember a game where a player scored 17 points in a quarter against his team like Mbugua did.
“She shoulders the load. We believe we have a premier defensive team. She earned every bucket she got. She is a really good player,” Holthaus said. “We tried to make her give the ball up. She took us out of what we like to do offensively. We wanted to play fast because we knew what they had with that rim protector. We thought we could wear them out but they fought and competed for a full 32 minutes.
“She is super talented. She has the ability to handle the ball the length of the court. She can stretch the floor and make jump shots. She has the ability to score around the rim. She is just a special player.”
If not for foul trouble, her numbers would have been much bigger. She played the entire second half with four fouls and that limited her shot blocking and aggressiveness on offense. She took the loss hard after making a late turnover when DCA had a chance to tie the game.
Inmon blamed himself for calling a “horrible” play after calling a late timeout when he didn’t go to Mbugua with the ball. He was not placing blame on any player for what he said was on the “guttiest” performance he has ever seen in since he’s been watching tournament basketball.
He said he felt he had no choice but to put Mbugua back in the game when she had three fouls in the second quarter when Cooper was taking control of the game. She got her fourth foul less than 30 seconds later.
“She has only fouled out of one game all year and if we wanted to have a second half, I had to put her in. She does everything. Breaks the press. Hits 3’s. Posts up. I wanted to have a second half to play for,” Inmon said. “I rolled the dice and won’t comment on the (foul) call.
“I told her don’t beat yourself up (over the fourth foul). If she does something stupid I call her out and she takes it. I thought she played smart.”
Inmon embraced Mbugua on the court after the loss and then hugged senior Braxton Heck even longer as she sobbed on his shoulder.
“They have a faith,” Inmon said about his players. “For them it is about the mission at DCA. They were out there today spending time with young girls trying to mentor them. They carry this burden really heavy. You could tell during moments at timeouts they were trying to glorify God even though everything was going wrong.”
