 |
| MORE ACTION PHOTOS HERE |
CORBIN, Ky. – She was shoved around, had a hand in her face the whole way and got pushed away from the “honey hole” much of the game, but Anna Boone was 1K gold from the top of the key when it mattered most.
Boone’s three-pointer with 1:23 to play in the opening round of the All A Classic Wednesday against Lexington Christian Academy put Crittenden County in position to win 56-53 and advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round against Pikeville.
All in one shot, Boone reached a personal milestone and purchased her teammates at least two more nights in a London motel room.
There will be no tea sipping – and not too much celebration – for the Lady Rockets in this London flat, which is just a hop, skip and jump from the Corbin Arena, host of this year’s small-schools state championship. The Rocket girls will be focused on the next step in the state tournament despite having a roster too young to drive. Playing the All A Classic has a certain sense of comfort to it because CCHS has been there more than any other Second Region team.
Playing in their ninth All A state tournament, it was Boone’s 21-footer near the game’s end that ensured an even more peaceful feeling.
The game was hotly contested from jump to buzzer and LCA concentrated on keeping Boone pushed out of her favorite spot, down the left side of the key.
Left to improvise, Boone took her offense elsewhere, dropping three treys and scoring 15 fourth-quarter points.
“She just put us on her back there at the end and found a way to score,” Hodge said.
The coach moved Boone around in the offense trying to find something that would work after she was held to just seven points through three quarters. Although sophomore Elliot Evans and eighth-grader Jordyn Hodge had penciled four three-pointers into the book in the first half, Hodge knew Boone had to get free for her team to close the deal.
“We moved her around a few places there at the end. She has to get the ball in her hands and I think because Jordyn and Elliot had scored a few, it opened things up for Anna,” Hodge said.
Crittenden led by 10 early in the first half, but trailed by as many as five in the second half before 31-year Lady Rocket skipper Shannon Hodge played her trump card to start the fourth period. CCHS had not shown its full-court pressure until the moment was right. LCA turned the ball over three times over a short span and Crittenden turned a four-point deficit into a four-point lead when Boone netted her next to last three-pointer with about four minutes to play.
In some regard, it was an unlikely place for the Lady Rockets to be after scoring only one bucket during the entire third period. Yet they started the final period trailing by just two possessions.
Then Boone turned loose in the offense to finish with 23 points. Hodge and Evans added 14 and 13, respectably.
Center Bristyn Rushing grabbed eight rebounds and forward Andrea Federico had seven, and they had a couple of points apiece. So did freshman Morgan Stewart off the bench. Federico also got the game's final rebound to complete the victory after LCA missed a three-pointer in the waning seconds.
LCA falls to 14-4 and the Lady Rockets improved 12-7.
Crittenden will play Pikeville at noon (CST) on Friday. Pikeville is the top-ranked team in the 15th Region with a 14-2 record. The Lady Panthers feature two of the 15th Region's top four players. Trinity Rowe is regarded as the region's best and Kyera Thornsbury is ranked fourth. Together they average 28 points and there is a third player on the team scoring in double figures.
Lexington Christian 15 25 38 53
CRITTENDEN - Boone 23, Evans 10, Hodge 17, Federico 2, Rushing 2, Stewart 2, Munday. FG 22. 3-pointers 8 (Boone 4, Evans 2, Hodge 2). FT 4-8.
LCA – Gabbert 6, Brown 16, Roberts 2, Castle 2, Pridemore 6, Bertram 21. FG 21. 3-pointers 4 (Brown 3, Bertram). FT 1-4.
No comments:
Post a Comment