Lady Rockets blast Ohio in 2nd Half

 

Anna Boone scored 23 points. Here
she is is playing defense on the perimeter.

ORLANDO, Fla. – A slow start in the Sunshine State did little to deter Crittenden County on Monday.

After grinding through a physical first half against a larger Medina, Ohio squad, the Lady Rockets flipped the game after the break and pulled away for a convincing 59-36 victory in the opening round of the KSA Holiday Tournament at Gaylord Palms Resort.

Crittenden County, now 8-2, will face a significantly stiffer test Tuesday afternoon when it meets unbeaten Keyser High School in the tournament semifinals.

Medina, a 3-4 team from the Greater Cleveland area, made life difficult early with an aggressive half-court defense and a trapping zone that disrupted Crittenden County’s rhythm. The Battling Bees also found open looks from the perimeter in the first quarter and used their size to control much of the physical play around the basket and on the boards before halftime.

Despite those challenges, Crittenden stayed within striking distance, tied at 20 at the end of the first quarter and carrying a slim 30-28 advantage into the locker room as Anna Boone had 16 points, more than half of the Lady Rocket offense over the first two periods.

The tone changed decisively coming out of the break.

Elliot Evans ignited the surge with all five of her points in a one-minute span early in the third quarter, capped by a 3-pointer at the 5:44 mark that pushed the Lady Rockets into double figures for the first time. That basket sparked a run that turned a two-point game into a rout. Crittenden County closed the quarter on an 8-2 burst and led 50-30 entering the fourth.

Medina never recovered. The Ohio squad went scoreless from the field in the third quarter and managed just three fourth-period field goals, while also missing more than two-thirds of its free-throw attempts for the game.

Crittenden County’s defensive intensity and rebounding were markedly improved in the second half, limiting Medina’s second-chance opportunities and fueling a more aggressive offensive attack. Even with foul trouble looming for key players, the Lady Rockets maintained composure. Bristyn Rushing contributed seven points and five rebounds despite early fouls, and Andrea Federico logged extended minutes while playing carefully with four fouls.

Boone led the Lady Rockets with 23 points and six rebounds, while Jordyn Hodge added 18 points. Hodge later compared the challenge posed by Medina’s physicality to that of district rival Lyon County, which Crittenden County defeated in overtime earlier this season.

The Lady Rockets will face Keyser at 3 p.m. CST Tuesday. The Golden Tornado are 5-0 this season and have advanced to the West Virginia Class 3A Final Eight in each of the past two years, finishing 19-5 and 18-6. Another win would push CCHS into the tournament championship game, which is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. CST Wednesday.

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Medina, Ohio   20 28 30 36
Crittenden Co. 20 30 49 58
MEDINA – Fischer 2, Kelos 9, Miller 4, Kurke 2, Gilber 7, Dress 3, Shook 6, Novak 3. FG 14. 3-pointers 5. FT 3-11.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 23, Evans 5, Hodge 18, Federico 4, Rushing 7, Holeman 2. FG 22. 3-pointers 8 (Boone 3, Hodge 4, Evans). FT 9-11.