Three-peat escapes Lady Rockets at Lyon

Bristyn Rushing, who tied her personal
scoring record, pulls down a rebound.

EDDYVILLE, Ky. – As long as grasses grow and rivers flow, beating Lyon County at Eddyville in girls’ basketball is going to be tougher than chewing down the edge of a bone.

Crittenden County’s second-quarter 15-point lead wasn’t even enough to hold the fort as the Lady Lyons beat Crittenden County 77-74 in the Fifth District Tournament championship Thursday, spoiling the Rocket girls’ hopes of trimming the district nets three years in a row. 

It would have been an unprecedented post-season run for the CCHS – which had won the last two district tournaments – but Lyon was on point in the last half, overcoming a deficit that could have wilted most opponents.

Home-court advantage came complete with a couple of scoreboard malfunctions, flashing white lights because someone pulled the gym’s fire alarm at one point and then there was another brief fourth-quarter delay to clean popcorn off of the floor.

None of it rattled the home-standing Lyons. 

Trailing by a point with just over a minute to go, Crittenden turned the ball over on a five-second call trying to inbounds the ball at midcourt. From there, Lyon had an opportunity to run some valuable time off the clock before Elliot Evans gave up her fifth foul to stop the timer, sending Lyon guard Piper Cotham to the line with 52 seconds left. Cotham sank both foul shots then dropped in a couple more seconds later after CCHS turned the ball over on a jump ball in front court, and fouled the Lyon point guard again. 

Crittenden’s Anna Boone hit a three from the top of the key with 14 seconds to go, pulling her team to within one again, 75-74, which kept the crowd engaged for a time. However, Cotham’s last two free throws with two seconds left sealed the deal.

District Tournament Runner-up

Both teams will advance to next week’s regional tournament. The draw will be later this week to set the pairings for next week’s tournament, which is at Trigg County.

Crittenden (19-13) will see a first-place district winner in the regional while Lyon (21-9) will get a first-round opponent that finished runner-up in another district. District winners across the region are Lyon, Henderson, Madisonville and Christian County. Crittenden will play one of those teams and Lyon will face either Hopkins Central, Hopkinsville or Union County.

Boone, who scored 27 in the championship game, was chosen Fifth District Player of the Year and teammates Jordyn Hodge and Evans were named to the all-district team.

Crittenden forward Andrea Federico scored a career-high 16 points and center Bristyn Rushing tied her career best with 14, but it still wasn’t enough to help CCHS overcome Lyon’s home-court edge.

Crittenden 25 47 59 74
Lyon County 20 44 62 77
CRITTENDEN – Boone 27, Evans 7, Hodge 8, Federico 16, Rushing 14, Stewart 2, Holeman. FG 29. 3-pointers 8 (Boone 4, Evans, Hodge, Federico 2). FT 8-12.
LYON – Taylor 15, Cotham 28, Corsey 4, Wynn 12, Akridge 1, Holland 9, Perry 8. FG 27. 3-pointers 10 (Cotham 4, Wynn 4, Holland). FT 13-17.

Rocket season ends against mighty Lyons

First-year Rocket head coach Matt Fraliex goes
over strategy during a timeout Tuesday at Lyon.

One of the best Fifth District teams in basketball history had little trouble ending one of Crittenden County’s most difficult seasons on Tuesday.

Ranked among the state’s top five teams all season long, Lyon County dispatched the Rockets 88-44 on their home floor. 

For Crittenden, an enormous underdog, it signaled the end to a frustrating season filled with injuries that left insurmountable challenges for a winning season.

Crittenden finished with three victories in 28 games. 

Over the past five or six years, Lyon has held an incredible advantage over the entire Fifth District with perhaps its best team in history, led by UK commit Travis Perry and two other Division I basketball recruits – Jack Reddick and Brady Shoulders. Reddick has offers from The Citadel and Florida Gulf Coast. Shoulders is headed to UT-Martin.

Lyon has beaten the Rockets in 24 of the last 26 encounters, and 13 in a row dating back to 2020 when Crittenden won by surprising Lyon with incredible shooting at Rocket Arena. 

