Crittenden County Basketball

Crittenden loses two at home Tuesday night

2012-01-31T22:53:00.001-06:00

Poor starts to the second halves crippled Crittenden's boys and girls teams Tuesday night as the Lady Rockets lost a close one 57-50 to Heath and the Rockets fell 63-45 to a Central Hopkins team they might have beaten.

Bobby Knox (21) tries to block a Central Hopkins shot
while teammate Devin Clark (30) comes in to help

Rocket coach Denis Hodge was disappointed in the performance after his club had played Hopkinsville close on Friday then finished a sweep of Caldwell County on Saturday. Hodge said the Rockets failed to play as a team against Central Hopkins. Turnovers and poor shot selection hurt them, too.

Crittenden's girls trailed by three with just over a minute left, but Bailey Brown and Maggie Collins fouled out, hurting the Lady Rockets' chances. Heath made 7 of 8 foul shots down the stretch.

Kayla Davis came off the Crittenden bench for four points in the last minute, but it wasn't enough.

Rockets battle talented Hoptown to close ending

2012-01-28T08:10:00.000-06:00

Crittenden County hosted perhaps the top team in the region Friday night and played the Hopkinsville Tigers to a respectable finish.

Hoptown, which has the best record in the Second Region at 20-2, jumped out to a 42-26 lead at the break, but Crittenden stormed back in the third period, cutting the margin to five points. However, the talented Tigers outscored the Rockets 13-7 down the stretch to claim the victory.

Bobby Knox had 24 points for the Rockets and Thomas Scott scored 19. Devin Clark had a game-high 12 rebounds.

Junior guard Jordan Majors paced Hopkinsville with 25 points and nine boards. Freshman standout Jaqualis Matlock scored eight and got nine rebounds for the Tigers.

Mid-Season Reviews: Podcasts with the coaches

2012-01-23T21:28:00.002-06:00

Click Here to Listen

Lady Rockets fade late in All A Classic semifinal

2012-01-20T09:38:00.001-06:00

Davana Head works against a UHA defender.

The final score may not have looked good, but Crittenden County played University Heights, one of the best in the region, very closely for much of the game Thursday. UHA won the All A Classic semifinal 80-49 after leading by just six at the half.

Bailey Brown and Davana Head led the Lady Rockets with a dozen points apiece and Kaytlin Binkley added 11.

UHA – much taller than CCHS and aggressive on defense – opened the margin in the third period by outscoring Crittenden 23-11.

Boys fall by two in Classic opener at Livingston

2012-01-18T08:25:00.001-06:00

Rocket guard Aaron Owen breaks off a screen during the opening
round of the All A Classic Tuesday at Smithland.

It was the third meeting between the teams and Crittenden came just two points of proving why it's so tough for one team to beat another three straight times. The Rockets got off a potentially game-winning shot in the final seconds, but Livingston prevailed 53-51 in the opening round of the All A Classic at Smithland Tuesday night.

Bobby Knox had a big game, scoring 17 and getting 11 rebounds.

For more, see this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

The Rockets are off until next Friday when the host Hopkinsville, one of the best teams in the region.

Lady Rockets win All A Classic opener

2012-01-17T08:42:00.002-06:00

Photo by Mike Howton, Dawson Springs Progress.

Crittenden County picked a fortuitous time to break a 15-game losing streak. It was the opening round of the All A Classic Monday night where the Lady Rockets avenged a last-week loss to Dawson Springs and beat the home-standing Lady Panthers 57-44. It was Dawson's third straight loss since defeating Crittenden on Jan. 9.

In the semifinal round, Crittenden (2-15) now faces University Heights (15-1), who has the best record in the entire Second Region, at 7:30 Thursday at Dawson Springs.

The Rocket boys play Livingston at 7 p.m., tonight at Smithland in the All A Classic.

Pictured is Lady Rocket center Maggie Collins battling for a rebound.

Crittenden opens Class A on the road

2012-01-15T17:59:00.003-06:00

The Lady Rockets open play in the All A Classic at 7 p.m., Monday at Dawson Springs. An article in last week's newspaper incorrectly said the game was to be in Marion.

The Rockets open play Tuesday at 7 p.m., at Smithland in the All A Classic. They play Livingston Central.

Lyons defeats Rockets for third place

2012-01-13T23:59:00.002-06:00

Crittenden County had a chance to grab third place in the Fifth District by beating Lyon County at Rocket Arena Friday night. However, Crittenden let a close game get away down the stretch as the Lyons outscored them by six points in the final frame to win by 11.

Thomas Scott scored 14 for the Rocket and he had a team-high seven rebounds. Lyon County got 23 points from Warren Sutton.

The Rockets complete their regular-season district play without a victory in the league. Crittenden is 6-11 overall and Lyon is 6-10.

In the girls' game, Crittenden lost by nine despite getting a chance to win it at the line. The Lady Lyons committed 24 fouls in the contest, but the Lady Rockets made just 21-of-37 free throws.

Bailey Brown led Crittenden with 22 points, including a dozen at the foul line. Jill P'Poole had 18 for the Lyon girls, who finish 4-2 with second place in the district wrapped up. Crittenden completes its district play with no league victories. The Lady Rockets are 1-15 overall.

Home-standing Livingston takes two from Rockets

2012-01-06T22:46:00.002-06:00

Devin Clark (30) had a double, double
for the Rockets in a losing effort.

Crittenden County's boys and girls lost at Livingston Central Friday night. Neither team has been able to manage a district victory in five tries this season. Both play Lyon County in the final Fifth District doubleheader next Friday night at Rocket Arena.

The Lady Rockets (1-12) lost 68-31 at Livingston after falling behind early and never getting into a rhythm on either end of the floor. The girls played better in the third period, but Livingston – led by Aneta Sloma's 23 points – won going away.

Crittenden's boys (6-8) shot poorly from the floor most of the game and made just half of 26 fouls shots. Center Devin Clark was a bright spot, however, scoring 16 and grabbing 14 rebounds in a 65-51 loss. Clark scored twice his 8-point average by shooting 7-for-9 from the floor and 2-for-3 at the line. As a team, Crittenden shot just 38 percent from the floor and made only 2-of-9 three-pointers.

Fifth District leader Livingston is 11-6 overall this season and undefeated in five league games. The Cardinals got solid performances from Lucas Croft (26 points, 6 rebounds) and Kenneth Cowsert (20 points, 11 rebounds).

Crittenden boys and girls drop doubleheader at Trigg County

2012-01-04T06:59:00.003-06:00

Maggie Collins grabs a rebound in Tuesday's loss at Trigg County.

Crittenden County came within inches of forcing overtime at Trigg County Tuesday night, but a last-second three-pointer bounced off the rim and the host Wildcats prevailed 70-67.

It was a much improved showing, however, for the 6-8 Rockets. Trigg had beaten the Crittenden boys by 33 and 24 in previous meetings this year.

The Lady Rockets, continuing to struggle at 1-11, lost their fourth straight district game this season as Trigg County won 60-44.

See this week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press for details from both games.

Rockets host holiday tournament

2011-12-24T12:58:00.003-06:00

Rocket Christmas Classic
December 28-30 at Rocket Arena

Wednesday's Games
Ballard Memorial 62, Reidland 53
Crittenden County 66, Dawson Springs 43

Thursday's Games
Ballard Memorial 64, Dawson Springs 35
Crittenden County 61, Reidland 39

Friday's Games
Reidland, 63, Dawson Springs 46
Ballard Memorial, 56, Crittenden County 41

Rockets 1-3 in early holiday break

2011-12-24T12:18:00.001-06:00

Crittenden County's boys were 1-3 in a holiday tournament the week before Christmas at Trigg County. Crittenden beat Stewart County (Tenn.) in the opener, but lost three straight to Trigg, Todd Central and Murray.

Crittenden hosts its own holiday tournament the week following Christmas. Tipoff for the three-day event is Wednesday night.

Crittenden's girls were 0-3 in a tournament at Bowling Green before Christmas.

