Kentucky high school basketball All-Stars drop doubleheader to Indiana

OWENSBORO — Since the Indiana-Kentucky All-Star basketball series began in 1940, Indiana has held the advantage. That was again the case Friday night after the Kentucky boys and girls basketball All-Stars were swept in their doubleheader with their Hoosier State foes at Owensboro Sportscenter.

The girls kicked off the night with a back-and-forth game that would've went Kentucky's way had it ended 10 seconds earlier. In the boys game, Indiana didn't give Kentucky a chance and came away with a double-digit blowout.

Both squads will face off again Saturday at Southport High School in Indianapolis, starting with the girls at 5 p.m. Kentucky will hope to end the series on a high note. Here's how Indiana struck first Friday night:

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Girls: Indiana 67, Kentucky 66

Nearly three months after they battled for a KHSAA state championship, Sacred Heart's Josie Gilvin and Bullitt East's Gracie Merkle shared the court once again but this time as teammates.

"When she was at Sacred Heart and I played her I really didn't talk to her," Merkle said. "But now coming up here and talking to her, she's really cool and very friendly. She's always coming to me and helping me out when I don't understand stuff."

Skilled players in their own right, seniors Gilvin and Merkle showcased how well their talents meshed in Kentucky's 67-66 loss to Indiana on Friday.

They combined for 28 points and 21 rebounds, looking like they had played together many times before. Gilvin's high-energy, fight-for-every-inch style of play led to easy baskets for Merkle. With Indiana keying in on Merkle, it opened up Gilvin's opportunities to score.

"It's great playing with her because she can get the rebound for me and I can lob it up for her," Gilvin said. "And I don't have to guard her either."

Although it's nice to share the floor with a roster full of talented players, Gilvin admitted it's not easy to find a groove. It was enough, however, to hold a one-point lead with 10 seconds to play.

But Indiana had other plans. Westfield's Alyssa Crockett, a Michigan commit, banked in the game-winning shot with 2.3 seconds left.

"We needed lots of better passes and less turnovers," Gilvin said. "What we need tomorrow is high energy."

Gilvin and Merkle believe if Kentucky can clean up its turnovers and maintain its energy then it'll hold the advantage in Saturday's rematch.

"We're not going to be like that tomorrow," Gilvin said. "We're going to finish strong and everyone's going to pitch in when they can."

More: Meet Manual's Alexandra Allen, The Courier Journal's Athlete of the Week

Indiana              9        15         22        20      –     67

Kentucky         10        14        20        21       –   66

Indiana: Jessica Carrothers 12, Ashlyn Taylor 12, Tanyuel Welch 13, Zoe Stewart 4, Alyssa Crockett 6, Hopen Fox 2, Lilly Stoddard 7, Ally Madden 7, Olivia Smith 4 

Kentucky: Amiya Jenkins 16, Jaileyah Cotton 8, Josie Gilvin 14, Gracie Merkle 14, Cassidy Rowe 8, Monica Lindsey 6

Boys: Indiana 104 , Kentucky 77

Oldham County's Sam Powell walked out of the locker room with a dejected look on his face. Losing by 27 never feels good, especially when its your first Kentucky-Indiana All-Star game, but in an instant, Powell saw something that brightened his mood.

"Can we have your autograpgh?" Two young fans asked Powell with their notepads outstretched.

Powell's first game as a Kentucky All-Star didn't go as planned. Despite dropping 17 points off the bench, second most on the team, it did little to keep Indiana from beating Kentucky 104-77.

But Powell was still able to reflect on the privilege of representing Kentucky in the game.

"If you were to tell me freshman year that I'd be in a position like this it'd just be surreal to me," Powell said. "Just knowing the hard work I put in really paid off and just being able to share the floor with all these great guys around the stage is humbling."

Indiana took control of the game quickly. Led by Indiana recruit C.J. Gunn (20 points) and South Florida pledge Ryan Conwell (18 points), Indiana punished Kentucky in the paint. Indiana scored 30 points off Kentucky's 20 total turnovers and carried a comfortable 20-point lead into the locker room.

Kentucky didn't quit, but nobody outside of Powell and Covington Catholic's Mitchell Rylee (24 points) could get hot. Kentucky struggled to get the deficit under 20 points the entire second half.

Powell believes Kentucky can learn a lot from Friday's loss and can even the score Saturday.

"We just need to lock in on the defensive end," Powell said. "With all this talent on one team some guys aren't going to get there shots, so we've got to get to the guys that are hot and learn to play from there."

Indiana           48        56      –   104 

Kentucky       28        49      –     77

Indiana: Peter Suder 11, Ryan Conwell 18, Jalen Jackson 4, Jaxon Edwards 10, Javen Buchanan 11, C.J. Gunn 20, Travis Grayson 12, Amhad Jarrad 8, Brande Northern 10 

Kentucky: Turner Buttry 7, Jaiden Lawrence 3, Andrew Mason 2, Mitchell Rylee 24, Jabrion Spikes 5, James Jewell 2, Keno Hayden 3, Sam Powell 17, Darien Lewis 3, Jay Milburn 4, Cade Stinnett 4, Gavin Stevens 3  

Follow Courier Journal reporter J.L. Kirven on Twitter @JL_Kirven for more updates on Louisville prep sports.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Basketball: Kentucky drops doubleheader in Owensboro