Battle between Sweet Sixteen contenders once again turns into a blowout

Mercer County’s girls came out flat Friday night when they held their senior night ceremony and hosted Casey County. The Titans, ranked fifth in the Cantrall Ratings, won by 18, but head coach Chris Souder thought they didn’t play with much interest or energy in that victory, and he let them know going into Saturday’s home game against No. 8 Butler that that wouldn’t suffice.

Message received: Mercer County came out with its foot on the pedal and quickly pulled away from the Bearettes in a 68-45 home route Saturday afternoon. The Titans put a running clock into effect early in the third quarter.

Seniors Emma Davis and Lexy Lake had 15 points apiece for the Titans, who are the defending girls’ state champions. Jasmine Elder, a junior, had 14 points to lead Butler, which has won two of the last four state championships and is tied for the most in state history (five).

The Bearettes (19-4) handed the Titans (25-3) an 80-55 drubbing last regular season when the teams played in Louisville. Mercer County beat Butler for the second time in 16 days; the Titans won a 61-51 decision in the Louisville Invitational Tournament quarterfinals on Jan. 26.

“They’ve gotten us pretty good a couple times over the years,” Souder said. “ … I told ’em yesterday ‘If you do this against Butler, the score’s gonna be reversed.’ So, for a senior-led team, that’s really all I have to say. They came out with great energy and were moving the ball.”

Seygan Robins, a University of Louisville signee who’s considered a favorite for Miss Basketball honors, had only two points but finished with 11 assists.

This story was originally published February 10, 2018 at 6:54 PM with the headline "Battle between Sweet Sixteen contenders once again turns into a blowout."