Crittenden’s historic troubles in dealing with their neighbors to the south are well documented, but in the last few years Lyon has dominated much of the region during its celebrated run as Perry has become Kentucky’s career scoring leader.

For first-year head coach Matt Fraliex, the playoff loss was certainly not a surprise, and as he’s done all throughout his inaugural campaign, the coach has remained positive and encouraging despite some difficult odds. When senior Travis Champion – who was on a trajectory to become CCHS’s all-time leading scorer – tore his ACL in the season’s second game, it left an unfillable void in the Rocket psyche, and its scorebook. What Fraliex did find was the character of his team that stayed together, and sophomore Bryson Walker emerged as the Rocket star of now. His talents were clear before having to take a leadership role this season, but in the absence of another consistent offensive weapon, Walker stepped up with a 19-point scoring average over the course of the season.

Crittenden Co. 3 20 35 44
Lyon County       25 48 76 88
CRITTENDEN – Belcher 2, Walker 13, Hatfield 5, Sharp 5, Keller 13, Reddick 6, Travis, Poindexter. FG 15. 3-pointers 3 (Walker 2, Sharp). FT 11-25.
LYON – Perryman 31, Shoulders 7, Reddick 11, Kirk 8, Breedlove 8, DeFew 2, Ca.Collins 7, Crawford 5, Co.Collins 6, Burchett, Herring, Ramey, Je.Reddick, Phillips 3, Prow. FG 33. 3-pointers 16. (Perry 9, Reddick, Kirk, Ca.Collins, Crawford, Co.Collins 2, Phillips). FT 6-9

"Fed's" Final Flurry Leads CCHS to District Title Match

Andrea Federico plays tight defense on Livingston's
Victoria Joiner during Monday's playoff win.

EDDYVILLE, Ky. – Sophomore forward Andrea Federico exchanged some early frustrations for a bit of heavy lifting down the stretch as Crittenden County beat Livingston Central 52-44 in the Fifth District Tournament opener at Lyon County.

Federico, who had been sidelined for about two weeks under concession protocol, hadn’t scored a point until she reeled off three straight buckets to crack open a tie game and break Livingston’s back.

“I’m glad I hit them at the end because I didn’t hit anything at the beginning,” she said.

With just over three minutes to play, Federico made a 12 foot jumper. During her scoring run, she also benefited from a couple of nice assists that found her free on the block.

 “I just slowed it down in my head and didn’t rush my shot,” she said. “My outside shot wasn’t going in so I tried to get close to the rim. I didn’t want our season to end, especially since this was my first game back since Hopkins Central.”

Neither team led by more than six points in the playoff opener, and it was much closer than that the entire second half until Federico put some distance between her team and the persistent Livingston girls. 

“She came up big, had a couple of rebounds and hit some big shots,” CCHS coach Shannon Hodge said about “Fed’s” effort in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Anna Boone led CCHS with 20 points while Elliot Evans and Jordyn Hodge had 13 apiece. Federico scored the team’s other half dozen.

The victory – over a Livingston team that had defeated Crittenden in overtime way back in December – propels CCHS into Thursday's fourth encounter this season with Lyon County. This one will be on the Lady Lyons’ home hardwood with a district championship in the balance. CCHS has beaten Lyon twice this year. The only loss to them came on the Lyons’ home floor a few weeks ago. CCHS has defeated Lyon in a regular-season matchup at Crittenden and in the All A Classic Second Region championship game on a neutral floor at Princeton. 

The Lady Rockets are 19-12 on the season while Livingston’s season came to a close at 13-11.

Lyon beat Trigg County 80-31 in the other Fifth District opener on Monday. The district title game will be played at 6pm Thursday. Both Crittenden and Lyon will advance to the Second Region Tournament next week at Trigg County.

CCHS has won the last two Fifth District crowns and could claim an unprecedented third straight this week. The Lady Rockets have won seven district titles in school history, half of them in the past seven seasons.

Livingston Central 11 22 39 44
Crittenden County 14 24 38 52
LYON – A.Leahy 13, Joiner 4, Downey 9, J.Leahy 14, Ramage 4. FG 17. 3-pointers 5 (J.Leahy 4, Downey). FT 5-8.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 20, Evans 13, Hodge 13, Federico 6, Rushing, Holeman, Stewart. FG 18. 3-pointers 8 (Hodge 4, Evans 2, Boone 2). FT 8-14.

