‘It’s different every year.’ Seasoned George Rogers Clark too much for Mercer in Sweet 16.
With advancement in the Mingua Beef Jerky Girls’ Sweet 16 State Basketball Tournament at stake, George Rogers Clark did what it so often has this season: ride the hot hand.
In the latest instance, the hand was Ciara Byars’. The sophomore ended with a game-high 22 points and six rebounds in the Cardinals’ 51-43 victory over Mercer County at Rupp Arena on Wednesday night.
“We normally go for our mismatches at the time and we usually feed whoever’s going and has the hot hand,” said Byars, who combined with her older sister Brianna to score 36 of GRC’s points. “It just so happened to be me tonight.”
The battle between two of Central Kentucky’s most state-experienced teams — GRC extended its sixth trip in the last seven years while Mercer County (21-14) qualified for its fifth over the last nine — appeared to weigh heavily in the Cardinals’ favor after they built a 19-9 first-quarter lead. They pushed it to 12 on a jumper by Ciara Byars just 13 seconds into the second period. That woke up the Titans, who held GRC without a field goal for nearly six minutes in the midst of a 10-2 run to pull within 25-21 at halftime.
George Rogers Clark (27-7) again started to pull away in the third, building a 29-21 advantage on a layup from Ciara Byars, but the Titans found another response. Anna Drakeford capped a 6-2 run to close the quarter with a last-minute layup — her third quarter-closing basket in as many opportunities — and Teigh Yeast opened the fourth with a bucket to make things even at 36-all.
That was Mercer’s final push: 16 seconds after Yeast’s basket, GRC’s Anaya Chestnut quieted the Titans contingent with her third three-pointer. The teams exchanged makes over the next couple of minutes before the Cardinals pulled away for good, in part, thanks to a calculated adjustment in their defense. Brianna Byars became the primary defender on Drakeford, who finished with 20 points to lead the Titans but was held scoreless over the final six minutes. GRC closed the game on an 8-2 run, with Ciara Byars scoring all eight points.
“That was the plan,” GRC Coach Robbie Graham. “We wanted to save fouls, not get Brianna in early foul trouble. … When our defense is constantly rotating and helping, we’re not very good. We’ve gotta keep everything in front of us, stay solid, not gamble. We did a little bit better in the fourth quarter.”
The Cards had a size advantage inside but not on the perimeter, and Mercer’s guards capitalized to give the Titans a 26-22 edge on the glass.
“That definitely has to improve for us to continue to advance,” Graham said. “We just let ’em crash, crash, crash and get second-shot opportunities.’
On four of the last five occasions GRC qualified for the state tournament, it lost to the eventual state champion — Mercer County in 2017 and 2018, Ryle in 2019 and Sacred Heart last year. The only other time, the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. None of those exits came in the first round, but the Cardinals are well seasoned in heartbreak.
Next up is a date with North Laurel in Friday’s 1:30 p.m. quarterfinal.
With so much tournament savvy, and a possible chance to unseat Sacred Heart from its throne if the rankings hold through to Saturday’s semifinal round, GRC is eager to write a new ending in 2023.
Her little sister might be the leading scorer most nights, but Brianna Byars bears the scars of an emotional leader.
“It’s different every year,” said Brianna, one of just two seniors (Trinity Gay) who logged minutes for the Cardinals on Wednesday. “ … I have to show the same leadership to them as I had when I was in eighth grade playing for a state championship.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 9:23 PM.