Crittenden teams split in holiday openers

2011-12-22T10:23:00.002-06:00

Crittenden County's holiday basketball started off on opposite ends of the spectrum for the girls and boys on Wednesday.

The Rockets won 52-51 on a last-second shot in a tournament at Trigg County. Crittenden beat Stewart County, Tenn., as Thomas Scott scored 27 points. He made six of nine 3-pointers and grabbed seven rebounds. Aaron Owen made the final shot to clinch the victory.

Meanwhile, the Lady Rockets lost 81-35 to Franklin-Simpson in a tournament at Bowling Green.

Both teams are back in action today and tomorrow in their respective tournaments.

Livingston takes two at Rocket Arena

2011-12-16T22:50:00.000-06:00

Rocket coach Denis Hodge talks to guard Aaron Owen while
teammates Bobby Knox (on bench) and Thomas Scott take a
break during a lull in the action.

Livingston Central's boys, who have lost just one game this season, trailed by four at the half, but pulled out a 41-32 victory over Crittenden County at Rocket Arena Friday.

The undefeated Lady Cardinals also used a strong second half to turn back Crittenden County's girls 57-35.

Crittenden's boys are 3-3 overall heading into the holiday break. They will play in a Christmas tournament at Trigg County next week.

The Lady Rockets are on the road at University Heights Saturday before playing in a holiday tournament next week at Bowling Green.

Lyon sweeps district doubleheader

2011-12-09T23:03:00.001-06:00

Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge tries to rally her troops during
the second half of the Lady Rockets loss at Eddyville.

Lyon County swept a Fifth District doubleheader from Crittenden County Friday night at Eddyville.

The Rocket boys lost 76-48 and the Lady Rockets lost 54-29.

See more in the next printed edition of The Crittenden Press.

Rockets knock off Caldwell County

2011-12-07T08:40:00.001-06:00

Bobby Knox (21) guards a Caldwell ball handler during the Rockets'
victory Tuesday, Dec. 6 at home over the Tigers.

Lady Rocket Maggie Collins looks for an outlet while Marry
Mattingly (24) battles for space on the block. Crittenden was
within four late, but Caldwell pulled away down the stretch.

Hodge returns to lead Rocket basketball

2011-11-25T07:45:00.001-06:00

The coaching carousel has come full circle for the Rocket basketball team, which has had four head coaches in four years.

Coach Denis Hodge

Now, a program searching for stability has probably found it in lifelong Crittenden Countian Denis Hodge, who was a Rocket assistant on some of the greatest teams in recent memory.

Hodge, whose wife Shannon is the girls’ coach, is a fixture in Crittenden County athletics where he is already a member of the hall of fame.

Hodge replaces Brad Fraser, who was head coach just one season after taking over for another one-term skipper Chad Hayes.

Like any coach, Hodge wants to see his team have success in terms of wins and losses, but he also has a philosophy that transcends statistics.

“We want to see a team that wins,” Hodge said. “I view this team as Crittenden County’s basketball program. When you have that type of view, you understand that you are representing the county, Marion, parents and the school system. That makes me look at things differently.

We want to see how successful the kids become after they leave the program.”

Hodge expects his players to work hard and play with character, honesty and integrity. By doing these things he believes winning will take care of itself.

A 1986 CCHS graduate, Hodge has been pleased with the development of his team over the summer. In preseason, the squad is learning his philosophy on offense and defense. Hodge wants to play with an eight- to nine-man rotation, allowing the Rockets to implement a pressure defense and press the floor, limiting the amount of time the offense spends in half-court sets.

“We want to play fast and spread the floor,” Hodge said. “If we don’t have that ability to pressure teams, we will fall back in to a man-to-man defense.”

He concedes his team is not the favorite to win the Fifth District, but he still has high expectations. Livingston Central is the team to beat in the league, he said. Despite the Cardinals winning the district crown last season, they also have a new coach and return four starters. Hodge has praise for every team in the district, but thinks his team can steal the championship. It would be the Rockets’ second since consolidation of the city and county schools, and first since 1998 when Hodge was an assistant under coach Jimmy Croft.

“I believe in the locker room we think we can win it,” Hodge said of his team’s confidence. “We played Livingston three times this summer and it was within 10 points each time. We didn’t have our full team, missing two guards in those games.”

Crittenden will host the Rocket Christmas Classic Dec. 28-30, which will include Dawson Springs from the Second Region and First Region teams Reidland and Ballard Memorial.

The Class A Second Region will pit Crittenden against tournament host Livingston. Webster County rejoins the Second Region small-school tournament this season and Hodge said the Trojans are the early favorite for the Class A tournament.

Crittenden lost starter Casey Oliver to graduation from a 6-18 team.

Hodge describes Hill, a 6-foot junior, as one of the fastest players in the district. He will handle the ball a good bit for the Rockets and contribute to the up-tempo pace.

Thomas Scott, a 6-foot-6 junior, has been a pleasant surprise for the new coach. Hodge describes Scott as extremely competitive and having a fantastic work ethic. Teams will have to pick their poison when guarding Scott, who has improved his all-around game and will be the Rockets go-to player. Hodge said much of the team’s success will depend upon Scott’s performances. However, Hodge is quick to point out that this will not be a one-man team.

“I expect him to be the best player in the district. I have a lot of confidence in him right now,” Hodge said. “He is a terrible mismatch for other teams. If teams play us zone, he will shoot from the outside, and if you play us man-to-man, he will pick you apart.”

Devin Clark, a 6-foot-1 junior, will play center.

“He is going to absolutely crash the boards,” Hodge said. “He had a great summer and scored more than he ever has. He learned post moves and is our only true back-to-the-basket player.”

The coach said Clark reminds him of former NBA player Curt Rambis on the floor, willing to go after rebounds and not shying away from contact.

Bobby Knox, a 6-foot junior, played center last season, but has transitioned to the backcourt. He worked hard on his shot over the summer and isn’t afraid to step out and shoot the three-pointer.

“He will be another tough mismatch for teams. He’s a tough kid and a great rebounder,” Hodge said.

Aaron Owen, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, returns with plenty of experience under his belt at guard. While Hodge hasn’t named a point guard yet, you can bet Owen and Hill will be the top candidates. Having played AAU basketball, Owen has an edge in experience over many players his age. He will also be looked to as one of the Rockets’ primary scorers.

“He is one of the most experienced sophomores in the region,” Hodge said. “I expect Aaron to be a player who is calm under pressure, and he has a good mind for the game.”

Travis Gilbert is another sophomore who brings a good deal of experience to the team. The first-year coach describes Gilbert – an all-region performer in baseball and football – as always using proper technique and a three-point specialist.

Hodge has praise for junior Tucker Frazer as a player who has worked very hard this summer on his jump shot. He describes Frazer as a person of great character, who comes early to practice to improve his game.

Even though it will be Hodge’s first year as the head coach, he’s hardly unfamiliar with the program, the team and its cast of characters. After all, Hodge has coached most members of the team at one point or another in other sports.

“I’ve been able to pick up on their strengths and I want to get every player in the position where he can be more successful – that is the goal and what we are working toward,” Hodge said. “When it’s all said and done come February, we will be right in the thick of things.”

Hodge brings with him two new assistants, Ken Geary and Matt McMain. Long-time assistant David Perryman is the only holdover from last year’s staff.

Lady Rockets prepare to defend title

2011-11-25T07:44:00.001-06:00

After cutting down an unprecedented three nets in three tournaments last season and making the school's first trip to the Girls' Sweet Sixteen, Crittenden County's Lady Rockets are now reloading with a focus on another winning season.

Despite graduating four of her starters, Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge is confident in her returning players to make history once again.

Last year, Crittenden won the Fifth District championship for the first time since 1984. Hodge said repeating that is one of her team's goals.

"I enjoyed that history-making of winning the district title and we want to make it two in a row," Hodge said. "I think we have just as good of a shot as anyone in the district."