Rockets close out regular season with loss

BARDWELL, Ky. – Although the Rocket basketball team’s struggles continued as it closed out the regular season on the road Friday, sophomore Bryson Walker continued to put up big numbers. 

In an 81-51 loss at Carlisle County, Walker dropped 36 points, including seven three-pointers.

Only four other players scored for CCHS as the team finished 3-24 on the season. Carlisle closed out at 19-10. 

Walker has averaged almost 19 points a game this season.

For the Rockets, hampered by injuries, it was a season full of challenges, particularly the early loss of leading scorer Travis Champion to a knee injury. 

CCHS’s three wins are the fewest in a season since the team was 3-22 in 1992-93. Since consolidation in 1957, Crittenden has turned in eight seasons with three or fewer wins, including an 0-24 campaign in 1990-91.

Crittenden Co. 17 28 35 51
Carlisle County 20 39 52 81
CRITTENDEN – Walker 36, Belcher 1, Hatfield 6, Sharp 5, Keller 3, LaRue, Reddick, Travis, Poindexter, Rhodes. FG 15. 3-pointers 9 (Walker 7, Sharp, Hatfield). FT 18-24.
CARLISLE – Williams 7, Burgess 2, Bowles 6, Burnett 17, Perez, Bruer 3, Arnold 11, Grogan 16, King 2, J.Willams 2, Garrett 6, Richard 8, McBride 1. FG 24. 3-pointers 8. FT 21-27.

On the road, girls win, boys win

CALHOUN, Ky.. – On the road to close out the season, the Lady Rockets outpaced host McLean County  55-37.

The Lady Rockets finish the regular-season with 18 wins in 30 games. McLean fell to 8-17 on the season.
Sophomore guard Elliot Evans led the Lady Rockets in scoring with 18 as McLean focused its defense on the team’s leading scorer Anna Boone. Boone scored 13 and Jordyn Hodge 12.

Andrea Federico missed her third-straight game recovering from a Grade 2 concussion.
Although McLean County was within nine points just before the half, the game was never any closer.

Crittenden 16 31 43 55
McLean 12 20 25 37
CRITTENDEN - Boone 13, Evans 18, Hodge 12, Holeman 4, Rushing 4, Walker 2, Stewart 2, Champion, Munday. FT 22. 3-pointers 6 (Boone 3, Evans 2, Hodge). FT 8-10.
McLEAN - Larkin 1, Level 6, Miller 8, McCoy 3, Miller 10, Lannum 9. FG 14l 3-pointers 2. FT 5-8.
Crittenden 7 26 30 37
Mayfield 18 44 60 71

Mayfield, Ky. – On the road against former Rocket and Mayfield head coach Payton Croft, Crittenden County lost 71-37, falling to 3-23 on the season.

Sophomore guard Bryson Walker led all scorers with 21. Mayfield( (16-9) is ranked sixth in the First Region based on KHSAA power rankings.

Crittenden closes out the season Friday in another long western Kentucky road trip at Carlisle County.

CRITTENDEN  - Belcher 2, Walker 21, Hatfield 5, Keller 2, Reddick 2, Travis 2, Poindexter 3, FG 14. 3-pointers 7 (Walker 5, Hatfield, Poindexter) FT 2-4.
MAYFIELD - Webb 10, Pate 8, Morris 4, Gibson 10, O.Byrd 13, Flint 5, Cash 2, Hoover 5, Byrd 2, Richardson 8, Dowell 3. FG 26. 3-pointers 11 (Webb 2, Pate 2, O.Byrd 3, Flint, Morton, Richardson, Dowell) FT 8-14

Walker’s sets quarter scoring record

Crittenden County sophomore guard Bryson Walker’s 24 points in the fourth quarter against Hopkins Central has earned him a spot in two record books. For starters, his scoring is tops in the CCHS Basketball Record Book. His name will also be listed in the KHSAA Record Book.

In Kentucky, the most points ever scored in a quarter was 50 in 1976 by Billy Miller of Nancy High School. Walker’s 24 is tied for the eighth most points in a 

game. Walker made four three-pointers, three two-point baskets and six foul shots in the last quarter and 

finished the game with 34 points.

