Down, never out, Ladyhounds flip three straight deficits into three straight wins
Paris, leaning on the Masons, MyMy Bell, Rose Hayden, Jasmine Wilson, and Kyla Crutcher, close the holiday stretch in style
IVAN K. RICE I doctorofsports@aol.com
OLIVE HILL – Coach Aaron Speaks and his Paris Ladyhounds hit the road over the past three days to compete in the Lady Comets Winter Classic hosted by West Carter High School.
Paris entered the two‑week holiday stretch at 3‑4, a team still searching for its identity after graduating Miss Kentucky Basketball candidate Brooklyn White and three‑year starters Tori Dumphord and Kay Oliver from last season’s 24‑7 squad. If the Ladyhounds could simply split their six holiday games, Speaks would’ve had every reason to call the break a success.
Instead, they blew past expectations.
Eighth grader Rose Hayden delivered 23 points, 18 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 assists over the three games.
Paris rolled out of Williamstown with three straight wins to claim the Lady Demon Holiday Classic before Christmas, putting themselves in position to overachieve if they could steal even one victory in Carter County. They did far more than that. This gritty, no‑quit Paris team swept all three games at West Carter, finishing the holiday run a perfect 6‑0 and surging into the New Year with a 9‑4 record.
Junior Molly Mason, who recently surpassed 700 career points and 500 career rebounds, totaled 43 points, 23 rebounds, and 6 assists across the three games.
The Ladyhounds opened the Winter Classic with a strong win over Shelby Valley, followed it up by slipping past Lewis County, and then capped the trip by grinding out a hard‑earned victory over host West Carter to complete their undefeated holiday swing.
“Eight of the eleven kids we have on the varsity roster are freshman and middle school kids. Eight of our thirteen games we’ve played this season have been close and haven’t been decided until the last few minutes of the game,” explained the Paris Coach. “That is the perfect scenario for a young team that is learning on the fly. We’re learning, growing, and improving each game. And as a result of that, we’ve had a pretty good two weeks of basketball over the Christmas break.”
Paris 50, West Carter 48
Paris entered the final day of the Lady Comets Winter Classic hoping to finish the event undefeated, but after the host team’s blistering start, the outlook wasn’t promising for the Ladyhounds.
Back‑to‑back threes from junior guard Novaleigh Hatton jumpstarted West Carter on a 9–0 run as the Lady Comets surged ahead 13–4. Paris closed the quarter with a three from junior Molly Mason, the first of her five on the day, and a steal‑and‑score from Mia Mason to trim the deficit to 13–9 after one.
West Carter opened the second quarter with five straight points to stretch the margin to 18–9 before Molly Mason drilled consecutive threes to pull Paris within 18-15. The Lady Comets, who knocked down six threes in the first half, answered with a 9-4 closing run to take a 27-19 lead into the break.
The third quarter belonged entirely to the Mason sisters. Molly scored eight and Mia added five as the duo combined for all 13 of Paris’ points, helping the Ladyhounds win the frame 13-8 and close the gap to 35-32 heading into the fourth.
Junior Kyla Crutcher closed the classic with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Defense and timely shooting fuel the rally
Eighth grader Rose Hayden’s putback made it 35-34 to start the final period. A three from Charli Manor and a deep pull‑up triple from Hatton gave West Carter breathing room at 41-34, but Hayden, a force in the post all afternoon, powered in four straight points to bring Paris back within 41-39 after a Molly Mason free throw.
Three West Carter free throws and what looked like a dagger baseline three from Manor pushed the Lady Comets’ lead to 46-39 with under three minutes left. But Paris refused to fold.
A swarming defense led by senior Jamyah “MyMy” Bell, Hayden, and eighth grader Jasmine Wilson flipped the momentum. Bell’s steal set up a deep left‑wing three from Wilson. Moments later, Wilson came up with a steal of her own, and Bell buried a huge triple to cut the deficit to 46-45 with under two minutes remaining.
