Senior Jennifer Dixon knocks down the short corner jumper in her last game in the 10th Region Tournament v Bishop Brossart. The Ladycats season came to an end in the 58-51 loss.

You ask any coach and while they strive hard to win games in the regular season, it is all window dressing for the postseason.  That is when seasons are made.

While the Ladycats dropped their 10th Region Tournament first round game to Brossart 58-51, they won only the fifth 38th District Title banner in the 38-year history of the program.  The senior class was a part of two district titles and a region semi-finals appearance during their four years.

The Ladycats drew the #2 ranked Bishop Brossart in the first round of the 10th Region Tournament to be played at Nicholas County.  They tip off at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, February 27.

Brossart was upset by Campbell County in the finals of the 37th District Tournament.

Also, on the bracket side for Pendleton and a possible second round match-up is 10th Region favorite, Montgomery County, or longtime rival Bracken County.  They play the game before PC on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

The Ladycats make their third trip in four years to the region tournament under varsity coach Scott Collins. Two years ago, they make a run to the 10th Region semifinals for only the fourth time in school history.

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The Pendleton County Ladycats basketball team said goodbye to five players on Senior Night. They are, pictured from left, Jennifer Dixon, Bradi Boden, Tori Fitzpatrick, Heather Jolley, and Ashten Wolfe.

While the regular season ended not the way the Ladycats had hoped, it didn’t diminish their goal of bringing home a 38th District Crown to PCHS.

With senior center Heather Jolley out with a sprained ankle, coach Collins will have several options to choose from in regards to how to battle Harrison County on Monday night and the Fillies’ center, Jordan Doram.

He could go small and start seniors Bradi Boden, leading the Ladycats in scoring, and point forward Ashten Wolfe.  Add in junior Taylor McClanahan at the post with sophomore wing McKayla Manor, 2nd on the team in scoring and a deadly 3-point shooter, and point guard Isabella Hall.

Jenna Kelsch O'Hara and David Tackett were recognized at the Ladycats game versus George Rogers Clark on Saturday night for their selection into the 10th Region Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012.

At the end of the 2012 season, the 10th Region girls basketball coaches selected the Class of 2012 for their Hall of Fame. Two Ladycats were selected to receive the honor and join the growing Pendleton County contingent in the 10th Region Hall of Fame.  Jenna Kelsch as a player who starred as a point guard for the Ladycats in 1999-2004 and David Tackett who has been a supporter, coach and fan of Ladycat basketball since the 70s.

While coach Scott Collins is focused on finding a strategy for his reeling Ladycats, who have lost four games in a row by an average of 28 points, as they head into 38th District play, it might not include senior center Heather Jolley who sprained her ankle in Saturday night’s 78-32 loss to George Rogers Clark.

Heather was averaging 8.9 PPG and 8.9 RPG and provided a defensive presence in the paint with 2.2 blocked shots per game.  Her height and rebounding would be sorely needed against Harrison County’s Jordan Doram.  Harrison County is the Ladycats first round district opponent.

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With the old adage, “there is no good way to get there from here” in mind, the trip from PCHS to either Grant County or Williamstown is always fraught with that drive over that has taken many a good team out of the game before they have arrived.

We are going to chalk up the Ladycats surprising 71-54 loss to Williamstown up to the drive that had the Ladycats unfocused, unmotivated and unprepared for their game.

“Blah would be my first reaction,” Coach Scott Collins responded on his team’s effort.  “We were not focused. We got the ball in the lane 18 times in the first half and converted four times.”

On back-to-back nights, the Ladycats played Harrison County in the first round of 38th District JV and Freshmen play, then hosted Nicholas County for the championships.

And in both cases, Nicholas County was able to get the better of the Ladycats and win the JV and Freshmen 38th District Championships.

While the games against your district rivals means little in December, January and early February, it’s always nice to send the message that the 38th District Title runs through your team come the week of February 18th.

That said, the Ladycats had a chance to post back-to-back regular season undefeated records against district foes after defeating Harrison County and Deming earlier in the season.

With point guards Ashten Wolfe (still recovering from an ankle injury) and Isabella Hall (battling illness) out of the lineup or hobbling, Coach Scott Collins found himself short-handed once again in a key stretch of the schedule.

Pressing, trapping, pounding the ball inside, shooting the three, slow it down, pick up the pace or many other choices are ways to win ball games.  But one guaranteed way to win a basketball game is to have every player who was in the game contribute at a high level.  Six players in double digits will win you a bunch of ball games.

And for the Ladycats versus Campbell it was the formula to defeat one of the best teams in the 10th Region. They were rated as high as 4th in the 10th Region according to the Cantrall Ratings.

McKayla Manor led the Ladycats with 13 points but five others were bunched right behind her.  Isabella Hall and Taylor McClanahan had 12 each, Bailey Wanstrath had 11, with Heather Jolley and Bradi Boden chalking up 10 each.