Three winters ago, now fourth-year starters Rachel Smith, Raegan Barrett and Ava Schureman of Great Crossing lost to Scott County not one, not twice, but three times in the Warhawks' inaugural season.
SC survived GC in a 11th Region semifinal only days before the stateside arrival of the pandemic. That never felt more like eons ago than Monday night after the Lady Warhawks' 72-29 thumping of the Lady Cards' in the season-opening battle of the birds.
Great Crossing turned away Scott County for the third consecutive meeting, made 2007 KHSAA state tournament hero Matt Walls a winner in his head coaching debut on the rivals' bench and held the Cardinals to their lowest single-game point total in at least a quarter century.
“The first one's definitely special,” Walls said. “I have so much respect for the Heltons (SC head coach Steve and wife and assistant Tara) and Scott County. I'm just glad the first one's over with to be honest with you.”
Smith piled up nine points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals and earned player of the game honors on a night when scoring and playing time were startlingly balanced up and down the Great Crossing roster.
Barrett battled foul trouble — as did just about everybody on a night with 40 whistles and 50 combined free throw attempts — to finish with a game-high 11 points in only 13 minutes. Adrianna Brown and Chapel Brown both matched Smith with nine points. Kennedy Harrison added eight points and six boards.
“We all carry something different. I can shoot. I can pass. We have Ava who can shoot, pass, drive,” Smith said. “All of our starting five can do just about everything. All of our bench can do just about everything. We work really hard. We dive on the ball. We trap. We talk. Even outside, we talk about the game.”
Great Crossing smothered Scott County to the tune of 24 turnovers and cornered the Cards into 6-for-37 (16.2 percent) shooting.
SC sank only two field goals in the first half, trailed 14-0 out of the chute and was down an insurmountable 44-15 at the break.
The Lady Cards' leading scorer in a similarly one-sided junior varsity loss, Allison Mosby, also brought a team-high eight points off the bench in the main event. Maleiyah Moore, Tyra Young, Kierstin Young and Nmya Summers all mustered four.
“Players who we expected to step up didn't step up, showed no sign of stepping up. Great Crossing played harder than we did,” Helton said. “We've been practicing hard. Not clean. Nothing's been clean. I think once we got into actually playing other teams, some of our kids have hit a wall for whatever reason, and I'm talking about experienced players.”
Great Crossing banged the ball inside to Barrett for six first-quarter points and Schureman's 3-point play before both retreated to the bench the foul difficulties.
The six-foot Barrett looked especially explosive in picking up where she left off after a strong 41st District tournament to end her junior campaign.
“Where she was last year is night and day,” Walls said. “Lucky enough to have not only her but Kennedy Harrison, to inherit that size. I said we will throw you the ball. You get in shape, we will throw you the ball. I think we've proven that on her end, and she's starting to prove that on hers.”
Harrison was equally unstoppable underneath the basket with two quick buckets after she checked in. Meredith Turner sank the only 3-pointer through the first eight minutes for a GC offense that was feast-or-famine beyond the arc in the past.
Smith's patience and cleverness in distributing the ball to six other scorers in that opening chapter were key ingredients.
“When we start looking to get the assists, good things will happen,” Walls said. “I wish a few more shots would have fallen for her, but she controlled the game in the first half.”
Great Crossing led 22-5 at that initial checkpoint. Free throws from Summers and Kierstin Young (two apiece) and Mosby were the only whisper from Scott County.
The Cardinals lost returning starter Kelsie Hall to an ankle injury in the opening seconds, and SC's two most experienced players, Moore and Tyra Young, got caught up in both the foul situation and the Warhawks' defensive whirlwind.
“Obviously Kelsie going down kind of threw a little bit of a curve ball at us. We at least had a game plan coming into it,” Helton said. “We knew they were bigger, stronger, faster than us. Our plan was really to try to take the air out of the ball a little bit. They wouldn't expect that from us. Right now we don't handle it, we don't pass it, and obviously we don't shoot it well.”
Great Crossing still can light it up from long range, as evidenced by second-quarter threes from the Browns and a five-point outburst from Smith.
Adrianna Brown, an eighth-grader, scored seven of her nine in that stanza.
“We've been working a lot on trapping off the screens and stuff,” Smith said. “We were in foul trouble in the beginning, but the people off the bench came in and stepped up. Adri and Maya (Custard), I was really proud of them. They stepped up hard. As a team we worked really hard together.”
Walls, who has promised to bring the half-court heat popularized by his legendary high school coach, Billy Hicks, believes the style will produce more fluid success as the Lady Warhawks grow accustomed to it.
“Lot of using the hands. That's one of the big focuses we tried. They've just got to realize if you stay solid, keep 'em in front, good things will happen,” Walls said. “We had four starters I think with two fouls within the first three minutes of the game, That's always gonna make it a little sloppy.
“Our bench came in. They were ready when their number was called. I'm super proud of 'em. I love our depth, I love our young crew. I just love our whole team. There's a lot to love. I think with time we can be something special.”
GC held SC to a paltry four points in the third period to earn a running clock. That didn't stop youngsters Adrianna Brown, Custard, Claire Tierney and seventh-grader Kendall Kearney from cushioning the lead in the final chapter.
Mosby scored all but one of her points in the fourth for Scott County.
“We have an effort problem. I have a real issue with our effort. You can be young, but I'm not coaching effort. I will not coach effort, and tonight we found ourselves coaching effort. It's disappointing, very disappointing because this is game one,” Helton said. “We only made like three field goals for the game, so we shouldn't be (sulking) about missing shots. We're gonna play some really good teams this year, and we don't have time to put our heads down. Our mentality has got to be play the next bounce, young or not.”
In addition to the four-year trio, Olivia Tierney is a three-year starter for the Warhawks.
Blending that veteran presence with all the prodigious prospects is the biggest test for the new coaching staff. Smith gives them a passing grade with flying colors.
“I feel like the coaching staff really plays a big part in that,” she said. “The little stuff, like we have team dinners all the time, That creates a good bond which translates to on the court as well.”
Great Crossing, which turned it over only 11 times and shot 48.3 percent from the field, will play its first seven games in Georgetown, including Thursday's test against George Rogers Clark, a Saturday matinee with Bryan Station and the Billy Hicks Classic next week.
The Warhawks won only one previous season-opener, against Rowan County in 2020-21.
“I told them tonight enjoy it, because tomorrow we're super focused and on to the next one,” Walls said.
SC stumbled to a second road loss at Lafayette on Wednesday (see related story) and plays its home opener Friday against East Jessamine.
The Cardinals won only seven games last winter and haven't softened their schedule in what Helton, in his 23rd season, openly labeled a rebranding phase.
“I'm hard-headed, I'm stubborn, and I'm not gonna give up, but tonight was hard to handle,” he said. “It was hard to see a Scott County uniform not performing. We've gotta regroup.”