District archrival Livingston Central returns most of its players from last season. Hodge said the Lady Cardinals are the team to beat at this point. The Lady Rockets have several challenges ahead of them, returning only one starter and having just one senior on the team. However, Hodge believes last year's success and title run put her younger players ahead of the curve.

"Even if some of the returning players weren't the ones on the floor at the time, I think that experience changed them in their thinking," Hodge said.

"They had an experience that a lot of kids haven't had and my expectations are high."

Hodge hopes her young squad picked up valuable lessons from players who graduated. The hard work they put in paid off and she said this group must understand and continue the effort so good things will happen. If they keep the standard high, she believes this team will come out of the gates competitive and confident.

"I think we may be a team that is searching for its identity at first," she said. "We will have to figure out how to put all the pieces together."

The offensive reigns fall squarely in the hands of 5-foot-7 sophomore Bailey Brown. She is the Lady Rockets' lone returning starter who averaged 7.3 points per game as a combo guard last season, running the point at times but mainly serving as the team's shooting guard.

Hodge said Brown will have to take a leadership role on the floor. She says the talented sophomore has the ability to do just that.

"She has matured physically by leaps and bounds in the last six months," Hodge said. "The challenge now is for her to understand what I'm wanting and what it will take."

Mary Mattingly, a 5-foot-8 senior forward, will be the team's main post presence offensively and defensively. Hodge said Mattingly has to be able to score and rebound consistently and play well defensively against bigger post players. Hodge said Brown will draw a lot of attention and Mattingly has to be ready in the paint to take advantage of scoring opportunities.

"As our senior you expect a lot from her and I think she's got to get six to 10 points and rebounds a game for us," Hodge said. "Mary is a workhorse. She plays hard and will do what she has to do helping Bailey keep us all going in the same direction."

Davana Head, a 5-foot-9 junior, has the ability to be someone who helps pick up the scoring load. She can score inside and out, off the pass or dribble. Hodge has pushed Head in practice to be more consistent on defense.

"Davana can provide us with a nice matchup because she can play on the perimeter and she is taller than most people that will be defending her," Hodge said.

Randa Leidecker, a 5-foot-6 junior, is someone who makes something happen when she is on the floor. She is always around the ball and Hodge is challenging her to buckle down on defense. She has good hands to get deflections and has the ability to shoot the three and run the fast break.

Maggie Collins, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, has to gain confidence offensively, but has the ability to get the six to 10 points a game along with picking up the same number of rebounds. Hodge was really impressed with Collins' defense in the post this summer, frustrating opponents with her aggressiveness.

"I think she will be the person who will draw the tougher defensive assignment in the post because she is taller than Mary," Hodge said.

Kaitlin Binkley, a 5-foot-3 junior, is a good set shooter for whom plays will be designed. The coach expects her to get plenty of open looks at the basket from the three-point line. Binkley will back up Brown at point guard.

Chelsea Oliver, a 5-foot-8 freshman, is a pure athlete with raw potential, the coach said. When Oliver matures as a player, and gets everything together, she will really help the team out, Hodge said.

"She is very coachable and does whatever I ask her to do," Hodge said.

Juniors Taylor Lynch and Summer Phillips were junior varsity players last year and Hodge said they have to come out every day and battle in practice.

"Summer plays really hard and has made improvements. She is really quick," Hodge said. "Taylor has good size and can help us in the post as she progresses."

Sophomores Ruth Gobin and Breanna Ford saw action this summer with the varsity squad, and may compete for playing time, Hodge said.

Mallory McDowell, a 5-foot-2 freshman, is described by Hodge as the Lady Rockets' next true point guard.

"When she turns it loose and plays, she makes good things happen," Hodge said. "As the year progresses, she will come in and see some playing time. As she begins to learn the offense, she will have the ability to help us."

The Lady Rocket skipper believes her team has the physical capabilities to be very competitive. The mental approach is where she thinks the team faces the greatest challenge.

"We have to discipline ourselves to be a good defensive team because that will create offense for us," Hodge said. "We have to have individuals willing to play within themselves and do what they are capable of doing. We have the pieces, but must have the patience to let it all come together."

Coach Hodge, who has won 208 of 469 games at Crittenden County, will be assisted by Heather Boone and Bristyn Prowell.

Rocket Arena open for youth basketball

2011-07-14T16:25:00.000-05:00

Rocket Arena will be open to third- through seventh-grade youth who want to participate in open gym. Recreation basketball will take place on Tuesday and Thursday each week, from 6 to 8 p.m. For more information call Matt McMain at 559-9354 or Denis Hodge, 704-0643.

Lady Rockets' Sweet 16 trip ends in opening round

2011-03-10T10:17:00.000-06:00

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Despite a disappointing 78-40 loss and first-round exit to #1 ranked Louisville DuPont Manual Wednesday, it didn't supress the great accomplishments by the Lady Rocket basketball team this magical season.

After jumping out to a 15-5 lead in the first quarter, the Lady Crimsons had already seized control of the contest, putting the underdog Lady Rockets in a hole as the game progressed.

On a day when she knew her team would have to play nearly perfect and have Manual be off their game to pull the upset, Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge did not want to diminish what her team had accomplished during the historical season.

"It was a great group of unique kids," she said.

While only losing the battle of the boards 29-22, it was a couple of other telling statistics which led to Crittenden's defeat.

They handed out eight assists compared to 18 turnovers. Conversely, the Lady Crimsons dished out 18 assists and only coughed the ball up five times.

Manual converted several Lady Rocket turnovers into easy buckets. and shoot a hot 33-of-57 from the field. Crittenden shot 15-for-39.

After playing the last game of her Lady Rocket career, senior forward Summer Courtney (eight points, five rebounds and a steal), chose to dwell on the good things which produced a 21-9 season, a Class A Second Region crown, Fifth District Title and the program's first Second Region title.

"I think our fans have gone crazy and realized we could do anything we put our minds to," she said.

Lady Rocket senior point guard Jessi Hodge, who finished her varsity career with 1,497 points and more than 400 assists, had good things to say about the quick, athletic Manual ballclub.

"They were very quick. They didn't press us as much as I thought they would," she said.

The abundance of depth showed as well as the Lady Crimsons played 14 players with 11 of them clocking at least 9 minutes in the win while every Crittenden starter played at least 22 minutes.

"You can't take away from the things this group has accomplished," Hodge said. "I don't know of anyone who wouldn't like to be here today," she said, referring to any other team from the Second Region.

While winning by 38 points, DuPont Manual coach Stacy Pendelton still had good things to say about the Lady Rockets.

"I thought they played tough. I had watched film on them, but Hodge was better than I thought," he said.

Lady Rockets play in regional title game

2011-03-04T23:14:00.000-06:00

The Lady Rockets beat Union County Friday in the Second Region Tournament semifinal at Smithland.

They play Christian County in the finals on Saturday night at 7 p.m., at Smithland.

CLICK HERE FOR GAME REPORT OF SEMIFINAL VICTORY.

Rocket basketball banquet

2011-02-28T09:40:00.000-06:00

The high school boys' Rocket basketball banquet will be held on Tuesday, March 15, at 6 p.m., in the CCHS multi-purpose room.

Rockets can’t get by Dawson Springs this time

2011-02-16T08:46:00.001-06:00

The Rockets found Dawson Springs to be rude hosts Tuesday night as it avenged an earlier season defeat, upending Crittenden 59-53. The game was a makeup game from last Thursday, postponed due to snowy weather.

With less than a week to go before they open Fifth District Tournament play, the setback left Rocket coach Brad Fraser still searching for answers.

After dismantling the Panthers last month in Marion 79-33, the makeup contest provided a chance for Crittenden to win consecutive games for the first time this season.

But the Panthers had other ideas, placing four players in double figures and halting its own six-game losing streak. Those four players nearly equaled the entire Rocket team, scoring a combined 49 points.

Lady Rockets back on winning track

2011-02-16T08:45:00.001-06:00

The Lady Rockets got back on the winning track in convincing fashion Tuesday night, dismantling visiting Central Hopkins 85-48.

