[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Pages 4656-4657]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      RECOGNIZING THE COVINGTON HOLY CROSS GIRLS' BASKETBALL TEAM

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I believe my U.S. Senate colleagues are 
well aware of how seriously we take our basketball in my home State of 
Kentucky. I rise to congratulate the statewide champions in girls' 
basketball in Kentucky, the Covington Holy Cross Indians, who won the 
Kentucky High School Athletic Association, KHSAA, State Basketball 
Championship this March 15.
  It was a dramatic ending to a spectacular season for the Indians, who 
finish with a 33-to-3 record. The score in the final game against the 
Allen County-Scottsville Patriots was tied at 32 with just under 20 
seconds to play when senior forward Abby Hassert, who had not scored 
all game, drove the lane from the top of the key to score a layup and 
win the game. It was the Indians' first appearance in the State 
tournament in 39 years, and the game was enjoyed by over 5,000 fans at 
E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY.
  I want to recognize every member of this championship team that is 
bringing the KHSAA trophy to Covington. Team members include Justice 
Arce,

[[Page 4657]]

Zyah Beal, Olivia Crigler, Kate Dreas, Morgan Gabbard, Abby Hassert, 
Ally Mayhaus, Cessie Mayhaus, Dajah McClendon, Candace McNama, Tara 
Niehaus, Hannah Niemeyer, Alexis Riep, Aleah Tucker, Courtney Turner, 
and Deja Turner. The coach is Kes Murphy.
  The Lexington Herald-Leader recently published an article about the 
Indians' victory. I ask unanimous consent that it be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

           [From the Lexington Herald-Leader, Mar. 15, 2015]

      Girls' Sweet Sixteen: Covington Holy Cross Takes State Title

                           (By Mark Maloney)

       Bowling Green.--Abby Hassert picked a fine time for her 
     only points of the game Sunday.
       Hassert drove down the lane and put in the winning basket, 
     plus a free throw, with 5.5 seconds left to vault Covington 
     Holy Cross to a 35-32 victory over Allen County-Scottsville 
     in the Houchens Industries/KHSAA Girls' Sweet Sixteen 
     championship game.
       ``I knew I had to do something,'' said Hassert, a 5-foot-10 
     senior. ``I knew that we had to get the ball to somebody to 
     score and I saw the lane wide open, and I knew I had to take 
     it.''
       An E.A. Diddle Arena crowd of 5,335 roared.
       After multiple timeouts, Allen County-Scottsville had a 
     last shot to tie. But Morgan Rich's long three-point try from 
     near her team bench hit off the backboard and rim.
       ``We got exactly what we wanted,'' Patriots Coach Brad 
     Bonds said. ``We got Morgan in the right spot for the shot. 
     We threw it up to Savannah (Gregory), who threw it to Morgan. 
     It was perfect. It was executed great. We got the shot we 
     wanted.''
       Holy Cross (33-3), out of the 9th Region, ended the season 
     on a 22-game winning streak.
       The Indians, with a school enrollment of 406, also won the 
     All ``A'' title back on Feb. 1. They are the fourth team ever 
     to sweep the KHSAA and All ``A'' titles in the same season, 
     joining Nicholas County (1993), Hazard (1997) and Lexington 
     Christian (2007).
       ``It doesn't matter the size. It really doesn't matter the 
     size,'' said Deja Turner, who led Holy Cross with 13 points 
     and five rebounds, and who was named tourney MVP. ``We came 
     in here against some big, big teams. We knocked off some very 
     big teams, and we came through and we pulled it out twice.''
       Ally Mayhaus added 10 points for the winners.
       Holy Cross also beat the Patriots on Dec. 22, 61-54 in 
     Lexington.
       In the Sweet Sixteen, Holy Cross opened with a 51-33 win 
     over Bell County, then edged top-rated Elizabethtown 41-40. 
     In the semifinals, the Indians beat Male 47-37.
       Allen County-Scottsville (30-5), the 4th Region champion, 
     had an eight-game winning streak snapped.
       ``Bottom line, they made a big-time play. A big-time 
     play,'' Bonds said. ``And that's what the State Tournament's 
     all about is kids and very high-quality basketball teams 
     going at it, and unfortunately we came out on the short end 
     of the stick. But a lot of credit to them. I thought it was 
     two outstanding basketball teams battling on both ends.''
       Rich, a 5-foot-10 University of Kentucky recruit, led all 
     scorers with 20 points. She also had three rebounds and two 
     assists.
       Gregory was the next-highest ACS scorer with five. She and 
     Holly Robinson grabbed seven rebounds each.
       Holy Cross Coach Kes Murphy, whose sister Donna was 
     Kentucky's first Miss Basketball in 1976, credited the 
     championship to a killer schedule that had his team well 
     prepared for Sunday.
       The game was tied 18-18 at halftime, with ACS holding a 12-
     3 advantage in rebounds. Robinson has six of those.
       But Holy Cross had a 9-0 edge in points off turnovers.
       The Indians led 27-24 through three quarters.
       In a game that saw seven ties and six lead changes, the 
     Patriots took their final lead, 32-31, when Rich hit two of 
     three free throws with 2:29 left.
       A Mayhaus free throw at 1:09 tied the score.
       With the Patriots patiently looking for a game-winning 
     shot, Holy Cross point guard Dajah McClendon picked Rich's 
     pocket with 32 seconds left.
       ``I just knew I had to get up and get one for my team,'' 
     McClendon said. ``We needed that.''
       Holy Cross took a timeout at 19.6, which led to Hassert's 
     game-winning play.
       ``She'd better make it,'' Murphy said he thought at the 
     time of the drive. ``And you know what, she's not an 
     offensive player. For what we need. But we know she can play, 
     we know she can make passes and for her to finish and give us 
     this, it means everything.''

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