Second-half collapse leaves Rockets in defeat

Joel Bumpus dives for ball against Trigg.

MARION, Ky. — Trigg County’s lead went from near zero to 30 in the first 12 minutes of the second half and buried the Rockets 80-47 after a highly competitive start to the game Tuesday at Rocket Arena.

What began as a high-energy, back-and-forth battle unraveled quickly for Crittenden County after halftime, largely due to 23 second-half Rocket turnovers.

Crittenden traded the lead several times in the opening half and trailed by just one point at the break, 27-26, after matching Trigg’s physicality and pace. Both teams played at full throttle the entire way, and the game was loose at times — marked by hurried possessions and miscues on both ends of the floor.

The tone changed abruptly coming out of the locker room. Trigg, which shot poorly in the first half, got on track offensively while Crittenden struggled to get good looks. The Wildcats steadily stretched the margin, building a 33-27 lead midway through the third quarter before the game slipped away. A decisive Trigg run late in the period pushed the lead to 54-34 with 25 seconds left in the quarter, effectively sealing the outcome.

Coach Jackson tried to rally his troops
to their second win of the season.

Trigg outscored Crittenden 29-11 in the third quarter and continued to pull away in the fourth, when the Wildcats’ lead ballooned to as many as 32.

Junior guard Landon Swann led Trigg with a game-high 35 points, including six 3-pointers. Crittenden was led by Emmitt Ellington and Conner Poindexter with 10 points each.

The win was Trigg County’s first district victory as the Wildcats improved to 4-9 overall. Trigg has now won seven straight meetings against Crittenden dating back to February 2023. The Rockets fell to 1-17 overall and 0-3 in district play after being unable to sustain the inspired play they showed in the opening half.

The Rockets are at home Friday against Livingston Central for another district showdown. It will be the team’s homecoming game.

Trigg County 12 27 56 80
Crittenden Co. 13 26 37 47
TRIGG – Gude 14, Dixon 12, Swan 35,, Travis 6, Broussard 4, Shepherd 4, McCormick 2, Lawson 3. FG 27. 3-pointers 8 (Swan 6, Dixon, Lawson). FT 18-28.
CRITTENDEN – Ellington 10, Porter, Bumpus 2, Topp, 5, Bryant, Jones 8, Dayberry 4, Myers, Martin 2, C.Poindexter 10, Hughes, Murray, B.Poindexter 6, Counts, Hutchison. FG 18. 3-pointers 6 (Ellington 2, Topp, Dayberry, Jones, C.Poindexter). FT 5-9.