By JOHN VERSER
GLASGOW — Even though Glasgow and Cumberland County faced off just two weeks ago, it will be a whole different ball game this time around.
Both teams were without significant players in the first meeting between the two teams, a 49-45 Cumberland victory at Glasgow on Feb. 19.
For Tuesday’s Fourth Region Tournament game at E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, both teams will have everyone ready to go. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m.
“Well, obviously, with Charli (Fant) and Paige (Lee) and Whitney (Williams) back in the line up at full strength now, I think that’s obviously going to help our chances,” Glasgow coach Chris Crain said. “That’s one of our strengths is our inside game. With Whit coming back and Paige being close to 100 percent now, we’re hoping that will make a difference in the game and really utilize our strength against Cumberland.”
Williams missed that game to an injury, while Lee played very limited minutes and scored just three points. Starting guard Brittany Vaughn was also out with the flu.
The Lady Panthers, the 16th District champions, were without leading scorer Kristen Rowe, who missed the game due to an injury. She averages almost 22 points a game.
“We’ve got to really find their shooters – Laura Fletcher, (Kendra) McIntyre and Kristen Rowe,” Crain said. “That’s three really good players that we’ve got to contain. Fletcher’s going to get hers. We may not be able to stop her, but we’re going to try to contain her as much as possible.”
Both teams struggled down the stretch while missing key players. The Lady Panthers (24-6) went just 1-3 in the four games that Rowe missed. The Lady Scotties, who surged to a 10-10 mark after back-to-back wins on Jan. 28 and Feb. 1, dropped their final five regular season games after injuries set in.
But the “new season” began last week, and Glasgow, the fourth seed, notched a victory over top-seeded Monroe County to open the 15th District Tournament. The Lady Scotties had lost to the Lady Falcons three times this season before picking up the win last Monday.
“I give all the girls the credit for that. As coaches, we try to stay positive and really encourage them and pump them up,” Crain said. “They reached inside and they really came up with a lot of heart and a lot of hustle and courage on the floor.
“That was kind of a confidence deflator, dropping the last five of the regular season. But I couldn’t be prouder of their effort and putting that behind them and starting fresh, 0-0. I told them that regardless of records, it’s a new basketball game when tournament time comes, and they definitely answered the challenge of that.”
Glasgow defeated Monroe 53-49.
“I think we’ve made a good comeback so far,” senior Jordan Hatchett said. “We had a couple of games in a row that we had some players out, but we’ve made a good comeback so far, especially in the district tournament.”
The Lady Scotties are making their second straight regional tournament appearance and their fourth in the last five seasons. They went 1-1 last year, defeating Russellville 59-55 in the opening round before falling to Warren East 49-42 in the semifinals.
“It gives us a huge boost of confidence,” Glasgow senior Charli Fant said. “Last year, it was a lot of our team’s first year really getting to play there. You’re shell-shocked going in there. But then this year we have the experience behind us and we feel like we can do some good things.
“I felt like last year we started a new era for Glasgow basketball,” Fant added. “And doing it again this year proves that last year wasn’t a fluke.”
Hatchett feels like the time playing at WKU’s arena last year will help, especially with the length of the floor being 10 feet longer.
“We definitely know how it is. It’s different playing at Diddle,” Hatchett said. “The floor is bigger, so it’s good to have that experience and know how it’s like. It’s a lot different than playing in any gym around here.”
And the season starts over once again at 0-0 Tuesday for Glasgow.
“I told them again today (Saturday), the district tournament is over,” Crain said. “We can’t look in the past now, we’ve got to now look forward to our new tournament, the Fourth Region Tournament. March Madness is here. Anything can happen. It’s a magical time of the year.
“I want these girls to come out, and I know they’re going to give me full strength. They’re going to give me all their heart and all their soul, and we’re going to toss it up and see what happens.”