Crittenden jumped out to a 13-2 lead to get things going.

Lady Rocket senior point guard Jessi Hodge had a superb all-around night, scoring 21 points, dishing out seven assists, grabbing five rebounds and recording three steals as CCHS made short work of the Lady Storm. Hodge currently has 1,381 points in her Lady Rocket varsity career.

Freshman guard Bailey Brown also handed out four assists, senior Laken Tabor had three and senior center Summer Courtney and sophomore guard Kaitlin Binkley had two apiece.

As a team, Crittenden dished out a total of 20 assists, compared to just 13 turnovers.

Lady Rockets get back on winning track

2011-02-05T00:05:00.001-06:00

After suffering three consecutive losses, the Lady Rockets took out their frustrations on a helpless Lady Panther's squad, winning 56-35, Friday night at Dawson Springs. Laken Tabor rallied the troops, leading Crittenden in scoring with 18 points.

The Lady Rockets jumped out to a 15-11 first quarter advantage, before ratcheting up the pressure in the second quarter, doubling up the Lady Panthers for a 36-18 lead at the half.

Jessie Hodge was the only other Crittenden player to score in double figures with 11 points. Bailey Brown added nine points and Summer Courtney dropped in eight respectively.

Crittenden plays again tomorrow night in a boys and girls double-header at Rocket Arena, starting at 6:00 pm.

Lady Rockets fall by two in opener of All A

2011-02-03T08:40:00.000-06:00

Crittenden County lost 48-46 to Lexington Christian in the opening round of the All A Classic Girls' State Basketball Tournament on Wednesday, Feb. 2 at Richmond.

Click here for a complete statistical wrap-up and see next week's printed edition of The Crittenden Press for more details.

Lady Rockets at All A Classic today

2011-02-02T12:22:00.001-06:00

Follow the Lady Rockets with this streaming audio of the game.

Click here for the game

Last second shot dooms Rockets

2011-01-28T21:44:00.000-06:00

The Crittenden County Rockets basketball team lost a heartbreaker in the final seconds to the McLean County Cougars, 51-49 Friday night at Rocket Arena. With just 2.6 seconds left in regulation, the Rockets held a slim one point advantage.

The Cougars inbounded the ball from their own sideline and with help from a backscreen, Junior guard Eli Ellis was able to slip his defender and score on a lay-up while getting fouled with just one second remaining. Ellis made the free throw to put the Cougars up by two points, forcing Senior guard Casey Oliver to heave a hail-mary shot from three-quarters court away that fell short as time expired.

Sophomore Thomas Scott played his best game of the season, scoring 16 points and leading the Rockets to a 25-24 halftime advantage. Crittenden relinquished the lead only twice the entire game before the last second bucket by Ellis.

Lady Rockets take Second Region Title

2011-01-24T22:07:00.000-06:00

The Lady Rockets beat the Lady Lyon's Monday night to claim the Second Region All 'A' Classic crown, 54-41 at Rocket Arena. Propelled by a 30-10 halftime lead, Crittenden staved off a late rally by Lyon County that secured the Lady Rocket's fifth regional Class A title since 1998.

Senior point guard Jessie Hodge led a balanced attack for the Lady Rockets with 12 points, six rebounds and four assists. Bailey Brown dropped in 10 points and senior Whitney Johnson added nine points and eight rebounds in the win.

Crittenden will play in the Kentucky All A Classic State Tournament starting Feb. 2 at Richmond against Region 11 champion, Lexington Christian.

Rockets fall to Lyons

2011-01-18T21:19:00.001-06:00

Crittenden County played host to Lyon County Tuesday night in the opening round of the 2nd Region All 'A' Classic, losing 54-43. The Rockets went into the half with a 19-18 lead, but couldn't keep pace with the Lyons in the final two quarters. Casey Oliver fouled out late in the fourth quarter and led Crittenden in scoring with 20 points. Aaron Owen tossed in 12 points for the struggling Rockets, who fell to 3 - 12 on the season.

Lyon County moves on in the tournament and faces Livingston Central, Friday at Rocket Arena.

Rockets' great start dwindles to a loss to Livingston

2011-01-12T14:24:00.000-06:00

While showing a much better effort in the rematch last Friday, it was still not enough to get the Rockets over the hump as they dropped a hard-fought 50-44 decision to visiting Fifth District archrival Livingston Central.

Employing a combination of 2-3 and 2-1-2 zones, the Rockets got off to a crisp start, holding the Cardinals in check during the first quarter while building a 10-4 lead.

Lady Rockets no. 1 in district

2011-01-12T14:23:00.001-06:00

The Lady Rockets had little trouble sweeping the season series against Fifth District archrival Livingston Central Friday in Marion, dealing a 50-26 blow and wrapping up the no. 1 seed for next month's postseason tournament.

Crittenden raced out to a 5-1 lead at the 5:38 mark of the opening stanza, capped off by an old-fashioned three-pointer by senior forward Laken Tabor.

The Lady Rockets' sticky man-to-man defense gave the Lady Cardinals trouble all night, limiting them to just one field goal in the first 8:00 and only six for the entire contest.

Illness, injuries leave Rockets short-handed

2011-01-05T09:56:00.000-06:00

Having two players sidelined due to sickness and shooting an icy 17-of-60 from the floor were too much for the Rockets to overcome Tuesday as visiting Trigg County avenged an earlier loss last month 64-50.

Not being a deep team to begin with, having Thomas Scott and Jesse Highfil out with illnesses made the task of sweeping the Wildcats an even tougher chore.

Trigg jumped out to an 8-3 lead and never trailed in the contest, placing three players in double figures.

Lady Rockets defeat Trigg 60-31

2011-01-05T09:55:00.000-06:00

The Lady Rockets used a 51-26 rebounding advantage to stay unbeaten in Fifth District play Tuesday night, easily defeating visiting Trigg County 60-31.

After leading 14-7 after one quarter of action, Crittenden continued to dominate the contest, expanding its lead the rest of the way.

Lady Rockets dominate Lady Cardinals

2010-12-17T22:58:00.000-06:00

In a match-up of undefeated district foes, the Lady Rockets turned in a stellar team performance to down the Lady Cardinals Friday night in Livingston, 67-44.

Senior floor captain Jessie Hodge led a balanced attack for Crittenden (5-0), turning in 23 points on the night. Laken Tabor added 18 points, with five more Lady Rockets scoring in the contest.

Cardinals blast Rockets

2010-12-17T22:39:00.000-06:00

The losing streak continued for the Rockets Friday night in Livingston County as they fell behind early and could not recover, losing 69-42 against the district rival Cardinals.

Riding a perfect 4-0 record into the game, the Cardinals dominated with a fast tempo, high-flying attack, which the Rockets (1-5) could not stop.

Senior star, Casey Oliver was the only Rocket to score in double figures, leading the way with 17 points.

Foul plagued Rockets lose to Lyons

2010-12-10T22:33:00.000-06:00

What can only be described as a bruising, close battle between Crittenden and the Lyon County boys' Friday night, ended with the Rockets (1-4) on the losing side at home, 47-42. The Rockets took a two-point lead into the half, but couldn't stay out of foul trouble in the third and fourth periods.

Casey Oliver turned in another stellar performance for the Rockets, pouring in 25 points in the loss. He was the only Rocket to reach double figures. Crittenden committed 28 fouls in the game, compared to just 12 for Lyon.

Late surge propels Lady Rockets

2010-12-10T22:22:00.000-06:00

Tied at intermission, the Lady Rockets came alive in the second half to remain undefeated, securing a victory over the Lady Lyons at Rocket Arena, 47 - 36 Friday night. Crittenden (4-0) outscored Lyon 26 - 15 in the second half behind a 22-point performance by senior point guard Jessie Hodge.

Laken Tabor was the only other Lady Rocket in double digits with 10 points, and Summer Courtney added eight.

Rockets fall back into losing Rut

2010-12-08T09:24:00.000-06:00

The lopsided losses continued for the Rockets Tuesday night at Dixon as they dropped a 73-35 decision to Webster County.

