COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Betsy Layne’s Spradlin named OVC Coach of the Year

Posted by Teddy Paynter on March 3, 2021, 4:32 pm in Betsy Layne HS

His Morehead State basketball program was picked to finish eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) this preseason.

Spring forward and head coach Preston Spradlin, a native of Pike County and 2005 graduate of Betsy Layne High School, has been named 2020-21 OVC men’s basketball coach of the year.

He guided the Eagles to a 20-7 mark and second place finish in the league. His team won 17 league games, a new school record.

Spradlin is in his fourth season as full-time head coach after spending the majority of the 2016-17 season as interim head coach. He is in his seventh season overall with the Morehead State men’s basketball program and his 12th year working with a Division I program.

He was named the 14th men’s basketball head coach in program history on March 16, 2017.

Spradlin officially took on the interim head coaching position on Dec. 15, 2016, nine games into the 2016-17 season after the Eagles opened with a 2-7 record. He then guided Morehead State to a 12-9 record the rest of the way and a 10-6 mark in OVC play, which ranked second in the league.

In 2015-16, he helped lead the Eagles to a 23-14 overall record and 11-5 Ohio Valley Conference mark, along with a second-place finish in the College Basketball Invitational.

Spradlin came to Morehead State after five seasons with national power Kentucky. 

He is married to the former Misty Tackett. The couple has one son, Bentley, and one daughter, Aubrey.

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HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Bulldogs top Blackcats; Paintsville girls roll

Posted by Teddy Paynter on March 3, 2021, 2:21 pm in East Ridge HS, Letcher Central HS, Paintsville HS, Pike Central HS

The second period was all the difference in this matchup as Lawrence County outscored Prestonsburg 24-8 and went on to earn a 63-49 win in a game played at Prestonsburg Fieldhouse on Tuesday night.

Cody Maynard poured in a game-high 19 points as the Bulldogs improved to 9-7. Trenton Adkins added 16 while Will Lafferty followed with nine and Kaden Gillespie net eight.

Ryan Rose and Will Gullett paced the Blackcats (7-11) with 14 points apiece. Conner Hopkins tossed in eight.

At Prestonsburg

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

LC (9-7)……7  24  17  15 – 63

PB (7-11)…..10  8  16  15 – 49

Scoring:

Lawrence County (63) – Cody Maynard 6(1) 4-5 19; Trenton Adkins 8 0-1 16; Will Lafferty 1(1) 4-4 9; Kaden Gillespie 1(1) 3-6 8; Baden Gillespie 2 3-5 7; Dawson Bellomy 1 0-0 2; and Logan Ratliff 1 0-2 2. Totals 20(3) 14-23 63.

Prestonsburg (49) – Grant Justice 1 3-4 5; Kaleb Jarvis 1 0-0 2; Ryan Rose 4 6-7 14; Wes Salisbury 0 3-4 3; Will Gullett 4(1) 3-3 14; Conner Hopkins 1(2) 0-0 8; Jon Little 1 0-0 2; and Jacob Martin 0 1-2 1. Totals: 12(3) 16-20 49.

Next up: Lawrence County (9-7) at Magoffin County (9-9), 7:30 pm, Mar. 4; Prestonsburg (7-11) at Phelps(2-14), 7:30 pm, Mar. 4.

GIRLS GAMES

Paintsville….66

Pike Central..38

Paintsville grabbed an early lead at Pike Central and went on to score a 66-38 win in a game played at the Hawks Nest on Tuesday night.

The Lady Tigers, now 11-6, landed three payers in double figure scoring as Chloe Hannah led the way with a game-high 17 points. Camryn Helton and Emilea Preece finished with 11 each. Leandra Curnutte tossed in nine.

Hannah May had 11 for the Lady Hawks (6-17) and Emalie Tackett added six.

