Rockcastle County down Manual in O.T. for title

SUNDAY @ CARDINAL COUPLE

-Rockcastle Co. takes 2011 Kentucky Girls Basketball State Championship.

-Softball splits Saturday.

-McCarty, Abdullah in NCAA Championships.

Lacrosse vs. Jacksonville

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Sideline reporters contest.

Tough loss for Pitino's Cards.

Congratulations to Rockcastle County, winners of the 2011 Kentucky Girls Basketball High School title. They came from behind to down Louisville Manual 62-60. (Photo by Joe Imel, AP).

Senior point guard Angie Lawrence hit an off-balance runner down the lane with under two seconds left in overtime for the two point win. Rockcastle County had trailed by as many as nine in the third quarter. Lawrence finished with 18 points and All-American senior post Sara Hammond had 26 points and 11 boards against the Crimsons. Leasia Wright had 19 for Manual. It is the first state championship in history for Rockcastle County.

"She had that look in her eye, like she was ready to take over and win this thing...so we just got out of her way and let her go to work." Sara Hammond commenting on Lawrence's winning score.

They got there with a semifinal win over Calloway County 57-38 Saturday morning. Hammond had 15 points and 13 grabs for the Rockets and Lawrence 12 points. Manual made the finals by edging out Marion County 56-54 in the semis. Kyvin Goodin-Rogers totaled 20 and Makayla Epps 18 for Marion County in the close loss.

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Louisville split in two games yesterday at Ulmer Stadium in the Louisville Softball Classic. Michigan won the opener 4-1 and the Cards edged WKU 3-2 i the nightcap.

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Michigan used a three run top of the seventh inning to grab a 4-0 lead. The Cards were in a position to tie in the bottom half of the inning. After Chelsea Jordan scored to make it 4-1, the bases were loaded for Alicja Wolny but she grounded out to end the game. Tori Collins (7-4) took the loss for Louisville. Michigan goes to 24-0 with the win.

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The Cards grabbed an early lead against WKU in the second game and the teams battled back and forth before freshman Taner Fowler smashed a two RBI double in the sixth inning to put Louisville on top to stay 3-2. Carlisa Connell started on the strip and went 4 innings before Collins came in for the relief and the win. Freshmen Fowler and Katie Keller had two hits each for Louisville in the win.

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Louisville plays two more today...Michigan at 1 p.m. and WKU at 3 p.m. Looks like a beautiful day for it, get out and get some!

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D'Ana McCarty finished ninth in the finals of the women's shot put at Texas A&M in the NCAA Indoor National Championships. Khaldija Abdullah also competed but did qualify for the medal round.

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Louisville Lacrosse defeated Jacksonville 17-7 on the road yesterday. Bergan Foley with five goals, Emily Dashiell added four for the Cards. Louisville held a narrow 4-3 halftime lead before the second half surge that improves the Cards to 4-0 on the season. Freshman Ashley Herbst had 10 saves at goalie for UofL. The game was held at a Georgia high school football field and it was the first ever Division 1 field hockey game played in the state. Louisville extended their streak of scoring at least 10 goals a game to 14 games.

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Alex Flanangan survived a late voting charge for Bonnie Bernstein and advances to the round of eight in the CARDINAL COUPLE Sideline Reporters Contest. Today's match-up pits Pam Oliver against Stacey Dales.

The heavenly looking Oliver (pictured left) does foosball for Fox Sports and was the one who originally broke the story that Donovan McNabb was leaving the Philadelphia Eagles. Stacy Dales (formerly Stacy Dales Schumann) was an excellent college hoopster and does both basketball and football for ESPN. She's seen here keeping Maryland's Ralph Fridgen from the team buffet at a college football game. Feel free to vote in the comments section here (which few of you ever do) or e-mail us at cardinalcouple@insightbb.com (which many of you do) with your choice. Paul is Oliver smitten, Sonja likes Dales and David Watson voted for Ralph...

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Tough loss for Pitino's Cards last night to Connecticut in the BIG EAST finals 69-66. Can't understand why people are bashing Mike Marra over this and making him the goat. Louisville had a chance to take it to overtime and Preston Knowles had a good look at the three ball, it just didn't drop. Can't blame Marra for the intercepted in-bounds pass earlier (it was tipped) or missing the second of three free throws with a chance to tie and 4 seconds on the clock. Louisville will receive a great seed in the NCAA Tournament and the Cards won a lot of hearts and minds out there in college hoops land with their frenetic style of play and the guts and determination of this squad...that battled back from double digit deficits to lead late two nights in a row.

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You win as a team and lose as a tea. Wouldn't surprise US in the least if Marra comes back and has a fabulous NCAA Tournament. Kemba Walker is a warrior, no disgrace in losing to him and the Huskies.

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