Boys State Basketball – Shots Heard ‘Round the State

1925 – Irvine Jeffries of Louisville Manual vs Pikeville. Fouled as the game ended, Jeffries netted two free throws for a 21-19 victory. He had hit a field goal a minute earlier to tie the score.

1925 – Charles Temple of Winchester vs Monticello. Winchester won 20-19 when Temple, fouled as the final gun sounded, tossed a free throw.

1926 – Chester Shearer of Danville vs Ashland. Shearer’s field goal in overtime ousted the Tomcats, with a free throw making the final score 19-16.

1928 – Gene Strother of Ashland vs Carr Creek. The teams had gone through three intense overtime periods without a point being made. Ashland controlled the tip to start the fourth extra period and the ball went quickly to Strother, who dribbled to the right of the basket and fired in a short one-hander. After Carr Creek failed to tie the score, Ellis Johnson dribbled through the Indian defense for a layup and Ashland held on to win 13-11.

1929 – Jim Craig of Heath vs Lexington Henry Clay. Craig’s one-hander felled the Blue Devils 27-25.

1929 – John McElyra of Heath vs Louisville St. Xavier. With little Heath clinging to a 22-21 lead over favored St. Xavier, McElyra settled the issue by sinking two straight one-hand shots.

1930 – William Jones of Corinth vs Kavanaugh. With 20 seconds remaining in the championship game, Jones pumped in a goal from mid-court for a 22-20 victory. With a minute to go, Corinth had tied the score on a long shot by Henry Oder.

1930 – Dave Lawrence of Corinth vs Tolu. Lawrence’s goal with more than a minute left beat Tolu 26-25 in a semifinal contest.

1931 – Morris Morguelan of Manual vs Central City. A layup by Morguelan with two seconds remaining decided the 18-17 contest.

1931 – Billy Spicer of Kavanaugh vs Ashland. Spicer, a substitute guard, entered the game in the second overtime period and promptly hit two free throws. That ended all scoring until the final second as Kavanaugh won 24-20.

1932 – Kenneth Overly of Louisville Male vs Birmingham. His side shot and fast-break layup in the second overtime period made the final score 24-20. Overly was a reserve, and one of his rivals in the game was McCoy Tarry, who was destined to coach a state championship team at Brewers.

1932 – Morton Combs of Hazard vs Male. With the score tied in the championship game and 20 seconds to play, Hazard attempted a shot which missed. In a wild scramble for the rebound, Combs, a guard, came up with the ball and put it in the basket for a 15-13 triumph.

1933 – Woodrow Wilson Patton of Hazel Green vs Paris. Favored Paris was leading when the 118-pound Patton went to work, hitting a long shot and then a free throw with 10 seconds to play. Hazel Green won 27-26.

1934 – Holmas Cotton of Danville vs Central City. The Admirals won 18-16 in overtime after Cotton caged a free throw as regulation time expired, then tallied a field goal for the only points in the extra period.

1934 – C.T. Alexander of Danville vs Horse Cave. Alexander’s goal won the semifinal game 26-24 after Cotton’s basket had knotted the score with 20 seconds to go.

1936 – Ollie Ward of Inez vs Manual. Ward’s layup snapped a 17-17 tie as Inez survived 21-17.

1936 – Bruce Stultz of Russell vs Nebo. This was not a winning shot, but it did break the longest team scoring drought in state tourney history. Russell had gone scoreless for 21 1/2 minutes when Stultz connected.

1937 – Red Garrigus of Pilot Oak vs Breckinridge Training of Morehead. With both teams playing in the tourney for the first time, Garrigus made the go-ahead goal as Pilot Oak prevailed by 30-27.

1939 – J.C. Fellows of Morganfield vs Madisonville. Scoring on the tipoff of the “sudden death” overtime period, Fellows made it 23-21 for Morganfield.

1941 – Tommy Trimble of Hardin vs Lexington Henry Clay. It was a free throw by Trimble with 25 seconds to play that won third place for Hardin, 32-31.

1941 – Ed Bell of Louisville St. Xavier vs Lexington Henry Clay. St. Xavier took the semifinal test 35-33 when Bell intercepted a pass and went in for a lay-up with five seconds remaining.

1942 – Elza Bruce of Lexington Lafayette vs St. Xavier. En route to the state championship, Lafayette beat St. Xavier 27-24 in the semifinals. With 30 seconds left, Lafayette missed a free throw, but Bruce took the rebound and scored.

1944 – Walter Ruley of Olive HIll vs Brooksville. In what was considered the biggest upset in tourney annals up to that time, Olive Hill dumped undefeated Brooksville 23-20. Ruley’s goal near the end, his only points of the game, was the key.

1946 – Eddie Humston of Lawrenceburg vs Male. The defending state champion Male team was beaten 38-37 when Humston, a forward, tipped one through with 42 seconds remaining. Gene Rhodes had just put Male ahead 37-36.