After the homestanding Trojans began the game 0-for-3 from 3-point land, they found their shooting eye and never lost it. They went 10-for-19 from long range the rest of the way and Crittenden (1-3) had no answer.

Conversely, the Rockets were just 2-of-15 from that range and made only eight two-point field goals the entire night.

"We've got a young team and we're gonna work to get better," Crittenden coach Brad Fraser said after the setback.

He said his reasoning for staying in a 2-3 zone defense when the Trojans were burning it up from the outside was the simple fact that he doesn't think his team is a good enough man-to-man defensive team to employ it much.

"It's been hard trying to get everything in," he said.

Lady Rockets upend Caldwell

2010-12-08T09:20:00.000-06:00

The Lady Rockets placed three players in double figures Tuesday night at Princeton as they stayed unbeaten after knocking off Caldwell County 41-26.

For the second consecutive game, Crittenden (3-0) held its foe without a field goal to begin the game for a long period of time.

Hodge joins mom in 1,000-point club

2010-12-01T08:44:00.000-06:00

On a night when Lady Rocket point guard Jessi Hodge reached the 1,000-point plateau, her team also got the season started on a winning note defeating visiting Union County 52-41 Tuesday.

Entering her senior season with 999 points, Hodge surpassed the special milestone early in the game.

Her mom, Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge, who began playing at the varsity level for Crittenden during her eighth grade season, is also among the select 1,000-point scorers in Lady Rocket history. She has somewhere around 1,421.

Despite not remembering exactly when she reached that threshold, Coach Hodge is proud to have had the opportunity to watch her daughter’s excitement.

“That is not an individual achievement,” Coach Hodge said, thanking all the unselfish teammates who have helped her daughter reach 1,000 points and above.

Others who have reached the elite club, include Jeanne Hinchee 1,559, Vanessa Gray 1,413, Morgan Dooms 1,260, and Jesse Mathieu 1,035. Those totals are unofficial and likely incomplete.

Courier Journal Second Region picks

2010-11-26T06:53:00.000-06:00

The Courier-Journal newspaper has released its top picks for Second Region girls' basketball. The Lady Rockets are picked second and guard Jessi Hodge is listed as the No. 1 player in the region.

Second Region

Teams: 1. Henderson County, 2. Crittenden County, 3. Madisonville-North Hopkins, 4. Christian County, 5. Hopkinsville, 6. Union County, 7. Webster County, 8. Livingston Central, 9. University Heights, 10. Trigg County.

Players: 1. Jessi Hodge (Crittenden County), 2. Keke Drake (Madisonville-North Hopkins), 3. Christy Soldo (Hopkinsville), 4. Ellie Fruit (Henderson County), 5. Lauren Rodgers (Henderson County), 6. Casey Stone (Caldwell County), 7. Ashley Matlock (Trigg County), 8. Aneta Sloma (Livingston Central), 9. Martessia Williams (Christian County), 10. Rachel Hodge (Union County).

Crittenden County Rockets 2010 Schedule

2010-11-19T09:23:00.000-06:00

November
30 Union County home 7:30 p.m. G/B

December
3 Trigg County away 7:30 p.m. G/B
4 McLean county away 6 p.m. JV/V
7 Webster County away 6 p.m. JV/V
9 Christian Fellowship home 6 p.m. JV
10 Lyon County home 7:30 p.m. G/B
17 Livingston County away 6 p.m. G/B
21 Caldwell County away 4:30 p.m. JV/V
27 at Reidland (Fulton) away 4:45 p.m.
28 at Reidland (CFS) away 10:45 a.m.
at Reidland (Reidland) away 5:45 p.m.
29 at Reidland (TBA) away TBA

January
4 Trigg County home 7:30 p.m. G/B
7 Livingston County home 7:30 p.m. G/B
8 JV District tourney TBA TBA G/B
11 Webster County home 6 p.m. JV/V
14 Lyon County away 7:30 p.m. G/B
15 Dawson Springs home 6 p.m. JV/V
18 All A Classic (Lyon) home 7 p.m.
21 All A Classic (TBA) home TBA
22 All A Classic (TBA) home TBA
28 McLean County home 6 p.m. JV/V
29 Caldwell County home 4:30 p.m. JV/V

February
1 Hopkins Central away 6 p.m. JV/V
4 Ft. Campbell away 6 p.m. JV/V
5 Reidland home 6 p.m. G/B
8 Union away 7:30 p.m. G/B
10 Dawson Springs away 6 p.m. JV/V
11 St. Mary's home 6 p.m. G/B
18 Ft. Campbell * home 6 p.m. JV/V
21-26 5th district tourney away TBA
*Senior night

Crittenden County Lady Rockets 2010 Schedule

2010-11-19T09:18:00.000-06:00

Nov.

30 Union County home 6 p.m. JVB/VG/VB

Dec.

3 Trigg County away 6 p.m. VG/B

7 Caldwell County away 6 p.m. JV/V

10 Lyon County home 6 p.m. VG/B

14 Hopkinsville home 6 p.m. JV/V

17 Livingston away 7:30 p.m. VB/VG

18 UHA home 6 p.m. JV/V

20-22 Ballard County Christmas Tour

20 Obion Central, TN 2 p.m.

21 Chicago St. Me, IL. 12 p.m.

Marshall County 6 p.m

22 TBA TBA

Jan.

4 Trigg County home 6 p.m. VG/B

7 Livingston County home 6 p.m. VG/B

8 JV District Tourney away TBA - at Livingston

11 Webster County away 6 p.m. JV/V

14 Lyon County away 6 p.m. VG/VB

17-22 Class A Tournament

17 UHA away 7 p.m.

semifinals home 7:30 p.m.

finals home 6 p.m.

25 Union County away 6 p.m. JV/V

29 Paducah Til. away 4 p.m. JV/V

Feb.

1 Heath home 6 p.m. JV/V

4 Dawson Springs away 6 p.m. JV/V

5 Reidland home 7:30 p.m. VB/G

10 Madionsville away 6 p.m. JV/V

11 St. Mary home 7:30 p.m. VB/G

15 Hopkins Central home 6 p.m. JV/V

17 Webster County home 6 p.m. JV/V*

*Senior night

Regional Match Ups

2010-03-03T09:29:00.000-06:00

Second Region Tournament

Opening Round

Madisonville 79, Hopkinsville 37

Webster 62, Lyon 30

Crittenden 57, Christian 54

Henderson 81, Caldwell 48

Friday's Semifinals

Webster vs. Madisonville, 6 p.m.

Crittenden vs. Henderson, 7:30 p.m.

Championship

Saturday, 7 p.m.

Girls advance in regionals

2010-03-03T09:23:00.001-06:00

Second Region Tournament

Crittenden 57, Christian 54 OT

Christian 15 24 34 45 54

Crittenden 11 22 36 45 57

Christian - McKnight 20, Bruster 10, Barkley 9, Williams 9, Davis 3, Gold 1, Legett 2, Mosley. FG. 17. 3-pointers 2 (Davis, Bruster). FT. 14-22. Fouls 11.

Crittenden - Hodge 21, Brown 10, Brantley 9, Johnson 9, Tabor 6, Courtney 2. FG. 17. 3-pointers 5 (Hodge 2, Brown, Tabor, Johnson. FT. 8-15. Fouls 15.

Lady Rockets win first regional game in OT

Little did Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge know back in 1984 when she hit a game-winning layup to help beat Hopkinsville 41-40 in the Second Region Tournament, she would be the Crittenden head coach the next time the school won a game in the regional tournament.

But after a long 26-year wait, the Lady Rockets gave Hodge her first win in the Second Region Tournament as a coach Tuesday night at Dixon, with a thrilling 57-54 overtime triumph over Christian County.

The win over the Lady Colonels Tuesday was very special, as Crittenden advances to face Henderson County Friday night in the semifinal round in Webster County.

In a game that featured 16 ties and neither team leading by more than five points, Crittenden (13-13) was never intimidated against the bigger school.