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Champion returns for ceremonial basket

MARION, Ky. – Sidelined with a season-ending knee injury weeks ago, Rocket senior Travis Champion returned the floor briefly on senior night Friday to score a ceremonial basket during a 65-46 loss to Owensboro Apollo. 

The Rockets were unable to find further magic and were outpaced by Apollo from the outset, losing for the 21st time this season.

Injuries, particularly the one to Champion, have been a challenge for the Rockets this season, the first for new coach Matt Fraliex. However, the squad has continued fight through a campaign with only three wins.

Owensboro Apollo 20 30 48 65
Crittenden County 7 17 35 46
APOLLO - Kelly 13, Henning 9, Williams 3, Tutt 3, Jarboe 18, Tillopp 7, Powers 11, Johnson 2. FG 26. 3-pointers 6 (Kelly 5, Jarboe 2). FT:9-9.
CRITTENDEN - Champion 2, Belcher 2, Walker 14, Hatfield 13, Sharp 7, Keller 6, Poindexter 2, LaRue, Reddick, Travis, Rhodes. FG 13. 3-pointers 3 (Water 2, Sharp). FT: 10-10

Lady Rockets lose at Hoptown

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. – Outmanned with forward Andrea Federico out with an injury, Crittenden County couldn't hold onto an early lead and lost 74-62 at Hopkinsville.

The Lady Tigers quickness and rebounding helped them take the lead for good late in the third quarter and when CCHS leading scorer Anna Boone went down with an ankle injury late in the game, Hoptown prevailed. 

Crittenden led by five at the half thanks to good three-point shooting, but stopping Hopkinsville inside provided to be challenge. When CCHS deployed a zone offense in the second half, the Tiger girls shot over it.

Crittenden had three girls in double figures with eighth-grader Jordyn Hodge leading the way with 18.

The Lady Rockets fell to 16-12 with the loss while Hoptown improved to 9-9. CCHS hadn't loss to the Lady Tigers since COVID.

Boone's injury did not appear too serious. Federico is out until perhaps late next week.

Crittenden 17 33 44 62
Hopkinsville 15 28 49 74
CRITTENDEN -Boone 16,Eans 13, hodge3 18, Rushing 6, Holeman 7, Stewart 2. FG 17. 3-pointers: 8 (Boone 3, Evans 3, Hodge 2, Holeman). FT: 17-18
HOPKINSVILLE - Payton 5, Davis 21, Wilson 7, FLemming 9, Forte 28, Murray 2, Sharper 2. FG 30. 3-pointers 4 (Payton, Davis 3). FT:10-18.

Rockets lose at home to Webster

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County fell behind early and lost 67-40 to Webster County Thursday at Rocket Arena.

The Trojan defense was far too much for the Rockets as Crittenden lost its fifth game in a row and fell to 3-20 on the season.

Webster Co. 18 36 54 67
Crittenden 7 15 31 40
WEBETER - McDyer 1, Starks-Scott 10, Austin 15, Hardison 4, Michalek 4, Davis 7, Garrard 9, Cardwell 2, Orcutt 6, Murphy 9. FG 26. 3-pointers 5 (Austin 3, Davis, Murphy. FT: 14-18.
CRITTENDEN - Belcher 3, Walker 14, Hatfield 5, Dayberry 5, Sharp 6, Keller 2, Reddick 2, Travis 3, Poindexter 2, Porter, LaRue. FG: 12. 3-pointers 5 (Walker 2, Dayberry, Sharp 2). FT: 16-20.

Boone's state-leading FTs big in 1-point win

MARION, Ky. – Crittenden County sophomore Anna Boone has made more foul shots than anyone in Kentucky girls’ basketball this season and the Lady Rockets needed her at the line Tuesday in a 53-52 win over Hopkins Central.

Boone was 10-for-10 at the stripe, boosting her state-best made FTs to 189.

Crittenden led by 14 early, but Hopkins Central closed the gap by halftime with CCHS in a bit of foul trouble.

Crittenden has now won 4 of its last 5 games and two in a row, improving to 16-11 on the season with three games to go, including a road trip to Hopkinsville on Friday.