1950 – Charlie Hadden of Lafayette vs Corbin. Hadden’s long shot staved off a rally and the Generals won 75-65 on the way to the state title. Hadden‘s shot gave him eight goals in nine attempts.

1950 – Linville Puckett of Clark County vs Central City. Clark County, runner-up for the championship, led Central City 54-52 with a minute left in a semifinal game. It wasn’t until Puckett broke free, took a long pass and scored that Clark was home free and won 59-55.

1952 – Garnard Martin of Hindman vs Newport. Martin’s short set shot in the final minute decided it, 53-51.

1952 – Curtis Moffett of Manual vs Clark County. The Cardinals almost had their semifinal game in the bag, but Moffett bored in for a layup with three seconds left and Manual prevailed 54-53.

1952 – Charles Floyd of Cuba vs Hindman. A short one-hander by Floyd decided the semifinal contest, 44-42, in the sudden-death, second overtime period.

1953 – Dwain McIntosh of Paducah Tilghman vs Ashland. Rated #1 in the polls, Ashland could not solve a Paducah slow-down and the score was 44-44 when Paducah Tilghman called time out with 44 seconds left. With five seconds to go, the ball was passed to McIntosh on the side, as planned, and McIntosh swished it through.

1953 – Dwain McIntosh of Paducah Tilghman vs Caverna. With Paducah Tilghman trailing 59-58, McIntosh got the ball and played his second hero role of the tournament as he hit a short shot with five seconds remaining.

1954 – Herbie Triplett of Inez vs Adair County. Inez, en route to the championship, led Adair only 67-66 when Triplett was fouled with 57 seconds remaining. He caged both free throws to total 25 points and Inez won the semifinal test 70-68.

1956 – Fred Maggard of Carr Creek vs Central City. With eight seconds left in the second overtime, Maggard’s shot decided the outcome 70-68.

1956 – Fred Maggard of Carr Creek vs Wayland. A one-hander from the head of the circle by Maggard with four seconds remaining beat Wayland 68-67 in the semifinals. Carr Creek defeated Henderson in the title game with Maggard scoring 20 points.

1956 – John Mayes of Bell County vs Lafayette. In sudden-death, second overtime play, Bell drove in for a basket that spilled the Generals 65-63.

1958 – Joe Farris of Clark County vs Bowling Green High Street. Farris, who drove in for a goal to put Clark ahead 64-63, caged two free throws with 52 seconds left and the Cardinals won 67-65.

1960 – Russell Miracle of Bell County vs Harrodsburg. Bell won handily, 66-54, but Miracle’s feat is memorable just the same. Fouled with two seconds to play, he made two free throws. Then he intercepted the inbounds pass and fired a long shot from near the center stripe. Four points in two seconds.

1960 – David Yewell of Owensboro vs Lincoln Institute. Owensboro won 77-75 when Yewell tied the score with a minute left, then hit the clincher with seven seconds showing.

1961 – Austin Dumas of Lexington Dunbar vs Breathitt County. Dumas had tied the score in this classic struggle with a tip-in in the final minute. But Breathitt went in front 54-53 on a free throw. After a Dunbar time out with six seconds left, the ball went to Dumas in backcourt. Dribbling quickly to mid-court, he uncorked a one-hander, and time ran out with the ball in the air. It went flush into the net and Dunbar had won 55-54.

1963 – Bobby Hiles of Maysville vs Henry County. A pair of free throws by Hiles with five seconds showing produced a 66-65 win.

1964 – Westley Unseld of Seneca vs Hazard. Seneca was a 61-58 victor thanks largely to Unseld’s field goal with a minute left and his free throw with 28 seconds to go.

1965 – Jay Harrington of Breckinridge County vs Hazard. Champion Breckinridge County survived its semifinal test against Hazard 72-68 with Harrington sinking two free throws with 23 seconds showing.

1966 – Mike Casey of Shelby County vs Knox Central. Casey’s three-point play halted a Knox Central rally and Shelby moved close to its championship, 71-70.

1967 – B.G. Lovins of Breathitt County vs Harrison County. With Breathitt County ahead 55-54 and 39 seconds remaining, Lovins’ two free throws were vital to victory.

1967 – Tyrone Hopson of Earlington vs Covington Catholic. Earlington called time out with six seconds remaining, Covington Catholic was in front 53-52 and the state championship at stake. Justin Sharp’s 35-foot jump shot bounded off the rim to Hopson whose short shot found the mark with one second to spare.

1968 – Daryl Bishop of Seneca vs Henry Clay. The score was tied in this first-round game when Bishop fired a 25-foot shot at the final buzzer. It went in for a 68-66 Seneca victory.

1969 – William Averitt of Hopkinsville vs Hazard. Averitt, who made 11 of his team‘s last 15 points, drove in for a goal with seven seconds left to provide a final 69-67 margin.

