BROOKSVILLE, Ky. — On a frigid Friday night at The Igloo, Bracken County finally melted a decades-long cold-streak against Mason County, ending a 38-game losing streak to the Royals with a 70-60 win — the Polar Bears’ first over the Royals since 1999.
The last time Bracken County beat the Royals, the Polar Bears were coached by former athletic director and longtime administrator Daniel Fisher. That team featured players like Ashley King and Jamey Johnson, now the assistant superintendent of Bracken County Schools. The 1998-99 season, 27 years ago, also marks Bracken County’s last district championship.
Mason County took a 16-12 lead after the first frame, closing the opening quarter on a 14-4 run. Bracken County answered in the second, regaining the advantage midway through the period when Kyler Burton scored in the paint to make it 25-23.
From there, Terry King’s Polar Bears kept control, weathering multiple Mason County comeback attempts. Their largest lead came two minutes into the second half when Greg Benedict made a three to stretch it to 41-34.
The Royals responded with an 8-0 run late in the third quarter, cutting what had been a double-digit Bracken lead down to just two with three minutes left in the period.
But, Bracken County weathered the storm again, rebuilding the cushion and taking a 49-39 lead into the fourth quarter.
Brian Kirk’s Mason County team made one more run. A three from leading scorer Ben Brookbank (16.9 ppg) trimmed it to a one-possession game, 59-56, with four minutes to play. Bracken County closed the door from there, finishing on an 11-4 run. Burton scored six of those points and pulled down seven rebounds in the final stretch.
The 6-foot-7 Burton battled foul trouble throughout, playing a little more than half of the 32 minutes while also dealing with the Royals’ pace and pressure. He still delivered a tall night on the stat sheet: 19 points and 17 rebounds (seven offensive, ten defensive), shooting 8-of-10 from the field and 3-of-4 at the line.
Bracken County now sits atop the 39th District with a 3-1 record. Mason County is 2-2, Augusta is 1-2, and St. Patrick is 1-2. The remaining games are: Mason County at Augusta, St. Patrick at Mason County, St. Patrick at Bracken County, Augusta at St. Patrick, and Bracken County at Augusta.
The Polar Bears are now 10-8 and Mason County drops to 2-14. The Royals lose their 11th game in a row, tying the school record from 1972-73. That year, Mason County finished with a program-record 21 losses. Their fewest wins in a season is seven in 1976-77, Allen Feldhaus Sr.’s second season as head coach.
Final Game Statistics
Scoring:
Bracken (70): Kyler Burton 19, Greg Benedict 16, Teegan Feldhaus 13, Andrew Kirk 7, Levi Wallingford 5, Kirt Hamilton 5, Ryland Tucker 3, Ben Sweet 2.
Mason (60): Ben Brookbank 16, Jace Merz 14, Hollis Chisley 11, Lennox Hughes 10, Trazon Lang 5, Kyson Fox 4.
By Quarter:
Bracken: 12 – 20 – 17 – 21 — 70
Mason: 16 – 13 – 10 – 21 — 60
Field Goals:
Bracken: 25/61 (41.0%)
Mason: 23/55 (41.8%)
Three-Point:
Bracken: 2/15 (13.3%)
Mason: 4/19 (21.1%)
Free Throws:
Bracken: 18/33 (54.5%)
Mason: 10/14 (71.4%)
Rebounds:
Bracken: 47 (19 off)
Mason: 32 (6 off)
Assists:
Bracken: 11
Mason: 0
Steals:
Bracken: 15
Mason: 7
Turnovers:
Bracken: 11
Mason: 15
Second-Chance Points:
Bracken: 16
Mason: 4
Points in the Paint:
Bracken: 44
Mason: 36
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