The Lady Storm is now 15-11 after losing the rematch of last year’s regional quarterfinal against Crittenden.

CCHS wipes out Union

Fueled by 24 points at the foul line and some key three pointers, Crittenden County wiped out Union County 63-43 Saturday in a rematch of a game CCHS lost by eight early in the season at Morganfield.

Three Lady Rockets scored in double figures with Anna Boone leading the charge with 18 points. Elliot Evans added 16 and Jordyn Hodge a dozen against a veteran Bravettes squad that fell to 12-11.

Crittenden has won three of its last four and is now 15-11 on the season with four regular-season contests to go.

Hopkins Central 6 27 38 52
Crittenden Co. 19 28 46 53
HOPKINS CENTRAL – Cotton, T.White 22, Harrson 9, Marsh 3, Mason 16, Howard 2. FG 21. 3-pointers 3 (Harrison 3). FT 7-10.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 21, Evans 13, Hodge 13, Federico 4, Rushing 2, Holeman ,Stewart. FG 18. 3-pointers 4 (Boone, Evans 2, Hodge). FT 15-18.

Rockets lose to Caldwell County

MARION, Ky. – The Rockets have gotten most their injured players back, but still can't constantly find the win column.

Crittenden fell behind early and lost 72-38 to Caldwell County Monday night at Rocket Arena.

CCHS is 3-19 on the season, the worst record in the Second Region. Much of the team's woes are the result of injuries, including a season-ending knee injury to leading scorer Travis Champion that happened in the season's second game.

Against Caldwell, Crittenden got 20 points for sophomore Bryson Walker. He averages 18 per game.

Caldwell County 10 42 59 72
Crittenden County 7 15 26 38
CALDWELL – Parker 0, Rowland 3, Maddox, Ca.Whittington 13, Co.Whittington 2, Thompson 6, Phelps, Hammett 2, Wilson 6, Roach 3, Wall, Lander 6, J.Wilson 19, Fox 3. FG 27. 3-pointers 7 (Wilson, Roach, K.Wilson, Rowland, Parker). FT 11-17.
CRITTENDEN – Belcher 7, Walker 20, Hatfield 6, Sharp 2, Keller 2, Reddick 1, Travis, Poindexter. FG 11. 3-pointers 4 (Walker 3, Hatfield). FT 12-23.

Girls win, boys fall on the road in Saturday hoops

MARION, Ky. – Fueled by 24 points at the foul line and some key three pointers, Crittenden County wiped out Union County 63-43 Saturday in a rematch of a game CCHS lost by eight early in the season at Morganfield.

Three Lady Rockets scored in double figures with Anna Boone leading the charge with 18 points. Elliot Evans added 16 and Jordyn Hodge a dozen against a veteran Bravettes squad that fell to 12-11.

Crittenden has won three of its last four and is now 15-11 on the season with four regular-season contests to go.

The Lady Rockets host Hopkins Central Tuesday at home in a rematch of last winter’s regional semifinal. Crittenden beat the Storm in November by eight at Morton’s Gap.

Union County 4 11 30 43
Crittenden Co. 21 36 53 63
UNION – Davis 4, Goodloe 5, Wright 2, Steward 17, Curry 10, Eckman 2, J.Curry 2, Gough 1. FG 16. 3-pointers 6 (Goodloe, Steward 3, D.Curry 2). FT 5-12.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 18, Evans 16, Hodge 12, Federico 6, Rushing 4, Holeman 4, Stewart 3, Walker, Munday, Champion. FG 17. 3-pointers 5 (Evans 2, Hodge 2, Boone). FT 24-28.

ROCKETS LOSE ON THE ROAD

ELKTON, Ky. – Todd Central kept visiting Crittenden County’s typical top scorers in check Saturday and rocked the Rockets 82-21 with a barrage of 13 pointers and rugged defense. 

Todd scored more points in the first period to lead 23-4 than CCHS registered the entire game. No Rocket scored in double figures as Crittenden fell to 3-18. Todd improved to 10-13. It was the first time the teams have met since 2018 and Crittenden 0-4 against the Rebels over the last 13 seasons. 