1969 – Gary Raymond of Ohio County vs Ashland. Raymond’s free throw with six seconds left provided the insurance for an 82-80 semifinal win. It was his 28th point.

1969 – Ray Kleykamp of Ashland vs Shelby County. His jumper with 15 seconds to play stopped Herky Rupp’s club 81-80 and gave him 33 points.

1970 – Lennus Redd of Trigg County vs Wheelwright. His free throw with 30 seconds left sealed off a 78-74 win.

1970 – Phillip Lovely of Breathitt County vs Covington Catholic. The Covington Catholic team was an apparent winner until Lovely connected on a spinning jump shot at the buzzer. The final count was 64-63.

1971 – Jimmy Dan Conner of Anderson County vs Louisville Central. After losing an 11-point lead and trailing 62-60, Anderson County obtained the ball out of bounds near its goal with eight seconds left. The inbounds pass went to Conner who flipped in a go-ahead goal. Fouled on the play, he converted the free throw. Teammate Mike Green later added two free throws, making the final score 65-62 and advancing Anderson County to the championship game.

1971 – Doran Maddox of Owensboro vs Covington Catholic. Owensboro won in overtime, but to produce the extra period, the Red Devils needed a 45-foot goal by Maddox. He banked the shot through.

1973 – Herbert McCray of Louisville Shawnee vs Owensboro. The Red Devils, 10 points behind, rallied to trail only 60-57. McCray then sank three straight free throws and Shawnee won 68-61.

1973 – Norman Letcher of Danville vs. Bowling Green. Sophomore Letcher dropped in a field goal with 31 seconds remaining as Danville won 71-70.

1973 – Ricky Weatherspoon of Hickman County vs Maysville. The second overtime period was almost over when Weatherspoon intercepted a pass. Fouled as time expired, he made two free throws for a 67-65 decision.

1973 – Isaac Childress of Hickman County vs Clay County. Two free throws by Childress with 23 seconds remaining and another by Derek Fritts produced a 61-59 win.

1974 – Steve Skaggs of Greenup County vs Madisonville. Greenup County came from 12 points behind to win 90-81. But the most sensational shot was a 40-footer by Skaggs at the third quarter buzzer, making the score 61-57.

1974 – Ron Dawn of Newport Catholic vs Monticello. Dawn’s pair of free throws with nine seconds left made the difference as Catholic won 76-74.

1975 – Keith Evans of Henry Clay vs Louisville Central. Two free throws by Evans, a senior guard, with just four seconds on the clock, ousted Central 62-60 in the semifinals.

1975 – Greg Walton of Christian County vs Fairview Walton bagged the go-ahead goal with less than a minute to play, and Curtis Parker’s free throw sealed a 67-63 win.

1976 – Mike Reese of Christian County vs. Henry Clay. Reese scored with 37 seconds left and the Colonels survived 68-67.

1976 – Chester Bethel of Edmonson County vs Shelby County. Bethel’s basket with 34 seconds left put the eventual champs ahead 53-50. Norris Beckley of Shelby, fouled at the buzzer, sank two free throws.

1976 – Vince Chambers of Shelby County vs Apollo. Apollo, trailing by 13, tied the score at 66. But Chambers, who scored 12 straight points in the fourth period, hit a sensational turn-around jumper to put Shelby County ahead for keeps in a 74-68 game.

1977 – Pete Scott of Bath County vs Glasgow. With his team leading 49-48, Scott flipped in a pair of free throws with 17 seconds remaining. With this insurance, Bath won 51-50.

1977 – Clarence James of Owensboro vs M.C. Napier. Two free throws by James with 29 seconds to play pushed Owensboro ahead 62-59. But he had to hit another pair of free throws to stave off M.C. Napier in a 66-63 struggle.

1978 – Danny Carothers of Bowling Green vs Maysville. Making a mid-court steal with 18 seconds remaining, Carothers went in for a layup which he missed. He then grabbed the rebound, put the ball through the hoop and won the game 71-70.

1978 – Charles Price of Henry Clay vs Somerset. His brace of free throws with 17 seconds left put Henry Clay ahead 72-70.

1978 – Charles Hurt of Shelby County vs Apollo. Hurt’s layup with two minutes to go put Shelby ahead to stay. Mike George protected the lead with five free throws and the Owensboro team lost its first game of the season 62-55.

1978 – Reuben Estep of Clay County vs Mayfield. Eleven seconds remained when Estep broke a tie with two free throws. Estep hit 10 straight free throws as Clay won 64-62.

1978 – Norris Beckley of Shelby County vs Henry Clay. Beckley’s short, banked-in jumper with one second on the clock won the game 63-62.

1978 – Charles Nance of Christian County vs Ahrens. A 10-footer by Nance with 6 seconds left enabled Christian County to prevail by 56-54.

