Lady Rockets overcome jet lag to beat Mayfield

Anna Boone grabs a rebound.

MARION, Ky. – Jet lag, cold shooting and pinch of foul trouble tested Crittenden County in a matinee game at Rocket Arena on Saturday, but the Lady Rockets leaned on balance and composure to pull away late for a 50–35 road win over Mayfield.

Playing barely a day and a half after returning from a demanding Florida holiday trip, Crittenden County built a 17-point cushion in the first half, then steadied itself when Mayfield made things uncomfortable in the fourth quarter. The win improved the Lady Rockets to 10–3 and marked their fourth straight victory in the series against the Cardinals (3–7).

Crittenden set the tone early, racing to a 10–2 lead and extending the margin to 28-12 by halftime. The Lady Rockets led 35-24 after three quarters before Mayfield briefly cut the deficit to single digits early in the fourth.

Mayfield’s Lay Mayes, who entered averaging 16 points per game, sparked the rally. She scored 20 points, 14 coming after halftime, as the Cardinals trimmed the lead to eight with just under seven minutes remaining. At that point, Crittenden was struggling to find the range from deep and was navigating foul trouble, including four fouls on post player Bristyn Rushing.

Crittenden responded with timely baskets. Abigail Champion and Anna Boone delivered back-to-back scores to restore breathing room, and Elliot Evans converted an and-one to push the margin back to 14. With Rushing limited, Morgan Stewart provided a lift inside off the bench, scoring seven points off the bench to stabilize the paint.

Jordyn Hodge led the Lady Rockets with 13 points, while Boone added 12. Evans and Andrea Federico scored six apiece as Crittenden finished with four three-pointers and went 12-of-17 at the free-throw line to close things out.

Despite the uneven shooting night, Crittenden’s ability to weather the late Mayfield push highlights its maturity coming off a challenging stretch.

The Lady Rockets will next turn their attention to the All A Classic regional tournament at Dawson Springs. Crittenden County has won three straight regional All A titles and will be seeking its fifth championship in the past six years and 11th overall – the most regional small-school titles in regional history.

Mayfield  2 12 24 35
Crittenden Co. 10 28 35 50
MAYFIELD – Creason 4, Henson 4, A.Creason 6, Feagin, Mayes 20, Edwards, Winstead 1, Hunt. FG 11. 3-poinetrs 3 (A.Creason 2, Creason). FT 10-12.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 12, Evans 6, Hodge 13, Federico 6, Rushing 1, Holeman 3, Stewart 7, Berry, Champion 2, Grau, Rich, Kemmer. FG 17. 3-pointers 4 (Boone, Evans, Hodge, Champion). FT 12-17.