The CCHS boys play Caldwell at home Monday.

Crittenden County 4 10 16 21
Todd Co. Central 23 44 71 82
CRITTENDEN – Porter, Belcher 3, Walker 9, Hatfield 2, Sharp, LaRue, Perryman, Reddick, Travis 2, Poindexter 1, Young, Keller 1, Stokes 2. FG 7. 3-pointers 1 (Walker). FT 6-12
TODD – Schutt 20, Glass 21, Moore 8, Strader 8, Cardwell 7, McGehee 3, Harris 3, Redding 2, Rager 2, Holder 2, Robinson 6. FG 35. 3-pointers 13 (Schutt 5, Glass, Moore 2, Strader 2, Cardwell, McGehee, Harris). FT 7-14.

Rockets fall to quick Paducah Tilghman

Hall of Fame inductees JD Gray and Sean
Thompson along with their families and
Andy Hunt of the Farmers Bank, which
sponsored the Hall of Fame.

MARION, Ky. – Paducah Tilghman's quickness on offense and defense frustrated the Rockets Friday night in an 82-44 loss.

It was the annual homecoming and hall of fame game with ceremonies crowning the king and queen before the varsity contest and enshrinement of hall members at halftime.

On the court, it was also the first time former Rocket Avery Thompson returned to play in his hometown. He scored 5 points for Tilghman. The Paducah boys improved to 10-12.

Bryson Walker, who is averaging 18 points a game for the Rockets as a sophomore guard, scored 20.

Crittenden, now 3-17, plays on the road at Todd County Central Saturday night.

Paducah Tilghman 21 44 67 82

Crittenden County 16 27 32 44

CRITTENDEN - Belcher 2, Walker 20, Sharp 6, Keller 1, Reddick 8, Poindexter 6, Travis 1, Porter, Hatfield. FG 15. 3-pointers 6 (Walker 4, Sharp, Poindexter). FT 8-14. 

TILGHMAN - Campbell 15, Thompson 5, Skinner, McClure 19, Harris 9, Arthur, Forthman 5, Purdiman 2, Wilkins 27. FG 32 3-pointers 9 (Thompson, McClure 2, Harris, Wilkins 5). FT 9-14. 

Queen Brynn Porter and King Turner Sharp with their court

Lady Rockets blasted at Calloway County

MURRAY, Ky. – Crittenden County’s girls ran into an offensive juggernaut at Calloway County Tuesday night, losing 70-56 to the Lady Lakers.

Anna Boone scored 22 and Elliot Evans had 20 for the Rocket girls, accounting for 75% of CCHS’s scoring against a persistent Calloway defense.

Calloway, now 20-5, is the third-ranked team in the First Region, according to KHSAA power rankings. Crittenden falls to 14-11.

Crittenden County 9 24 41 56
Calloway County 18 48 74 79
CRITTENDEN – Boone 22, Evans 20, Hodge 5, Federico 7, Rushing, Holeman 2, Walker, Stewart, Charlee, Champion. FG 23. 3-pointers 3 (Boone, Evans, Federico). FT 7-8.
CALLOWAY – Koch 19, Crouch 13, McLure 2, Futrell 16, Perkins 8, Lowe 21. FG 32. 3-pointers 9 (Crouch 3, Futrell 4, Perkins, Lowe). FT 6-9.

Tied late, Crittenden can't get over hump at Trigg

CADIZ, Ky. – In a game that was tied with five minutes to play, Trigg County pulled away late to beat the Rockets 63-52 Monday at Cadiz, closing out Crittenden County’s district schedule.

A turnover or two and some missed shots led to four or five empty possessions after the Rockets tied game on a Bryson Walker steal and pull up jumper with 5:12 to go. 

Crittenden had hoped to catch the Wildcats shorthanded with Trigg’s leading scorer Jhaden Vaughn on the sideline injured. The game was close start to finish with Trigg leading by a handful of points much of the way, but never creating an insurmountable space. The Rockets were tied early, too, at 19, but never led. 

The Rockets were also a bit shorthanded with another starter on the shelf. Senior Jaxon Hatfield missed the game after dislocating his finger in the previous outing. The Rockets never went to the bench during the entire game, playing only the starting five the whole way.

