The Pikeville Lady Panthers are headed back to Rupp Arena as 15th Region tournament champions for a third consecutive year.
The Lady Panthers held Johnson Central scoreless for a nine-minute stretch, including the entire third period, earning a 48-35 win in a game played at the Appalachian Wireless Arena on Monday night.
Pikeville improved to a region best 25-5. The Lady Panthers have now won 19 of their last 20 games. The Lady Eagles saw their season come to an end at 22-5.
Trinity Rowe led the Lady Panthers with 15 points while Kenzie Maynard added 11 and Emma Ratliff tossed in nine.
Sammi Sites, playing in her final game, paced Johnson Central with 18 points. Senior teammate Kelci Blair followed with eight.
Pikeville will face Marshall County in the opening round of the Sweet 16 tournament at 11 am on April 8.
The Lady Panthers are the first team to three-peat since then Sheldon Clark won four straight from 1975-78.
At Pikeville
(15th Region championship)
SCORE BY QUARTERS:
JC (22-5)……9 9 0 17 – 35
PK (25-5)…. 7 15 15 11 – 48
Scoring:
Johnson Central (35) – Taylor McKenzie 0 1-4 1; Kelci Blair 4 0-0 8; Sammi Sites 2(4) 2-2 18; Clara Blair 0(2) 0-0 6; and Abby Stambaugh 1 0-0 2. Totals: 7(6) 3-6 35.
Pikeville (48) – Emma Ratliff 3(1) 0-0 9; Trinity Rowe 2(3) 2-2 15; Kristen Whited 0(2) 1-2 7; Kenzie Maynard 4(1) 0-0 11; Kylie Hall 1 0-0 2; and Rylee Theiss 2 0-0 4. Totals: 12(7) 3-6 48.
Next up: Pikeville (25-5) vs. Marshall County (22-2), Sweet 16, Rupp Arena, 11 am, Apr. 8.