Estill County Defeats Lady Owls 49-36 in 56th District Championship

Callee Snowden scored 20 points, distributed numerous assists, and anchored Estill County's defensive game plan as the Lady Engineers defeated the Owsley County Lady Owls 49-36 on March 5 in the 56th District Tournament championship game hosted at Lee County.

Snowden earned PRTC Player of the Game recognition and later received the tournament's MVP Drew and Jeremiah Smith Award. Center Maddie Cole added 12 points for Estill, finishing the two-game tournament with 35 total points. Ava Hale contributed 8 points, Kynlee Brown scored 5, and Kadara Skinner and Jenna Jackson each added 2.

Owsley County's Harley Dooley kept the Lady Owls competitive, leading the team with 13 points on four 3-pointers. Kamilla Marcum scored 12 points, and Madi Cornett hit a pair of threes on her way to 6 points. Kiley Taylor added 5 and Delaney Smith scored 2. Owsley connected on eight 3-pointers as a team, but could not close the 13-point deficit.

Beyond Snowden's MVP honor, Kynlee Brown received the Steve Bennett Defensive Award and Jenna Jackson won the Bobby Bowling Sixth Player Award.

The All-Tournament team included four Lady Engineers: Hale, Snowden, Skinner, and Madi Cole. Three Lady Owls earned spots on the list: Marcum, Smith, and Dooley. Powell County's Kali Flinchum and Marti Kirk, along with Lee County's Natalie Reed and Miranda Wyrick, rounded out the 11-player team.

Despite the loss, Owsley County's season is not finished. Both teams advance to the 14th Region Tournament at Knott County Central. The Lady Owls are scheduled to face a winner from the 53rd, 54th, or 55th districts, while Estill will play a runner-up from the same group of districts. Regional pairings were set to be drawn at Knott Central on Friday.