Crittenden finishes winless in six Fifth District games this season and fell to 2-16 overall. Meanwhile, Trigg posted its fourth win in five district games with one left against Lyon County on Tuesday. The Wildcats are now 10-11 overall. 

Crittenden Co. 11 23 39 52

Trigg County 16 27 46 63

CRITTENDEN – Belcher 7, Walker 24, Sharp 6, Reddick13, Travis 2. FG 21. 3-pointers 5 (Walker 4, Belcher). FT 3-6.

TRIGG – Stewart 16, Bridges 6, Shearer 12, William 3, Bush 4, Breckel 5, Fogle 15, Terrell 2. FG 26. 3-pointers 9 (Stewart 3, Shearer 2, Fogel 3, Breckel). FT 2-4.

Lady Rockets close district slate with win at Trigg

CADIZ, Ky. – Despite only three wins this season, Trigg County was ready for the Lady Rockets Monday and took Crittenden County to the wire in a game that was probably closer than most expected. 

It was tight most of the first half and Trigg led for a moment, but CCHS jumped ahead by 17 points when Elliot Evans scored eight points during a 12-4 run in the third quarter. Trigg rallied back in the fourth period, however, cutting the Lady Rocket margin to single digits before the Crittenden girls won it by a dozen, 56-44, to complete their regular-season Fifth District play.

Crittenden improved to 14-10 on the season and 4-2 in league games. Trigg is now 3-18 overall and winless in district play with its final Fifth District game set for Tuesday at home against league-leading Lyon County. If the Lyon girls win, they clinch the regular-season crown and the No. 1 seed for the post-season tournament at Eddyville.

Crittenden Co. 14 31 47 56
Trigg County        10 22 30 44
CRITTENDEN – Boone 16, Evans 16, Hodge 6, Federico 3, Rushing 7, Holeman 3, Stewart 5, Munday. FG 18. 3-pointers 5 (Evans 4, Holeman). FT 15-25.
TRIGG - Norwood 5, Navarro 7, Bush 13, Grinols 10, McGee 9, Rogers, Jones. FG 13. 3-pointers 5 (Bush 3, Norwood, Navarro). FT 13-16.

Rockets, Lady Rockets both win in afternoon games

BOYS GET SEASON'S THIRD WIN

BENTON, Ky. – Crittenden County won for the third time this season, beating Christian Fellowship School 71-60 in comeback fashion on the road in a Saturday matinee game.

After falling behind by double digits early, Crittenden closed the gap just before halftime then held its own over the next eight minutes before making a strong run in the fourth quarter.

Bryson Walker scored 23 to lead the Rockets and center Jonah Reddick had perhaps hits best outing of the season with 16 points. Jaxon Hatfield added 11 before dislocating a finger. 

The Rockets are now 3-15 and will play at Trigg County Monday in a Fifth District makeup game then host Fort Campbell Tuesday and Paducah Tilghman Friday. They will play four games next week, closing out on the road Saturday at Todd Central.

Coach Matt Fraliex said the team may get senior forward Gabe Keller back late next week. He’s been out since the holidays with a broken hand.

CCHS has now defeated Christian Fellowship in eight straight times dating back to 2011.

Crittenden County 16 30 52 71

Christian Fellowship 25 35 57 68

CRITTENDEN – Belcher 8, Walker 23, Hatfield 11, Sharp 4, LaRue, Reddick 16, Travis 9, Rhodes. FG 27. 3-pointers 8 (Walker 4, Belcher 2, Hatfield 2). FT 8-9. 

CFS – Corigg 27, Grigg 7, Kite 20, Burnett 12, Potter 2, Nesshoefer, Perez. FG 27. 3-pointers 4. FT 10-18.

GIRLS THUMP CALDWELL COUNTY

MARION, Ky. - On a quick turnaround, the Lady Rockets pivoted to victory Saturday afternoon in a matinee game against Caldwell County at Rocket Arena.

Anna Boone was hot, particularly early, and led Crittenden County to a 60-39 win over the Lady Tigers. Boone scored 21 of her game-high 25 points in the first half as CCHS rolled up a big lead.

Crittenden got 11 points off the bench as all 10 available players got into the contest. 