1978 – Charles Hurt of Shelby County vs Covington Holmes. Hurt’s last-second shot from close range sent this game into overtime. Norris Beckley’s free throws were decisive in the extra period and Shelby County won 68-66.

1979 – David Clymer of Mayfield vs Harrison County. It was a free throw by Clymer with 15 seconds left that provided insurance for a 61-59 win.

1979 – James Shabe of Warren East vs Pulaski County. It was Shabe’s jump shot from the circle with six seconds left in overtime that won for Warren East 55-54.

1979 – Bass Thomas of Pulaski County vs Hazard. Thomas grabbed a rebound and scored on an eight-footer with two seconds left in overtime as Pulaski won 76-73. Randy Cole’s goal for Pulaski with 20 seconds left sent the game into overtime.

1979 – Ronnie East of Warren East vs DeSales. East’s goal with four seconds remaining climaxed a big rally and gave Warren its first lead and the victory 58-56.

1980 – Perry Mason of Bell County vs Taylor County. A jumper from the lane by Mason with 33 seconds remaining put Bell in front. Then he hit two free throws to make the final count 60-57.

1980 – Kenny Wilson of Union County vs Franklin County. Taking a pass from Jerry Frazier, Wilson caged a short shot with five seconds showing in overtime. Union took it 52-51.

1980 – Todd Whatley of Covington Holmes vs Ashland. Holmes won a sensational scoring battle 97-92 in double-overtime with Dicky Beal of Holmes netting a free throw with three seconds left to send it into the second extra period. Whatley’s brace of free throws were crucial after Ashland pulled to within two at 90-88.

1980 – Mike Katzman of Louisville Doss vs Union County. Katzman’s free toss decided a tense semifinal test 45-44.

1981 – Allen Feldhaus, Jr. of Mason County vs Shelby County. The verdict was decided when Feldhaus made a free throw with 16 seconds left. Mason County took it 53-52.

1981 – Darryl Hunter of Owensboro vs North Hardin. Hunter’s driving layup with three seconds left capped a 28-point performance and gave Owensboro the win 60-59.

1981 – Troy McKinley of Simon Kenton vs Virgie. A rebound basket by McKinley at the 27-second mark and his free throw with seven seconds left assured the eventual champions of an 84-83 win.

1981 – Kelly Middleton of Mason County vs Bryan Station. Mason’s 69-64 upset victory was keyed by Middleton’s pair of free throws with 18 seconds remaining.

1982 – Marvin Watts of North Hardin vs Lexington Bryan Station. A free throw by Watts with four seconds left decided the contest 56-55.

1982 – Paul Andrews of Laurel County vs Virgie. With three seconds to go, Andrews flipped in a free throw that beat favored Virgie 61-60.

1982 – Paul Andrews of Laurel County vs North Hardin. The Laurel County junior provided the most sensational finish of a championship game in Sweet 16 history. With the score tied, North Hardin was working for a game-winning shot, but an errant pass was grabbed by Andrews near the baseline with three seconds showing. He dribbled to midcourt and launched a marathon shot that swished through the net a split-second after the final buzzer. Laurel County had won 53-51.

1983 – Derrick Turner of Fairdale vs Middlesboro. His free throw with 25 seconds left put Fairdale ahead 66-64. He hit another one later in the 67-66 win.

1983 – Terry Stewart of Ballard vs Warren Central. His rebound goal on a missed free throw with 33 seconds left was vital in the 65-61 win. Adam Cheek added a brace of free throws to ice it.

1983 – Greg Bates of Henry Clay vs Carlisle County. Bates leaped high for a rebound and scored with one second remaining to take the hero role in a 35-33 championship thriller.

1984 – Chip Rupp of Henry Clay vs Pulaski County. Adolph Rupp’s grandson caged a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left to break a tie as the Blue Devils went on to win 70-69.

1984 – Henry Jones of Logan County vs Henry Clay. The 5-9 guard spun around players massed in the lane and bored in for a layup with four seconds remaining in overtime. The goal ousted the defending champs, 70-68.

1984 – Mike Smith of M.C. Napier vs Johnson Central. Smith’s twisting jumper went through with just six seconds remaining to give Napier a 76-75 margin. A goal by Jeff Smith with 41 seconds left had pulled the Navajos to within one.

1984 – Jeff Royce of Bourbon County vs Marshall County. His short, banked-in basket with a minute left in overtime proved to be the clincher, 65-62

1984 – Jeff Royce of Bourbon County vs Louisville Ballard. The senior guard was amazing in a 74-72 upset victory. He connected on an 18-footer at the buzzer to send the game into an extra period. Then he duplicated the shot, again at the final buzzer, to produce the win. With nine hits at the foul line, he contributed 27 points.