Shortly after the game, the always humble Lady Rocket skipper tried to downplay the fact that she had just recorded her first win in the Second Region Tournament during her coaching career.

“It’s not about me anymore. It’s about these kids,” she said.

Primarily almost always a man-to-man defensive team, Hodge switched things up playing both a 3-2 and 2-3 zone to try and make the Lady Colonels beat them from the outside.

The strategy was very successful, as Christian proved to have trouble knocking down outside shots with any regularity.

Lady Rocket junior point guard Jessi Hodge had a fabulous outing, scoring 21 points and dishing out eight assists, helping her team advance to the semifinal round.

Interestingly, her mother was also a junior when she hit the game-winning shot over Hopkinsville in the school’s last regional win.

Eighth-grade guard Bailey Brown chipped in with 10 points and also gave the Lady Rockets steady guard play to help stun the Lady Colonels.

As has been the case in every game of the postseason, Crittenden took good care of the basketball, committing only 11 turnovers in the victory.

With the score knotted at 45-all in regulation, the Lady Rockets missed a shot to retake the lead with :12 ticks left. But they got a fortunate break when a Lady Colonel lost the ball out-of-bounds with :09 seconds left.

With the game still knotted, Hodge called a timeout with :03 ticks left and Whitney Johnson got a decent look before the buzzer. But she was not able to connect as the Lady Colonels rebounded the miss and the game headed to overtime.

Lady Rocket off guard Laken Tabor made her only trey of the game with :50 ticks remaining in overtime to give her team a 55-52 lead they would never relinquish on the way to the exciting win.

One of the few things the winners did not do well was make free throws as they were only 8-of-15 from the charity stripe. Their inability to be better in that area almost forced another overtime.

“I wish we could have made some more free throws,” the Crittenden coach said after the game.

Leading 57-54 with :04 seconds left in the extra frame, the Lady Rockets misfired on a pair of free tosses and the Lady Colonels drove all the way down the floor and missed a three-pointer right before the buzzer.

Hodge listed the game as the biggest win during her tenure and hopes the crisp performance carries over into the semifinal round against Henderson, who has captured five straight Second Region Tournament titles.

“Its a big step for our program. I’m just tickled to death for our players,” she said.

Lady Rockets lose district finals at the buzzer

2010-03-03T09:22:00.001-06:00

Fifth District Tournament

Lyon 48, Crittendn 46

Lyon 11 21 33 48

Crittenden 8 20 36 46

Lyon - Doom 18, Rhodes 11, Riggs 10, White 4, McGill 2, West 3, Snow, Greene. FG. 14. 3-pointers 2 (West, Riggs). FT. 14-20. Fouls 12.

Crittenden - Hodge 15, Tabor 14, Brantley 6, Courtney 5, Brown 2, Johnson 2, Graham 2. FG. 15. 3-pointers 3 (Tabor 3). FT. 7-9. Fouls 20.

Lady Rockets lose district finals at the buzzer

In a hotly contested Fifth District Girls’ Championship game last Friday at Rocket Arena that featured eight ties and 10 lead changes, the Lady Rockets came up on the disappointing end of a 48-46 decision to Lyon County.

The frustrating setback continued the long drought of futility of not capturing a Fifth District Tournament title since 1984, when Coach Shannon Hodge was a junior on the team.

In fact, they are 0-8 in Fifth District Championship games since then, with an average margin of defeat of 18.6 points.

After such an impressive showing against district rival Livingston Central in the opening round triumph, unfortunately there was not a bit of carry over as the Lady Rockets came out sluggish in the opening quarter.

Conversely, the Lady Lyons played well, employing a sticky man-to-man defense that they would stick with the entire way. Behind that fine defensive effort, the visitors took an 11-8 lead after the first quarter.

Unfortunately, an all too familiar theme occurred for Crittenden during that quarter as the duo of forwards Summer Courtney and Whitney Johnson made two early fouls.

Due to those foul woes, Courtney played only 13:41 of the contest while Johnson was limited to 16:08 of action.

With that pair out of the game much of the time, Lyon burned the Lady Rockets all night by scoring at will in the low post.

Another problem for the hosts was in the rebounding department as Lyon outrebounded them 29-21.

The Lady Rockets missed six layups, which could have turned the game in the other direction.

While Lady Lyon senior guard Brittany Doom only combined for 10 points in the two regular-season setbacks to the Lady Rockets, she was hard to stop in the title clash.

She poured in 18 points and pulled down five rebounds to help her team capture the district crown.

Despite not playing very well the entire night, the Lady Rockets entered the fourth quarter with a slim 36-33 lead.

Johnson was whistled for her fifth foul with 5:25 left to play, but Crittenden forward Laken Tabor broke a 38-all tie a few seconds later on a 3-pointer to put her team back in front.

But the Lady Rockets would suffer another casualty at the 4:58 mark as Courtney was called for her fifth foul, forcing them to play even more shorthanded.

The visitors would tie the score for the sixth time on the night less than 1:00 later at 41-all.

Crittenden sending their opponent to the free throw line 20 times did not help their attempt to break the 26-year title drough.

While Crittenden was 7-of-9 from the charity stripe, Lyon got there many more times making 14-of-20 for 70 percent.

With the score knotted at 46-all and 1:18 left to play, Crittenden had possession of the ball after a timeout.

After taking the clock down to below :30 ticks, Lady Rocket senior forward Tiffany Graham was called for walking, only Crittenden’s seventh turnover of the game, but nonetheless a very costly one.

The Lady Lyons brought the ball across halfcourt and called a timeout with 7.6 ticks left. As the Lady Lyons inbounded the ball, Doom drove and made a nice pass to Rachel Rhodes, who made a layup with :01 second left for the winning bucket.

After the defeat, coach Hodge said she could see a performance like this coming, alluding to a sluggish practice the previous day.

“We don’t have anybody to blame but ourselves,” she said.

She credited Lyon with being the aggressor and said they deserved to win the ballgame.

“You’ve gotta hand it to Lyon County,” she said.

She also lamented her team battling foul trouble as a huge problem in defeat.

“The reason for that was that we were not getting in the proper defensive position,” she said.

After being so upbeat from the blowout win over Livingston Central, the Lady Rocket coach was frustrated that her squad reverted back to some of their inconsistent play.

“We’ve had a problem putting four quarters together,” she said.

Lady Lyon coach Jeff Doom was proud of the way his team responded in the title tilt after having lost by a combined 27 points to Crittenden during the regular season.

“I thought both teams were relentless in not wanting to lose,” he said.

He thought getting Courtney and Johnson in early foul trouble proved pivotal in the contest.

“They did a nice job of getting the ball inside,” Doom said, referring to all the high-percentage shots his team got.

Lady Rockets advance to region with opening round win

2010-02-24T09:01:00.001-06:00

Fifth District Tournament

Crittenden 57, Livingston Central 38

Livingston 10 20 26 38

Crittenden 14 27 37 57

Livingston - Moore 9, Mitchell 9, Sloma 7, Lampley 4, Chittenden 2, Rudd 2, Walker 2, Kitchens 1, Croft 2, Smith, Kirkham, Buford, Banks. FG. 15. 3-pointers 1 (Moore). FT. 5-17. Fouls 21.

Crittenden - Hodge 20, Courtney 12, Brown 12, Brantley 6, Tabor 3, Johnson 2, Mattingly 1, Leidecker 1, Roberts, Head, Graham. FG. 18. 3-pointers 2 (Hodge, Tabor). FT. 15-24, Fouls 14.

Rockets out of tourney with 44-30 loss to Lyon

2010-02-23T09:25:00.001-06:00

Fifth District Tournament

Lyon 44, Crittenden 30

Lyon 14 19 29 44

Crittenden 4 9 19 30

Lyon - Perdue 11, Houk 11, Gray 8, Ringstaff 5, Sutton 5, Williams 2, Crady 2. FG. 9. 3-pointers 6 (Perdue 3, Houk 3). FT. 8-11. Fouls 11.