Crutcher was clutch
After a West Carter miss, Paris worked the ball patiently around the perimeter until junior Kyla Crutcher found space in the left corner, right in front of her team’s bench. Without hesitation, she drilled the go‑ahead three, giving Paris its first lead since the opening seconds at 48–46.
Senior MyMy Bell totaled 25 points, 10 assists, and 5 steals during the event.
Crutcher later returned to the line and calmly sank two crucial free throws to extend the lead to 50–46. West Carter trimmed it to 50-48 with 12 seconds left and had one final chance after a Paris turnover, but the last‑second heave sailed long as Coach Speaks’ squad completed a resilient comeback to cap two strong weeks of holiday basketball.
“We have trailed in the second half the last few games and have found a way to claw back in it and win those games. We’ve shot the ball extremely well too during that stretch, which helps,” Speaks said. “There is no quit in these young ladies. It’s been great to see the resilience, toughness, and determination that they have shown.”
Molly Mason, 5‑for‑6 from three‑point range, led Paris with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Hayden added 8 points and 8 rebounds. Mia Mason scored 7, while Bell contributed 5 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals. Crutcher finished with 5 points and 3 assists. Wilson added 3, and freshman Emmalyn Ogden chipped in 2 points and 3 rebounds.
Paris 55, Lewis County 47
Paris led the Lady Lions 15-13 after the first quarter, but Lewis County answered by taking the second frame 12-5 to grab a 25-21 halftime lead. The margin grew to 29-21 early in the third before Bell, Molly and Mia Mason drilled consecutive threes, flipping the momentum and putting Paris ahead for good at 36-34 entering the final period.
The hot shooting of Molly Mason helped the Ladyhounds stretch their lead to 45-34, but Lewis County, sparked by Khalee Samper and Regan Lykins, battled back to cut the deficit to 45-43. From there, Mason delivered multiple daggers from deep, allowing Paris to rebuild its cushion and secure the eight‑point victory.
Mason led Paris with 18 points and 5 rebounds. Bell added 12 points and 6 assists. Mia Mason finished with 8 points and 3 assists. Freshman Gabby Gardner contributed 7 points and 7 rebounds. Rose Hayden added 4 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. Rounding out the scoring were Kyla Crutcher with 4 points and Emmalyn Ogden with 2.
Eighth grader Jasmine Wilson, limited to two games due to illness, still produced 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals.
Paris 49, Shelby Valley 43
Paris, sparked early by the play of Mia Mason, raced out to a 15-8 first‑quarter lead. Shelby Valley answered by taking the second quarter 12-10, trimming the Ladyhounds’ halftime advantage to 25-20.
The third quarter belonged to Jamyah “MyMy” Bell, who put the team on her back and took control of the game. Her surge helped Paris extend its lead to 39-29 heading into the final frame.
The fourth quarter, however, brought free‑throw trouble for Coach Speaks’ squad. Paris struggled at the line, opening the door for Shelby Valley to win the period 14-10 and keep the outcome in doubt. Despite the shaky shooting, the Ladyhounds did just enough down the stretch to secure the six‑point victory.
Paris finished the final eight minutes just 4‑for‑11 at the stripe and shot 13‑for‑30 from the line overall.
Hayden led the Ladyhounds with 11 points and 3 steals. Mia Mason added 9 points, while Bell finished with 8. Molly Mason contributed 5 points and 10 rebounds, and Gardner added 5 points and 7 boards. Rounding out the scoring were Crutcher with 6 points and Wilson with 5.
Paris returns to action on Saturday afternoon with a trip to Henry County for its first game of the new year.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE PARIS SCHOOLS MEDIA PAGE….
CALL IT A COMEBACK – Three games, three rallies, and three wins highlight a holiday run powered by defense, depth, and ice‑cold shooting as Paris finished the Lady Comets Winter Classic, 3-0. AMY MASON I For Ladyhounds Basketball
