Rebs get crucial district win over Rockcastle

The Rebels grabbed a much-needed victory over district foe Rockcastle County Friday night as they led for most of the game and pulled away for a 61-49 win.
The win gives Casey sole possession of second place in the district with a 2-1 record.
“Without question, the district games are the most important. I was concerned going into the game because we hadn’t played in over a week,” Head Coach Todd Carman said.
It had been 10 days since the Rebels had last played, losing to Taylor County on Jan. 4. Two games earlier in the week had been postponed due to wintry weather.
The Rockets clinched an early lead before Casey began making a run. Jordan Ellison topped off the rally when he drilled a three-pointer to give Casey an 11-10 advantage. Ellison had 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Rebs.
“Jordan played a really good game for us. He was strong defensively and just played hard the whole game. He didn’t force anything” Carman said.
Casey’s defense stepped up in the second quarter, limiting the Rockets to only one point midway through the quarter. The defensive stand allowed Casey to build their lead to six at the half, 25-19.
“It wasn’t our best game of the season but we put forth a really good effort. Our defense was solid and we managed to beat them without playing our best offensive game,” Carman said.
Casey continued its momentum in the second half when Ellison picked his opponent’s pocket and raced down the court for a layup. Senior Brad Jeffries, who had 27 points in the matchup, buried a three-pointer from the top of the circle on the next possession to build Casey’s lead to 11.
Another key to the Rebel win was the team’s ability to protect the basketball. Casey only turned the ball over eight times and Carman complimented his point guard, Tyler Johnson, for his effort.
“Tyler Johnson did a good job of getting us into our offensive sets. He played well at the point guard position for us. There were times we could have moved the ball around a little better but overall, the whole team did a pretty good job of taking care of the ball,” Carman said.
The Rebels also did a nice job on the glass, pulling down 40 rebounds as a team and limiting the second chance opportunities for the Rockets. Luke Carman led the Rebs with 10 rebounds.
Rockcastle made a run in the fourth quarter to trim the lead to four. Both teams struggled at the free throw line in the final minutes. Casey shot 23-for-36 at the charity stripe for the game and Rockcastle missed seven straight foul shots at one point.
But the Rebels made clutch plays late to maintain their lead and win the game.
“We did miss several free throws and easy shots that we should’ve had. But I am glad we got the win, that is the most important thing,” Carman said.

Donna Carman

Luke Carman goes up for a shot over his Rockcastle County opponent during action at the Casey gym Friday night. Carman had 6 points and 10 rebounds in Casey’s 61-49 district win.

Vs. Collins
The Rebels traveled to Shelbyville Saturday night to battle Martha Layne Collins High School. The game was scheduled for Jan. 11 but was postponed due to inclement weather.
Going into the matchup, Collins had the best record in the 8th region, which they maintained, handing Casey a 61-52 loss.
Despite the defeat, Carman saw many positives in the game, including the team’s offensive execution.
“We passed the ball really well and executed several plays at a high level. We got into all our offensive sets and just moved the ball well. We also shot better at the free throw line (80 percent),” he said.
Carman was also happy with his team’s defensive effort.
“Our press looked good and we played a lot of zone in the game. Our zone proved to be effective against them and I think we were able to disrupt them at times,” Carman said.
Jeffries led the team with 17 points on 5-of-13 shooting. James Burton contributed a double-double off the bench with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Johnson was also in double figures with 12.

The Rebels were back in action last night when they hosted Pulaski County in a boy-girl district doubleheader. Results from that game can be found at www.caseynews.net.

Stats

Jan. 13 at Liberty
Casey                                                                                         15  10  14  22 --  61
Rockcastle                                                                                   12   7   10  20 --  49
Casey (4-11) — Brad Jeffries 27, 5 rebs; Jordan Ellison 11, 8 rebs; James Burton 6, 7 rebs; Luke Carman 6, 10 rebs; Andrew Clark 4, Tyler Johnson 4, Cole Burke 2, 5 rebs.
Rockcastle (5-11) — Carpenter 20, Noe 11, McKinney 9, Brock 4, Wilson 3, Allen 2.

Jan. 14 at Shelbyville
Casey                                                                                                      11  12  12  17 -- 52
Collins                                                                                                      13  15  20  13 -- 61
Casey (4-12) — Jeffries 17, Burton 13, 10 rebs; Johnson 12, Ellison 8, Clark 2.
Collins (13-4) — Marshall 15, Elzy 10, Brooks 9, Edwards 8, Hall 6, B. Stone 5, Page 4, R. Stone 3, Kidwell 1.

DISTRICT STANDINGS
1. Pulaski Co.       
 12-3 (3-0 district)
2. Casey Co.         
 4-12 (2-1 district)
3. Somerset           
 6-10 (1-3 district)
4. Rockcastle Co.  
 5-11 (1-3 district)