BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - With just two spots left in the 2026 4th Region Girls Basketball Tournament semifinals, four teams battled it out on the court of Diddle Arena looking to extend their season.
Both matchups finished with score margins of four points or lower, further proving the depth of girls basketball talent that Southcentral, Kentucky currently has.
To start the night, the Greenwood Lady Gators fought tooth and nail with last year's tournament winners from Franklin-Simpson.
Despite a hot start from Lady Cat Allye Pennington, who made five three-pointers in the first half alone, Greenwood would erase a double-digit lead to make the final moments of the fourth quarter interesting.
Lady Gator Molly Spidel would launch a three-point shot from the right corner with under five seconds left in regulation, and after the basketball crossed the bottom of the net, the game would be tied at 53 a piece, and shortly after, go into overtime.
But in extra time, Lady Cats senior Tiffany Harrigan came to life, forcing her way to the basket for some big-time buckets, and in the end, Franklin-Simpson survives the first-round scare, winning 68-65.
"They were hooping and we were just as tight as could be, trying not to mess up. That's not us, that's not how we play. That's not our game, that's not our style, that's not Franklin Simpson. We just had to get back to playing us, but it's hard, man. Those lights are bright in this first game, and so I'm proud for us finding a way," Franklin-Simpson head coach Ashley Taylor said.
The second game of Monday night pitted the 16th District champions from Cumberland County against the 15th District runners-up from Allen County-Scottsville.
Both teams in this matchup were eyeing a win in the region tournament for the first time in a while, with ACS not winning since 2015 and Cumberland County not winning since 2008.
Very quickly, 4th Region Player of the Year Avery Morris and the Lady Patriots got into a groove, scoring 41 first half points to build up a 20-point advantage heading into the locker room.
However, seven three-point makes from the Lady Panthers made things interesting in the second half, as Cumberland was able to scratch back into the ballgame with time winding down.
As it come down to free throws, the Lady Patriots would be able to sink shots when it mattered most, and at the final buzzer, head coach Garry Dewitt and his girls would celebrate a 64-60 win, moving on into the second round of the tournament.
The semifinal matchup between Franklin-Simpson and Allen County-Scottsville is set to tipoff on Friday evening at 8:00 p.m.
It will mark the second time this season the Lady Cats and Lady Patriots have met, with round one back on January 3 going to ACS, the first win in the head-to-head series for the school since 2021.