Cameron McDaniels reacted as Jeffersontown upset No. 1 St. X Wednesday. (Les Nicholson Photo)
With the game on the line, there was no doubt who was going to take the last shot for Bowling Green.
Bowling Green trailed Adair County 51-50 in overtime and was holding for a last shot Wednesday when 6-0, 170-pound Deuce Bailey saw an opening — and took it. His goal with nine seconds to play gave Bowling Green the 52-51 win and berth in Friday’s quarterfinals.
Bailey said he saw a matchup he liked.
“I took the opportunity to get to the basket, took a good shot and it went in,” said Bailey. “I just saw a mismatch I liked and just took it.”
Bailey averages only 8.4 points per game — sixth best on his team — but no one is better in the clutch. He’s a Missouri State football signee who led Bowling Green to three straight Class 5A finals and state titles in 2023 and 2024 He threw for 3,183 yards and 45 touchdowns in 2024 to go with 423 yards and five scores rushing. In the state title game he was 13-for-18 passing for 199 yards and ran 11 times for 74 yards and three scores.
Bowling Green coach D.G. Sherrill said when his team spread the floor for a final show he had “supreme confidence” any of his five players could score.
“Deuce was the preseason Fourth Region player of the year. Why would you not want the ball in his hands? I have seen since eighth grade make plays,” Sherrill said. “When he turned the corner I thought something good would happen here or if not we would go home and know we tried to make the right play at that moment.”
Bailey got to the rim and just like he seemed to always do in football, he delivered the game-winning play.
Bailey was 3-for-6 from the field and had eight points, five rebounds, two blocks one steal and one assists in 29 minutes and also committed just three fouls despite applying relentless defensive pressure from start to finish on Adair senior guard Connor Loy who averages 20.4 points per game and shoots 60 percent from the field.
Loy had 14 points on 5-for-16 shooting along with nine rebounds, eight assists and steals. He had four turnovers but played all 36 minutes against Bowling Green’s non-stop pressure.
“It was about what we expected,” Sherrill said. “We got the lead but they were never going to quit playing. They were physical. Loy is a load and a fabulous player. Their big boys did a good job muscling us.”
Loy took an elbow to the face just above his eye late in the game that drew blood. He played the rest of the way with the bandage on his face but never backed down.
“Loy does not quit. You would have to beat that kid and tie him down (for him to quit),” Sherrill said. “He just keeps driving in there. I felt like Deuce was the one guy who could cause him problems with his length and his lateral quickness is as good as any guy I have ever coached.”
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The Sports History Foundation has produced a documentary titled “The Shot Heard ‘Round the State” that showcases the half-court shot Paul Andrews hit in the 1982 boys state championship game to give Laurel County a win over North Hardin.
It was a remarkable run by Andrews, who went on to play at Kentucky, because he hit a free throw with three seconds to go to beat Virgie 61-60 earlier in the tournament to set the stage for his title game heroics.
In the title game, the score was tied when Andrews intercepted a pass in the final seconds, dribbled to midcourse and launched a shot that was all net as the buzzer sounded to win the game 53-51. It’s still considered the most dramatic shot in a state tournament championship game by most.
The Sports History Foundation will show the documentary Thursday at 4 p.m. at LexLive across from Rupp Arena. Tickets are available at the door for the 90-minute presentation.
The trailer can be found here.
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The second game of Wednesday’s state tournament produced a big upset as Jeffersontown overcame a 10-point deficit in the third quarter to stun No. 1 St. Xavier 64-59.
J-town coach Richard Duncan said his team (26-6) felt disrespected going into the tournament.
“I read the local paper and they were talking about how great a championship game St. X and Great Crossing would be. That is disrespectful,” Duncan said. “We put in a lot of work. We have kids that can ball and play against anybody. That is a slap in the face and we took it personally.”
Cameron McDaniels led the second-half charge for J-town and finished with 17 points and nine rebounds. He wasn’t worried in the first half when his shots were not falling.
“I have my faith in them. I know they will come through,” he said. “I didn’t have a good first half but as a basketball player you have to move on to the next play.”
Duncan was proud that his team did not wilt.
“We faced adversity and didn’t run from it. St. X is a heck of a team. I told my team they were feeling the pressure. They have not played a lot of close games,” he said.
His players also hoped the win sent a message that public school teams could more than hold their own against private schools.
“We are trying to show all the other public schools that we can play. We are here to take back over,” Jeffersontown guard Dayvonne Harrison, who also had 17 points, said.
“Everybody in the city and state thought St. X would beat us like they beat everybody else. We told the city, ‘No. This is something new,’” J-town’s Larry Westmoreland said.
