HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: Panthers push GRC to the limit in Elite 8 loss

Photo credit: DUSTY LAYNE

Pikeville’s Sweet 16 run ended in a 43-38 loss to eventual state champion George Rogers Clark before a crowd of almost 13,000 fans on Friday at Rupp Arena.

The Panthers, who knocked off North Laurel in the opening round, gave the Cardinals all they wanted down the stretch.

Senior point guard Keian Worrix nearly brought the Panthers back all by himself with multiple key plays down the stretch, including a massive triple with just 12 seconds left that put Pikeville down a single point.

Alex Rogers had nine points off the bench and Laithan Hall added eight as the Panthers finished 32-3.

At Lexington

(Sweet 16 quarterfinals)

SCORE BY QUARTERS:

PK (32-3)…….8   5  7  18 – 38

GRC (35-1)….13  7  9  14 – 43

Scoring:

Pikeville (38) – Nick Robinson 0 1-2 1; Laithan Hall 1(2) 0-0 8; Keian Worrix 4(1) 2-5 13; Rylee Samons 0 2-2 2; Lukas Manns 0(1) 0-0 3; Heath Jarrell 10-0 2; and Alex Rogers 3(1) 0-0 9. Totals: 9(5) 5-9 38.

George Rogers Clark (43) – Trent Edwards 4 1-2 9; Tanner Walton 5 1-4 11; Aden Slone 0(1) 4-4 7; Jerone Morton 2 7-9 11; and Sam Parrish 1(1) 0-0 5. Totals: 12(2) 13-19 43.