1984 – Jeff Royce of Bourbon County vs M.C. Napier. Continuing an almost-miraculous tournament performance, Royce caged a 10-foot jumper at the one-second mark to forge a 57-56 semifinal triumph. He scored 22 points, including a goal that pulled the Colonels from a 3-point deficit with 19 ticks left.

1985 – John Calvert of Hopkinsville vs Clay County. Two free throws by the junior reserve with 40 seconds left sealed the championship victory. A goal by Lamont Ware and Calvert’s steal preceded Calvert’s charity flings in the 65-64 triumph.

1985 – Joey Couch of Paintsville vs Washington County. His free throw with nine seconds remaining assured his team of a 3-point win. His big moment, however, came when he uncorked a perfect shot from well past mid-court as the first half ended. It was easily one of the half-dozen longest shots in Sweet 16 history.

1985 – Spence Shipley of Doss vs Mason County. Shipley’s two free throws with 45 seconds left in overtime were crucial in a 64-63 win. A later free throw by Brandy Monks proved invaluable. Mason had failed to win when a goal by Chris Orme was ruled a split-second late in regulation time.

1985 – Wendell Quarles of Hopkinsville vs Paintsville. His brace of free throws broke an overtime tie. Then John Calvert made a free throw with 12 seconds left to provide a 3-point lead.

1985 – Deron Feldhaus of Mason County vs Lexington Catholic. His free throw with 16 seconds to play gave Mason County the insurance it needed to prevail 68-66. Chris O’Hearn’s free toss had put Mason ahead by one with a minute left.

1986 – Reggie Hanson of Pulaski County vs Owensboro. Hanson, whose free throw with one second remaining sent the game into overtime, meshed two free throws with 10 seconds left in the extra period. Pulaski won 70-68.

1986 – Derrick Wilcox of Pleasure Ridge Park vs Hazard. Wilcox connected on a short one-hander with 13 seconds showing, putting Pleasure Ridge Park ahead 53-52. He then produced a 3-point play after stealing the ball, paving the way for a 56-54 victory.

1986 – Shannon Fraley of Pulaski County drove through the defense for a layup with 10 seconds left in the title game as Pulaski County won 47-45 vs. Pleasure Ridge Park.

1987 – Kenneth Martin of Ballard vs Marshall County. With six seconds remaining, Martin bagged two free throws that put Ballard ahead 72-71.

1987 – Chris Risenberg of Ballard vs Mason County. Risenberg grabbed a rebound with one second showing and banked in a shot that gave Ballard a 64-62 victory. He had only the two points in the second half.

1987 – Russell Chadwell of Clay County vs Ballard. With his team leading 72-71 and 11 seconds to play in overtime, Chadwell hit two free throws to preserve a 74-71 championship game win. In the final 25 seconds of overtime, Clay County outscored desperately-fouling Ballard 5-4, getting a free throw from Kevin Jackson, two by Eugene Rawlings and two by Chadwell.

1988 – Mark Woods of Pleasure Ridge Park vs. Marshall County. Fouled as he grabbed a loose ball, Woods caged two free throws that sealed his team’s 70-67 victory.

1988 – Kevin Jackson of Clay County vs. Pleasure Ridge Park. Jackson hit two free throws at :05 to give Clay County a 92-87 advantage enroute to a 92-90 victory. Russ Farmer had made two free throws for a 90-87 Clay County lead with 15 seconds to go.

1988 – Jack Jennings of Covington Holmes vs. Buckhorn. Jennings hit a turnaround jumper with 1:50 remaining to put Holmes ahead for good at 70-69. The final score was 75-72.

1989 – Shane Crum of Clark County vs. Rowan County. Crum’s follow of a teammates’ missed shot with two seconds remaining produces a 45-43 victory for the Cardinals.

1989 – Mike Allen of Bryan Station. The Defenders, trailing 56-54 with 25 seconds left, came through with a performance unique in state tournament history. Allen misfired from three-point range, the shot was rebounded by Mike Hampton who passed back to Allen. Again he missed but the rebound went to Reggie Talbert who again passed the ball to Allen. A third shot failed. Nimbo Hammons took the rebound and chose to feed Allen for yet another attempt instead of trying for a tying two-point basket. This time Allen’s shot was true and Bryan Station celebrated a 57-56 quarterfinal victory.

1989 – Jimmy John Owens of Wayne County vs. Scott. A 3-point play by Owens put Wayne ahead 62-58 with 31 seconds to play. Julius Green then added a three pointer and two free throws to seal the 66-61 win. The teams scored ten points in the last 30 seconds.

1989 – Aaron Beth of Marshall County vs. Madisonville. Two free throws by Beth with eight seconds to go gave Marshall the needed insurance in a 69-66 win.

1989 – Julius Green of Wayne County vs. Bryan Station. Two free throws by Green proved to be the deciding points in a 62-60 decision.

