Mercy Upsets Cooper, Henderson County Survives in Double OT of Girls' Sweet 16 1st Round

Day two of the 2023 Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16 is now complete as eight teams have locked up a spot in Friday’s quarterfinals. After four teams advanced out of the opening round on Wednesday, four more did the same throughout Thursday. The quarterfinals will begin on Friday morning at 11:00 AM inside Rupp Arena.

To kick off day two, the Ashland Blazer Kittens needed a late push down the stretch to fend off Knott County Central’s comeback attempt while the McCracken County Lady Mustangs had no issue taking care of Bethlehem from start to finish. You can read KSR’s recap of what went down here.

In the third game of the day, the Mercy Jaguars defeated the Cooper Lady Jaguars 70-64, upsetting one of the favorites in the entire tournament.

Leah Macy’s historic evening at Rupp Arena

Rupp Arena has seen many incredible performances over the years. Think Tayshaun Prince against UNC, John Wall against Tennessee, or Oscar Tshiebwe against Auburn. However, Mercy’s Leah Macy may have had the performance to top them all. In a Sweet 16 matchup against Cooper, where few gave Mercy a chance, she showed up.

“I hurt my finger the first possession of the game,” Macy said. “The adrenaline took it over, so it didn’t really bother me very much. I knew I had to focus on my game so I couldn’t let a finger bother me.”

Macy finished the night with 37 points on 11-21 shooting and 21 rebounds — a performance to rival the best ever in a state championship game in Kentucky. There is no comparison, no debate; Macy showed out. The sophomore dominated from tip to finish, challenging what it means to “take over a game.”

Leah Macy with an incredible performance in Mercy Academy's 70-64 win over Cooper in the first round of the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls' Basketball Sweet 16.

Had 37 points (seventh most in a single state tourney game) and 21 rebounds (second most in a single state game). Dominant.

— Joshua Moore (@JoshMooreHL) March 10, 2023

Mercy had a sluggish start and trailed Cooper 26-24 at halftime. However, Macy’s dominant play in the second half pushed her team to a 23-12 advantage in the third quarter as Mercy held on for the win despite Cooper’s late attempts to save their season. Macy was flanked by senior Emma Barnett, who also had a strong showing, scoring 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and 4-4 from behind the arc.

Mercy Academy’s Leah Macy just had one of the most impressive single-game performances that I’ve ever seen with my own eyes. Boys or girls.

37 points and 21 rebounds leading her team to a hard fought win at the Sweet 16. pic.twitter.com/4f2ze03diO

— Big Blue Drew (@BigBlueDrew33) March 10, 2023

“When we get the ball into Leah, she’s such a big mismatch she’s hard to handle,” Mercy head coach Nick Cann said. “Once we got the lead in the second half it opened things up for us.”

Mercy outrebounded Cooper 36-24 and connected on 20-39 of its shot attempts in the matchup. Cooper, on the other hand, struggled with their shooting. Cooper only converted on 19-55 shot attempts and went just 3-22 from three, not a winning recipe.

Cooper’s Whitney Lind led her team with 16 points, while Liz Freihofer and Maleah Alexander contributed 15 and 10 points, respectively. Despite the slow start, Mercy’s second-half performance earned the Jaguars a program-defining win.

Henderson County Avoids Upset Bid From Simon Kenton in Double OT

In the final game of the night, the Henderson County girls’ basketball team defeated Simon Kenton in a double-overtime thriller.

Henderson County, a team with four senior starters and a veteran coach, was just barely able to hold off Simon Kenton, which is known for being a young team with only one senior and a young coach, in a close game that ended 56-54. Despite Henderson County jumping to an early lead, the Lady Colonels began to turn the ball over. This led to a Simon Kenton rattling off a 15-2 run to end the first quarter.

Emilee Eggleston gives Simon Kenton a 10-6 first quarter lead, 4:11, 1Q. pic.twitter.com/n9VViNQuS2

— Evan Dennison (@EvanDennison1) March 10, 2023

However, Henderson County fought back and stayed within five points during the fourth quarter. The lack of experience was on display as Simon Kenton struggled with the Lady Colonels’ defensive pressure, turning the ball over eight times and only managing two points.

Henderson County’s Shalyn Sprinkles hit a clutch three-pointer to force overtime and made several crucial free throws in the second overtime to seal the win for her squad. Henderson County head coach Jeff Haile is known as one of the best around, and he proved that on Thursday.

After a pair of Simon Kenton FTs, Shalyn Sprinkles delivers the game-tying trey.

Pioneers drawing up a potential game-winning play after getting across the timeline.

41-all, 16.7 seconds left. pic.twitter.com/jGnpAZj2KD

— Joshua Moore (@JoshMooreHL) March 10, 2023

Most coaches would freak out when trailing as a heavy favorite — as most saw Henderson County in this game. Simon Kenton’s squad is young, and they were playing with no fear.

However, Haile showed great composure on the sideline, not getting too caught up in the results of each play. When down in the final quarter, Haile switched to a press that allowed the experienced backcourt of Henderson County to shine.

Once overtime hit, Haile showed the composure that got him inducted into the Kentucky High School Hall of Fame in 2022. Don’t get me wrong, Simon Kenton head coach Brenden Stowers came out with a great game plan, playing against one of the best in the state. However, Haile’s coaching prowess showed and will continue throughout the tournament.

Quarterfinals: Friday, March 10

11:00 AM | Owensboro Catholic vs. Sacred Heart
1:30 PM | George Rogers Clark vs. North Laurel
6:00 PM | Ashland Blazer vs. McCracken County
8:30 PM | Mercy vs. Henderson County