The Lady Rockets improved to 12-10 and will have another grueling week coming up with games on the road Monday at Trigg County and Tuesday at Calloway. Union County will be at Rocket Arena Saturday.

Caldwell County 10 17 25 39

Crittenden County 15 38 54 60

CALDWELL – Clark 9, M.Thomas 9, , B.Thomas, Butts 9, Sykes 2, Copeland 4, Aikens, Williams 6. FG 15. 3-pointers 2 (Clark, M.Thomas). FT 7-11.

CRITTENDEN – Boone 25, Evans 2, Hodge 10, Federico 8, Rushing 4, Holeman 7, Stewart 2, Walker, Munday 2, Champion. FG 25. 3-pointers 6 (Boone 3, Hodge 2, Holeman). FT 4-5.

Rockets lose to LCHS in pivotal matchup

MARION, Ky. – In a must-win situation for the Rockets in order to avoid a first-round playoff matchup with one of the best teams in Kentucky, Crittenden County fell behind Livingston Central by 21 in the second period Friday at home and lost 78-63.

The Cardinals sealed the league’s No. 2 seed and will get No. 2 Trigg County in the Fifth District Tournament opener later this month. 

Meanwhile, the Rockets will face Goliath Lyon County to open post-season play. The Rockets have one more district game to go – at Trigg County Monday – but no matter the outcome, Crittenden can finish no better than last in the four-team district standings.

The Rockets got 28 points from sophomore Bryson Walker in the loss, and Livingston sophomore Logan Wring scored 32 for the winners.

Crittenden falls to 2-15 on the season and Livingston improved to 8-12. 

Livingston Central 13 42 60 78
Crittenden County 12 21 36 63
LIVINGSTON – Wring 32, Thomason 14, Davidson 5, Hargrove 13, Hosick 8, Zaim 6, M.Zaim. FG 29. 3-pointers 8 (Hargrove 3, Hosick 2, Thomason, Davidson, Wring). FT 12-18.
CRITTENDEN – Walker 28, Belcher 5, Hatfield 9, Sharp 8, Reddick 2, Travis 2, Rhodes, Poindexter 9. FG 25. 3-pointers 9 (Walker 6, Belcher, Sharp 2). FT 4-5.

Lady Rockets fall at Lyon County

GAME PHOTOS HERE

EDDYVILLE, Ky. – Crittenden County on Friday relived some of the Holiday Horrors it experienced during a losing skid over the Christmas break when it couldn’t find the right rhythm and lost 4 of 6 games.

At Lyon County, in a pivotal Fifth District matchup, the Lady Rockets got off to a difficult start and couldn’t fully recover despite trimming Lyon’s lead from 16 to 6 late. 

The Rocket girls lost 60-51, giving Lyon County the upper hand in the Fifth District race with only a game to play. CCHS and LCHS both close out league action against Trigg County over the coming day. Trigg hasn’t been close in a district matchup this season. 

Lyon is now 14-7 overall and 4-1 in the district. Crittenden is 3-2 and tied with Livingston in the district standings' win column. District standings will determine post-season pairings. The Lady Rockets are 12-10 overall. 

An inspired Lyon defense commanded the first half as the hosts rolled to a big lead while stopping Crittenden leading scorer Ann Boone on the floor. She had no first-half baskets, but finished with a game-high 21 points. 

Boone led CCHS’s late recovery with 11 fourth-quarter points, but Crittenden couldn’t get a rebound when it needed one and couldn’t force a steal when it had to have one. Meanwhile, Lyon stalled the ball in the final four minutes to protect its single-digit lead.

Rebounding was a factor in the game as the Lady Lyons won the glass and put three players in double-figure scoring. 

Crittenden Co. 10 22 36 51
Lyon County 13 32 46 60
CRITTENDEN – Boone 21, Evans 11, Hodge 4, Federico 8, Rushing 6, Holeman, Stewart 1, Munday. FG 17. 3-pointers 2 (Evans, Hodge). FT 15-22.
LYON – Taylor 17, Cotham 16, Collins 17, Downing, Coursey 6, Wynn, Holland 4, Perry. FG 21. 3-pointers none. FT 12-15.