1989 – Sean Hammonds of Pleasure Ridge Park vs. Wayne County. Two free throws proved vital giving the Panthers a 74-71 lead en route to the championship. Shawn Pfaadt added another free throw to make the final margin 75-73.

1990 – Anthony Hughes of Covington Holmes vs. Clark County. Two free throws with 1:33 remaining made the difference in an 84-81 win. Clark’s Chris McCoy had just put his team ahead 81-80 with a 3-point goal.

1991 – Chris Kelso of Fairdale vs. Tates Creek. With time running out and Fairdale nursing a 3-point lead, Kelso hit a free throw following a defensive rebound to seal the championship.

1991 – Jeff Ely of Corbin vs. Knott County Central. Corbin outpointed K.C.C. 10-6 in the last 46 seconds and Ely’s free throw gave Corbin a safe 83-79 lead. Free throws finished out the scoring as Corbin won 87-82.

1991 – Jermaine Brown of Fairdale vs. Corbin. With the score tied, Brown scored on a layup after intercepting a pass. Seconds later he tallied again on a put-back as Fairdale escaped, 67-61.

1992 – Marty Cline of University Heights vs. Lexington Catholic. Cline’s two free throws with 17 seconds remaining gave the champions the insurance needed to survive 59-57 after Catholic had closed to within three points at 57-54.

1992 – Tony Hester of Lexington Catholic vs. Clay County. With Catholic trailing by a point, Hester banged in a 3-point shot and followed with another goal off a steal. Davon Davis contributed heavily to the Knights 68-64 semifinal win by sinking eight of nine free throws.

1992 – Marty Cline of University Heights vs. Owensboro. Cline’s six free throws in the final two minutes kept Owensboro at bay as UHA took the semi 68-64.

1992 – Deshawn Standard of Pleasure Ridge Park vs. Ashland. Standard’s six footer at the buzzer eliminated the Tomcats 72-70. Standard made a pass from out of bounds and hit the shot after the ball was deflected back in his direction. Fred Keeton had tied the score for Ashland with 31 seconds to go.

1992 – Todd Pridemore and Shannon Hoskins of Clay County vs. Ballard. Hoskins, after hitting an acrobatic shot and a free throw, fired a pass to Pridemore for a layup that felled the Bruins 67-65 in double-overtime.

1992 – Jason Gullett of Pulaski County vs. Marion County. Gullett’s free throw with 10 seconds left capped a 28-point performance as Pulaski prevailed 68-67.

1992 – Marty Cline of University Heights vs. Pleasure Ridge Park. Cline meshed two free throws in the final seconds to make the final score 53-51.

1993 – Jeremy Burchfield of Shelby County vs. Ashland. Burchfield sank 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to stave off a Tomcat rally. He connected on four shots in the final minute of the 70-64 Rocket victory.

1993 – Anthony Epps of Marion County vs. Lex. Paul Dunbar. A long 3-point shot was a physchological boost as Marion held off the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter of the championship game, a 85-77 Marion County victory.

1993 – Michael Jones of Harlan vs. Casey County. Jones caged a short jumper with three seconds left as Harlan edged Casey. Jones’ shot put Harlan ahead 72-70 and the Dragons then scored three more points after a technical foul for an illegal timeout.

1994 – Terrence Jones of Fairdale vs. Paul Dunbar. Jones, who made a crucial three-point shot against Clay County in the first round, hit another three with 44 seconds remaining to put his Bulldogs ahead 57-56 in the title game. After a missed opportunity by Dunbar at the line, Fairdale won 59-56.

1994 – Wesley Miller of Lou. Moore. His three-pointer with 17 seconds left downed Mason County 79-77.

1994 – Jeremy Burchfield of Shelby County vs. Allen Central. Jason Martin scored 27 points to spark an Allen Central victory but lost a shooting duel. Burchfield scored 31 points with a pair of threes and a 11 of 13 performance at the line. Burchfield had caged 14 free throws, the sixth-highest total in tournament history, during a 1993 game.

1995 – Patrick Critchelow of Breckinridge County canned 10 free throws in the final quarter of the championship game, two with :40 remaining to give Breck a 61-56 lead over Pleasure Ridge Park.

1995 – Harlan’s Charles Thomas banked home a three-point shot with less than a second remaining to spark the Dragons to a 57-54 win over Adair County.

1995 – Billy Ray Fawns of Montgomery County hit a three-pointer with 11 seconds left against Paintsville to send the game into overtime. Montgomery County went on to win, 78-71.

1995 – After his team trailed by 15 points in the first quarter, Marshall County’s Robert Sanders tipped in a missed free throw attempt at the buzzer against Simon Kenton to send the game into overtime. Marshall went on to win, 76-70.