Crittenden - Oliver 17, Nielsen 6, Porter 4, Gray 2, Owen 1, Clark, Dy., Frazer, Higfil, Collins, Belt, Clark, De., Pierce. FG. 9. 3-pointers 1 (Oliver). FT. 9-10. Fouls 13.

Oliver led Rockets to 54-47 win over Ft. Campbell

2010-02-23T09:24:00.000-06:00

Crittenden 54, Ft. Campbell 47

Ft. Campbell 8 19 27 47

Crittenden 12 21 34 54

Ft. Campbell - Neal 12, Elmore 14, Davis 12, Andrews 4, Crank 2, Powell 3. FG. 11. 3-pointers 5 (Neal 3, Elmore 2). FT. 10-19.

Crittenden - Oliver 24, Clark, Dy., 11, Nielsen 9, Porter 6, Gray 4, Owen,. Pierce, Clark, Dev. FG. 12. 3-pointers 4 (Oliver 3, Porter). FT. 18-25. Fouls 15.

2009-10 Season Box Scores

2010-02-17T14:56:00.000-06:00

2009-10 Rocket Box Score recap

Dec. 1

Union 70, Crittenden 46

Crittenden 11 27 41 46

Union 17 32 53 70

Crittenden - Clark, Dyl., 7, Oliver 10, Pluskota 12, Porter 9, Nielsen 7, Highfil 1, Pierce, Clark, Dev., Scott, Belt, Copeland, Frazer. FG. 15. 3-pointers 1 (Porter). FT. 13-28. Fouls 20.

Union - Rister 22, Curry 18, Hall 10, Brown 12, Higginson 6, Cruse 2, Price, Foster, Alvey, McCormick, Moore. FG. 19. 3-pointers 8 (Rister 5, Hall 2, Brown). FT. 8-20. Fouls 25.

Dec. 4

Trigg 49, Crittenden 42

Trigg 12 31 41 49

Crittenden 8 19 30 42

Trigg - Alexander 14, Wright 15, Mount 11, Nance 8, Grubbs 1, Rogers, Adams, Mitchell, McKenzie. FG. 11. 3-pointers 7 (Nance 2, Wright 4, Alexander). FT. 6-12. Fouls 17.

Crittenden - Oliver 20, Porter 8, Clark 3, Nielsen 3, Gray 3, Highfil 2, Collins 2, Pierce 1. FG. 7. 3-pointers 5 (Oliver, Gray). FT. 13-19. Fouls 14.

Dec. 5

Crittenden 46, McLean 38

McLean 12 21 24 38

Crittenden 2 20 28 46

Crittenden - Oliver 20, Clark 11, Porter 6, Pluskota 3, Pierce 3, Nielsen 3, Gray. FG. 12. 3-pointers 2 (Pierce, Oliver). FT. 16-33. Fouls 20

McLean - Rose 18, Free 7, Phillips 3, Humphrey 2, Ashton 2, Trogden 2, Shocklee 2, Ellis 2, Coakley, Hatfield. FG. 6. 3-pointers 2 (Rose 2). FT. 20-26. Fouls 28.

Dec. 8

Webster 41, Crittenden 22

Webster 13 20 34 41

Crittenden 5 9 16 22

Crittenden: Pluskota 8, Oliver 6, Gray 4, Pierce 2, Clark 1, Porter 1, Nielsen, Highfil. FG. 7. 3-pointers 1 (Gray). FT. 5-13. Fouls 18.

Webster: Scott 12, Little 6, Winstead 6, Hartig 5, Turner 4, Patmor 4, Tapp 4, Baker, Major, Douglas, Piesk. FG. 10. 3-pointers 3 (Scott 2, Hartig). FT. 12-20. Fouls 17.

Dec. 15

Lyon 55, Crittenden 42

Crittenden 12 16 29 42

Lyon 10 24 31 55

Crittenden - Oliver 16, Clark 5, Pluskota 2, Pierce 7, Porter 8, Highfil 2, Nielsen 2, Gray, Scott, Belt. FG. 10. 3-pointers 5 (Oliver 3, Pierce, Porter). FT. 7-13. Fouls 24.

Lyon - Ringstaff 15, Perdue 12, Houk 10, Sutton 5, Taylor 2, Gray 6, Crady 2, Polk 3, Williams. FG. 15. 3-pointers 3 (Ringstaff 2, Polk). FT. 16-27. Fouls 16.

Dec. 18

Crittenden 60, Livingston Central 51

Livingston Central 7 16 33 51

Crittenden 17 28 40 60

Livingston Central - Croft 11, Kittel 11, Edwards 10, Armstrong 7, Mitchell 4, Lawless 4, Zimmerman 2, Meyers 2, Lon. FG. 18. 3-pointers 2 (Edwards, Armstrong). FT. 9-18. Fouls 24.

Crittenden - Clark 18, Nielsen 17, Oliver 15, Porter 5, Gray 3, Highfil 2, Pierce, Owen. FG. 22. 3-pointers 1 (Nielsen). FT. 13-25. Fouls 21.

Dec. 19, 21

Hopkins County Holiday Tourney

Lyon 48, Crittenden 28

Crittenden 6 20 24 28

Lyon 11 24 38 48

Critteneden - Clark 9, Oliver 5, Porter 6, Nielsen 6, Scott 2, Pierce, Highfil, Owen, Gray, Belt, Collins. FG. 10. 3-pointers 1 (Oliver). FT. 5-7. Fouls 10.

Lyon - Houk 12, Gray 11, Sutton 11, Ringstaff 6, Perdue 4, Taylor, M., 2, Williams 2, Polk, Fraliex, Taylor, D. FG. 11. 3-pointers 6 (Ringataff 2, Houk 4). FT. 8-12. Fouls 11.

Lone Oak 56, Crittenden 40

Lone Oak 19 36 44 56

Crittenden 12 21 36 40

Lone Oak - Looper 10, Guthrie 10, Luddovissie 9, Coleman 5, Beyer 7, Thacker 7, Gholson 6, Smith 2. FG. 13. 3-pointers 8 (Luddovissie 3, Coleman, Beyer, Thacker, Looper 2). FT. 6-8. Fouls 11.

Crittenden - Clark 6, Porter 15, Nielsen 9, Oliver 4, Scott 2, Gray 2, Collins 2, Owen, Belt, Pierce, Highfil. FG. 16. 3-pointers 1 (Nielsen). FT. 5-9. Fouls 11.

Central Hopkins 62, Crittenden 51

Crittenden 10 22 28 51

Central Hopkins 14 26 45 62

Crittenden - Clark 15, Oliver 11, Nielsen 8, Highfil 6, Owen 3, Pierce 3, Gray 2, Porter 2, Scott 1, Clark, De., Collins, Belt. FG. 7. 3-pointers 7 (Oilver 3, Pierce, Nielsen 2, Owen). FT. 16-24. Fouls 21.

Central Hopkins - Hughes 12, Caldwell 19, Baxter 7, Tandy 7, Tabor 6, Croft 5, Almon 2, Jernigan 2, Truckey 2. FG. 24. 3-pointers 2 (Tabor, Baxter). FT. 8-19. Fouls 19.

Louisville 77, Crittenden 58

Crittenden 14 25 38 58

Valley 15 39 58 77

Crittenden - Oliver 10, Nielsen 26, Clark 5, Porter 8, Gray 7, Scott 2, Highfil, Owen, Collins, Belt. FG. 16. 3-pointers 5 (Oiver 2, Nielsen 2, Gray). FT. 11-20. Fouls 12.

Valley - Williams 25, Johnson 15, Curry 11, Mimms 5, Shepherd 5, Thomas 9, Cold 2, Farris 2, Looper 2, Ashoy 1, Boyd, Weyer. FG. 30. 3-pointers 3 (Johnson 2, Shepherd). FT. 8-13. Fouls 21.

