Guess gets 38 as Lady Rockets beat Hoptown for 20th

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County’s girls won their 20th basketball game of the season Thursday at home and junior Taylor Guess all but guaranteed she’ll become the school’s all-time scoring leader next week.

The Lady Rockets closed out regular-season play with an impressive 63-46 win over Hopkinsville as Guess scored a career-high 38 points and moved to within seven of tying Cassidy Moss’s scoring mark of 1,825 set in 2017.

Coach Shannon Hodge said Guess got going early, taking the ball to the basket, and the defense played very well much of the way, particularly its periodic press. Hopkinsville (13-12) out-rebounded Crittenden by a wide margin, but the Lady Tigers couldn't convert those boards into points. 

CCHS (20-7) trailed by two points in the first period, but otherwise led the entire way, building its largest margin of 19 points in the fourth period.

Hoptown had not lost to the Lady Rockets since 2004.

For just the fifth time in school history the team has posted 20 wins or more. It’s the third time Coach Hodge has had a team do it in the past 29 seasons. Her previous 20-win squads were in 2011 and 2017. Hodge played for two teams in the 1980s that also got at least 20 victories. 

Crittenden County will host the Fifth District Tournament, which starts Monday. The Lady Rockets will play Livingston Central in the 6pm game. Trigg County and Lyon County play the nightcap.

The Rockets beat Fort Campbell 67-48 in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader. Crittenden, now 13-14, plays at Caldwell County Friday night then opens district tournament play Tuesday at Marion against Trigg County.

Hopkinsville 15 23 30 46
Crittenden Co. 12 25 48 63
Bellamy 2, Fleming 6, Earthman 3, Forte 8, Dansbury 3, Hill 3, Sharber 1, Flowers 12, Cherry 2, Pendleton 4, Green 2. FG 17. 3-pointers 2. FT 8-21.
Guess 38, N.Boone 11, A.Boone 2, Hatfield 6, Driskill 4, Evans 2, Hunt, Federico. FG 20. 3-pointers 2 (Guess, N.Boone). FT 21-30.

Fort Campbell         13 19 29 48

Crittenden Co. 20 36 52 67

FT CAMPBELL – Tate, Castro, Blaszkowski 16, C.Tate 5, Garcia, Waddy 15, Lewis 8, Moore 3, Westbrook 1. FG 15. 3-pointers 3. FT 11-15.

CRITTENDEN – Morgeson 7, Champion 19, Beverly 3, Adamson, Crider, Davidson 5, Keller 3, Derrington 13, Hutchison 2, Conyer 4, Yates 5, Cooksey 6. FG 29. 3-pointers 3 (Morgeson, Champion, Beverly). FT 6-14.