1996 – With 2.8 seconds left in overtime, Paintsville’s J.R. VanHoose scored on an unusual play and produced an 80-78 win over Owensboro. A teammate’s shot was short of the rim but VanHoose grabbed the ball and scored as he made his height advantage pay off. Craig Ratliff of Paintsville had scored with 21 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

1996 – Todd Tackett’s fast-break layup with three seconds left produced Paintsville’s 78-76 victory over Allen County-Scottsville. A sensational long shot by Allen’s Warren Cunningham tied the score with eight seconds to play but J.R. VanHoose made a pefect long outlet pass to Tackett, who was behind the Allen County defense.

1997 – Paintsville, seeking a second straight championship, led Highlands 65-62 with just 10 seconds left in their semifinal game. Highlands Eric Glaser was fouled and converted the front end of a one-and-one. At the suggestion of teammate Derek Smith, Glaser intentionally missed his second attempt and thanks to a favorable bounce, Smith grabbed the rebound and his putback sent the game into overtime. Smith had another putback goal in overtime as Highlands won, 74-71.

1997 – The most sensational shot of the tournament was made by Shay Epps of Marion County. He made a leaping, twisting, last-second basket from way beyond the three-point arc against Graves County.

1998 – Ben Wilson of Lexington Catholic vs. Pleasure Ridge Park. David Graves managed to shove a loose ball to Wilson, who banked an 8-foot winning goal with less than one second remaining in overtime. Catholic won, 75-73, also thanks to clutch shots by Graves, Don Offutt, Patrick Skees and Shawn Fields.

1998 – Montrel Alexander of Eastern vs. North Hardin. When Alexander sank two free throws with 34 seconds left to force an overtime, no one could have imagined what followed. Eastern scored 16 straight points, 10 by Jermaine Taylor, and held North Hardin scoreless in the overtime to win 67-51.

1998 – Rick Jones of Scott County vs. Lexington Catholic. Jones netted a long 3-pointer as time ran out as Scott County eliminated a tournament favorite. In a frantic final minute, Catholic went ahead 79-74, ohly to see the Cardinals score an amazing 11 points in just 36 seconds. Scott Mendenhall’s 3-pointer for Catholic produced a tie with just seven seconds left but Jones dribbled past mid-court and fired the final game-winning shot.

1999 – Casey Alsop of Scott County vs. Paducah Tilghman. Although star Rick Jones sank his fifth three-pointer and six free throws in overtime for the defending State Champions, Alsop had already become a hero. With 18 seconds left in regulation, Alsop nailed a three to leave the Cards trailing by just one at 62-61. Two Paducah Tilghman free throws made it 64-61, when Alsop connected for another three with eight seconds left to force overtime. Jones then took command in the overtime as Scott County won, 78-75.

1999 – Brandon Bender of Ballard vs. Henderson County. Bender’s turnaround shot from close range with less than two seconds remaining found the mark as Ballard won the seimfinal contest, 63-62.

1999 – Chris Wilson of Paducah Tilghman vs. Pleasure Ridge Park. Wilson drove between two defenders and banked in an eight-footer with 19 seconds left, producing a 50-49 lead. Two last-second foul shots gave the Blue Tornado a 52-49 win.

2000 – Antwain Barbour of Elizabethtown vs. Russellville. With 15 seconds left in the semifinal game, Barbour cut to the hoop from the left sideline, took a pass from Josh Pedigo, sank a shot and then added a free throw that made the final score 88-87. The effort capped a comeback that had seen the Panthers down 15 points in the fourth quarter.

2001 – Derek Coffey of South Laurel vs. Campbell County. Campbell County was ahead by one point in overtime when a South Laurel shot misfired with one-half second remaining. The rebound fell to Coffey under the basket and his putback beat the buzzer to make South Laurel a 64-63 winner.

2002 – Bo Cook of Whitesburg vs. Wayne County. Cook’s free throw with eight seconds left gave the Yellowjackets a first-round win.

2002 – C.J. Brewer of Christian County vs. Male. To mark the end of the first half, Brewer uncorked a 60-footer as he dribbled toward the center line. It was one of the five longest field goals in tournament history.

2003 – Chris Lofton of Mason County vs. Ballard. Lofton fired many shots in the State Championship, tying a tournament record for three-pointers with nine. Lofton finished with 39 points.

2004 – Chris Lofton of Mason County vs. Louisville Trinty. Lofton hit a three point shot with three seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Defending champion Mason County eventually prevailed 66-56 in a triple overtime thriller.

2005 – Walt Allen of South Laurel vs. Pleasure Ridge Park. Allen’s put back with five seconds left in overtime gave South Laurel a one point win and a spot in the championship.

2006 – Randon Cavette of Graves County vs. South Laurel. Cavette’s layup with 10 seconds remaining helped the Eagles knock off the defending State Champion Cardinals.

2007 – Jamaizz Baker of Christian County vs. George Rogers Clark. After George Rogers Clark’s Robert Hatton hit two free throws to give the Cardinals a three-point lead, Baker connected on a three-pointer with 8 seconds left that sent the game to overtime tied at 68. George Rogers Clark survived the scare, 77-71.