At Buckleys Creek

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

PV (11-6)….18  21  13  14 – 66

PC (6-17)……8    8  13    7 – 38

Scoring:

Paintsville (66) – Chloe Hannah 5(2) 1-2 17; Camryn Helton 2(2) 1-2 11; Emilea Preece 5 1-2 11; Leandra Curnutte 1(2) 1-2 9; Ava Hyden 1(1) 2-5 7; Kali Mulcahy 1(1) 0-0 5; Abby Maynard 0(1) 1-3 4; and Emma Keeton 1 0-0 2. Totals: 16(9) 7-16 66.

Pike Central (38) – Hannah May 3(1) 2-2 11; Emalie Tackett 2 2-2 6; Lindsey Bowman 1 2-2 4; Abigail Hess 1 2-2 4; Abby May 1 1-2 3; Lakota Johnson 1 1-2 3; Kennedy Hamilton 1 0-0 2; Allie Spears 1 0-0 2; Larah Stanley 0 1-2 1; Jadyn Looney 0 1-5 1; and Taylee Wood 0 1-2 1. Totals: 11(1) 13-21 38.

Next up: Paintsville (11-6) vs. Hazard (5-16), 7:30 pm, Mar. 3; Pike Central (6-17) vs. Phelps (2-8), 5 pm; 7:30 pm, Mar. 3.

Lawrence County..67

Rose Hill Christian….59

Lawrence County managed to hold off pesky Rose Hill Christian down the stretch to earn a hard-fought 67-59 road win on Tuesday night.

Kensley Feltner led the way with 23 points as the Lady Bulldogs improved to 13-9. Sophie Adkins followed with 17. Kyleah Ward chipped in nine.

At Ashland

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

LC (13-9)…..18  15  19  13 – 67

RH (14-9)…..16   9  12  21 – 59

Scoring:

Lawrence County (67) – Kensley Feltner 6(1) 8-12 23; Ellie Webb 0(1) 0-0 3; Sophie Akins 5(2) 1-2 17; Kyleah Ward 3 3-4 9; Kaison Ward 2 3-4 7; Tyra Hammond 0 1-2 1; Abby Nelson 2 0-0 4; and Emily Artrip 1 0-0 2. Totals: 19(4) 16-24 67.

Rose Hill Christian (59) – Gabby Karle 3(1) 7-8 16; Jewelia VanKeuren 3 0-0 6; Bellamee Sparks 11 6-14 28; Baylee Stephens 0 0-4 0; and Baylee Trimble 0(3) 0-0 9. Totals:17(4) 13-20 59.

Next up: Lawrence County (13-9) at Elliott County (2-6), 7:30 pm, Mar. 4.

Letcher Central….75

East Ridge……….30

Letcher Central was in control from the outset as the Lady Cougars cruised past East Ridge, 75-30, in a game played on the Reservation on Tuesday night.

Kaylee Banks fired in 16 points and Brooke Bates added 10 as Central moved to 11-9. Loren Boggs and Tori Holcomb added eight each.

Mackenzie Sawyers and Sylvia Ratliff  scored seven each for the Lady Warriors, now 4-17.

At Lick Creek

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

LC (11-9)…..21  13  23  18 – 75

ER (4-17)…..10    6    7    7 – 30

Scoring:

Letcher Central (75) – Brooke Bates 3(1) 1-1 10; Kaylee Banks 8 0-0 16; Loren Boggs 3 2-2 8; Tori Holcomb 4 0-0 8; Keira Couch 3 1-2 7; Jaylen Whitt 3 0-0 6; Bailey Kincer 2 0-2 4; Heide Bentley 2(1) 0-0 7; Kylie Wright 2 0-0 4; and Sydney Craft 0(1) 0-0 3. Totals: 31(3) 4-9 75.

East Ridge (30) – Leah Wells 2 2-6 6; Jasmine Easterling 2 0-0 4; Mackenzie Sawyers 3 1-4 7; Haleigh Damron 1 0-2 2; Sylvia Ratliff 2(1) 0-0 7; Breanna Taylor 1 0-0 2; and Lauren Mann 1 0-0 2. Totals: 12(1) 3-12 30.

Next up: Letcher Central (11-9) vs. Belfry (14-6), 7:30 om, Mar. 3; East Ridge (4-17) at Pike Central (6-17), 7:30 pm, Mar. 3.

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