MORGANFIELD, Ky. – Don’t let a little Valentine’s Day heartache get you down, and you will be stronger for it.
Just ask 30-year coach Shannon Hodge. Her Lady Rockets’ sorrow on Feb. 14 at Morton’s Gap may have been just the temporary setback that propelled Crittenden County into the Second Region championship game.
 |
| Senior Taylor Guess celebrates with assistant coach Bristyn Prowell. SEE MORE PHOTOS |
“I’d never say it’s good to lose, but it almost fueled the fire,” said Hodge after guiding CCHS into a regional title game for the second time in her illustrious coaching career.
“Coming into this game we were excited, the seniors didn’t want to lose and this be our last game. So we came out and gave it our all,” said Taylor Guess, who led her squad with 23 points. “(At Hopkins Central) I don’t feel like we played very well as a team. We were not locked in. This time we had scouted them a little more and knew what they were going to do.”
It took some tenacious defense to taste this sweeter treat, and there were some big defensive plays, big shots and forced turnovers that put Crittenden over the top. No shots were bigger than three-pointers by senior Natalie Boone and freshman Elliot Evans at the end of the half and third quarter. Both of the buzzer-beaters gave the Lady Rockets their largest leads to those points in the game, six and 14, respectively. Those gut shots helped break Hopkins Central.
 |
| Senior Natalie Boone positions for a rebound. SEE MORE PHOTOS |
In the pivot, senior Addie Hatfield turned in a remarkable performance against the taller Storm girls. Freshman Anna Boone’s drives and left-handed layups gave Crittenden some key baskets in the second half as the Rocket girls expanded their lead to as many as 23 points. Anna Boone finished with 14 and Natalie Boone 11.
The see-saw first half turned in Crittenden’s favor just before the break. A 9-2 run from late in the second period and into the third gave CCHS the lead for good and they outscored the Storm girls 13-5 in the third period.
Crittenden’s starting five played the entire game until coach Hodge unloaded the bench in the final two minutes up by more than 20.
The victory, Crittenden’s 25th of the season, tied the 2016-17 Lady Rockets for most wins ever.
CCHS will play either Henderson County in Sunday’s 3pm championship match at Morganfield. It will be Crittenden County's third trip in school history to the regional title game. The Lady Rockets have previously been there in 1978 and 2011, winning the school's only regional title in 2011.
Crittenden County 10 27 40 57
Hopkins Central 11 21 26 39
CRITTENDEN – Guess 23, N.Boone 11, A.Boone 14, Evans 6, Hatfield 1, McDaniel 2, Federico, Rushing, Holeman, Stewart, Munday, Hodge. FG 18. 3-pointers 4 (N.Boone, A.Boone 2, Evans). FT 17-21.
HOPKINS CENTRAL – Mason 8, White 4, Harrison 2, Clark 10, Sutton 11, Whitaker 4, Grant, Jones. FG 17. 3-pointers 5 (Clark 2, Sutton 3). FT 0-3.
No comments:
Post a Comment