2008 – Darius Miller of Mason County vs. Elliott County. Clinging to a two-point lead with 7 seconds remaining, Miller hit two free throws to cap the Royals’ rally from a seven-point, fourth-quarter deficit against Elliott County, 66-62.

2009 – Ridge Wilson of Central vs. Holmes. Staring at a two-point deficit at the end of overtime in the state championship gave versus Holmes, Wilson hit a turnaround jumper from the top of the key with one second remaining to send the game to a second overtime. Wilson was the leading scorer in the game with 18 points.

2009 – Ricardo Johnson, Holmes. Clinging to a three-point lead with two seconds left in the second overtime, Johnson stepped to the line and hit one of two free throws to put the game out of reach and give Holmes its first state championship with a 67-63 victory over Central. Johnson was named most valuable player of the 2009 tournament.

2010 – Jordan Gilbert of Mason County vs. North Hardin. With the score tied in overtime, Gilbert drove the right side of the lane and hit a runner with three seconds left to give Mason County a 58-56 first-round victory.

2010 – Ian Chiles of Ballard vs. Warren Central. After blowing a 22-point lead, Ballard survived when Chiles banked in a 25-foot three-pointer with one second left to beat the Dragons 62-59 in the quarterfinals.

2012 – Tyler Wesley of Oldham County vs. Knott County Central. Wesley drove the left side of the lane and hit a layup, was fouled, and converted the three-point play with 3.9 seconds left. Oldham County held on to beat the Patriots 36-34 in the quarterfinals.

2013 – Ken-Jah Bosley of Madison Central vs. Ballard. Bosley’s three-pointer from the right wing with five seconds left in overtime lifted Madison Central over the Bruins 65-64 in the state championship game. The Indians rallied from 16 points down in the second half.

2014 – Dalton Adkins of Johnson Central vs. Campbell County. With the score tied and Campbell County holding the ball for a last shot, Johnson Central’s Braxton Blair came up with a steal and fed Dalton Adkins, who hit a layup with 4.6 seconds left to give the Golden Eagles a 58-56 first-round victory.

2014 – Nick Ruthsatz of Covington Catholic vs. Scott County. Ruthsatz cashed two free throws with 50 seconds left in regulation to tie it 47-47, and the Colonels went on to beat Scott County 59-51 in overtime and win the championship.

2015 – Jeremiah Bell of Boyle County vs. Lexington Catholic. Boyle County trailed by 11 points with five minutes left, but rallied to beat the Knights 60-59 thanks to Bell’s driving layup with four seconds left. It was the Rebels’ first-ever victory in the Sweet Sixteen.

2015 – Matt Shumate of Covington Catholic vs. Owensboro. Shumate’s three-pointer with four seconds left in regulation tied it 55-55, but Owensboro won the semifinal showdown in overtime 69-65 and denied the Colonels a chance at a repeat title.

2017 – Zion Harmon of Bowling Green vs. Scott. After Jaycob Pouncy’s two free throws gave Scott a 79-78 lead with 29 seconds left in the semifinal, Harmon, an eighth-grader, drove into the lane and hit a jumper with 23 seconds left and the Purples held on to win 80-79.

2017 – Dominique Turner of Collins vs. Elliott County. Turner sank two free throws with nine seconds left in regulation to tie it 52-52, and Collins went on to win 65-57 in overtime of the first-round game.

2018 – Cooper Robb of Scott County vs. Trinity. Robb’s three-pointer from the left corner with :09 left was the difference as Scott County prevailed 54-53 in a first-round showdown of state powers.

2018 – Wayne Battaile of Pikeville vs. John Hardin. Battaile hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to tie it 52-52 and force overtime against heavily favored John Hardin in the first round.

2018 – Evan Rhodes of Pikeville vs. John Hardin. Rhodes, fouled on a three-point try from the right corner, stepped to the line with :03.6 left and made three free throws to tie it 58-58 and force a second overtime.

2018 – Christian Billiter of Pikeville vs. John Hardin. Billiter’s three-pointer with :16 left tied it 61-61 and forced a third OT, and Pikeville went on to win 72-69.

2018 – Ahmad Price and Tony Rogers of Fern Creek vs. Boyd County. After Price cashed two free throws with :11 left to give Fern Creek a 68-67 lead, Rogers hit 1 of 2 with :04 left to finalize a 69-67 first-round victory.

2018 – Travis Henderson of Oldham County vs. Campbell County. Henderson’s three-pointer with :05 left lifted the Colonels to a 56-55 victory in the quarterfinals.

2019 – Reid Jolly of Campbell County vs. undefeated John Hardin. Jolly’s two free throws with :25 left wound up being the difference as the Camels held on to win 61-60 in the opening round.