Jan. 5

Crittenden 51, Dawson Springs 41

Crittenden 8 24 40 51

Dawson 12 14 25 41

Crittenden - Oliver 18, Porter 10, Gray 9, Clark 7, Nielsen 4, Highfil 3, Pierce, Gardner, Belt, Collins, Scott. FG. 20. 3-pointers 2 (Gray, Highfil). FT. 5-12. Fouls 19.

Dawson - Cobb 28, McKnight 12, Fambrough 1, Burden, Lobrodo, Miller, Bullock, Chapelle, Smiley, McWilliams. FG. 11. 3-pointers 2 (McKnight). FT. 13-19. Fouls 14.

Jan. 12

Webster 53, Crittenden 49

Crittenden 11 21 31 43 49

Webster 4 16 32 43 53

Crittenden - Oliver 16, Clark 7, Nielsen 12, Porter 9, Gray 5, Pierce, Highfil. FG. 16. 3-pointers 2 (Gray, Oliver). FT. 11-20. Fouls 17.

Webster - Scott 22, Winstead 10, Doyles 7, Little 5, Turner 2, Baker 2, Tapp 4, Maver 1, Pitman, Harting. FG. 12. 3-pointers 5 (Scott 5). FT. 14-22. Fouls 17.

Jan. 16 – make-up game, originally Jan. 8

Livingston Central 39, Crittenden 36

Crittenden - Porter 11, Clark 11, Gray 5, Oliver 5, Nielsen 4, Pierce, Owen. FG. 11. 3-pointers 2 (Gray, Oliver). FT. 8-11. Fouls 18.

Livingston - Croft 14, Loveless 9, Armstrong 5, Kittel 7, Edwards 4, Cowsert. FG. 13. 3-pointers 1 (Armstrong). FT. 10-20. Fouls 11.

Jan. 15

Lyon 36, Crittenden 27

Lyon 10 15 25 36

Crittenden 7 16 23 27

Lyon - Gray 18, Taylor 4, Perdue 4, Ringstaff 4, Houk 3, Williams 3, Crady, Polk. FG. 9. 3-pointers 4 (Gray 2, Houk, Williams). FT. 6-11. Fouls 15.

Crittenden - Nielsen 7, Oliver 6, Clark 6, Porter 5, Gray 3, Pierce, Owen. FG. 8. 3-pointers 2 (Gray, Nielsen). FT. 5-8. Fouls 15.

Jan. 22

Class A Second Region Tournament

Ft. Campbell 56, Crittenden 49

Crittenden 6 18 31 49

Ft. Campbell 11 27 38 56

Crittenden – Nielsen 19, Clark 9, Oliver 9, Gray 10, Porter 2, Owen, Pierce, Highfil. FG. 11. 3-pointers 4 (Nielsen 2, Gray 2). FT. 16-23. Fouls 18.

Ft. Campbell – Powell 16, Elmore 15, Andrews 11, Davis 10, Neal 2, Crank 2, Hughes. FG. 19. 3-pointers 1 (Andrews). FT. 15-19. Fouls 14.

Jan. 26

Trigg 57, Crittenden 48

Crittenden 8 19 30 48

Trigg 11 23 34 57

Crittenden – Oliver 17, Clark 11, Porter 8, Gray 5, Pierce 3, Nielsen 4, Owen. FG. 14. 3-pointers 3 (Oliver, Pierce, Porter). FT. 11-13. Fouls 19.

Trigg – Mount 16, Alexander 10, Grubbs 11, Rogers 7, Wright 6, McKinney 3, Mitchell 2, Nance 2, Adams. FG 13. 3-pointers 3 (Rogers, 2, Grubbs). FT. 22-28.

Jan. 30

Crittenden 52, Caldwell 49

Crittenden 14 19 34 52

Caldwell 8 18 39 49

Crittenden - Clark 19, Oliver 13, Porter 7, Nielsen 7, Gray 6, Highfil, Owen. FG. 16. 3-pointers 3 (Oliver 3). FT. 11-13. Fouls 13.

Caldwell - Gray 18, Wisdom 10, P’Pool 13, Smiley 5, Dixon 2, Hooks 1, Kilgore. FG. 12. 3-pointers 6 (Gray 4, P’Pool 2). FT. 7-17. Fouls 15.

Feb. 2

Crittenden 69, Central Hopkins 60

Central Hopkins 10 30 42 60

Crittenden 20 36 52 69

Central Hopkins - Caldwell 16, Vanwactan 12, Truckey 6, Cook 5, Mitchell 9, Tandy 7, Foster 3, Baxter 2, Almon. FG. 14. 3-pointers 5 (Mitchell 2, Vanwactan 2, Foster). FT. 17-27. Fouls 13.

Crittenden - Nielsen 24, Oliver 16, Clark 11, Gray 8, Porter 5, Pierce 3, Highfil 2, Belt, Hill, Cozart, Collins. FG. 22. 3-pointers 3 (Oliver, Pierce, Nielsen). FT. 16-18. Fouls 16.

Feb. 6

Crittenden 73, Reidland 57

Crittenden 12 37 53 73

Reidland 6 25 41 57

Crittenden - Nielsen 31, Oliver 18, Clark 8, Porter 8, Gray 6, Pierce 2, Highfil. FT. 25. 3-pointers none. FT. 23-31. Fouls 12.

Reidland - Ward 19, Layne 10, Burnett 7, Weir 4, Aki 5, Witt 5, Guill 3, Patel 2, Garner 2, Draffen, Belt, Herndon. FG. 18. 3-pointers 5 (Ward 3, Witt, Layne). FT. 6-12. Fouls 24.

Feb. 8 – originally scheduled for Jan. 29

Crittenden 41, McLean 39

Crittenden 10 11 9 11

McLean 9 8 15 7

Crittenden - Clark 10, Oliver 10, Nielsen 9, Porter 7, Gray 5. FG. 16. 3-pointers 3 (Oliver, Gray, Porter). FT. 6-8.

Feb. 11

Crittenden 60, Dawson Springs 46

Dawson 6 16 26 46

Crittenden 14 33 48 60

Dawson - McKnight 15, Bullock 8, McCuiston 7, Miller 4, Smiley 2, Fambrough 8, Lobrado 2. FG. 11. 3-pointers 5 (McKnight 3, Bullock, McCuiston). FT. 9-13. Fouls 12.

Crittenden - Oliver 21, Nielsen 14, Clark 9, Gray 7, Pierce 3, Porter 2, Gardner 2, Hill 2, Knox, Collins. FG. 23. 3-pointers 1 (Pierce). FT. 11-13. Fouls 13.

Feb. 12

Crittenden 54, St. Mary 46

Crittenden 9 22 37 54

St. Mary 14 23 29 46

Crittenden - Nielsen 16, Clark 13, Gray 13, Porter 5, Oliver 2, Owen 3, Collins 2, Pierce. FG. 14. 3-pointers 2 (Nielsen, Gray). FT. 20-28. Fouls 16.

St. Mary - Vaughan, R. 11, Bickerstaff 11, Thompson 8, Blackwell 5, Gilland 7, Vaughan, B. 2, Englett 2, Garrett, Ogden, Smith, Bray, Lutz. FG. 11. 3-pointers 4 (Thompson 2, R. Vaughan 2). FT. 12-20.

Feb. 16

Crittenden 62, Caldwell 50

Caldwell 18 22 32 50

Crittenden 9 23 42 62

Caldwell - Gray 13, Wisdom 9, Hooks 8, Kilgore 8, Hodges 5, Smiley 2, Sivills 2, Dixon 2, P’Pool 1. FG. 16. 3-pointers 3 (Gray 3). FT. 9-15. Fouls 12.

Crittenden - Oliver 17, Nielsen 13, Porter 11, Clark, Dy., 10, Gray 7, Owen 2, Knox 2, Pierce, Belt, Clark, Dev. FG. 19. 3-pointers 5 (Oliver 2, Gray 2, Porter). FT. 9-14. Fouls 12.

Feb. 19

Crittenden 54, Ft. Campbell 47

Ft. Campbell 8 19 27 47

Crittenden 12 21 34 54

Ft. Campbell - Neal 12, Elmore 14, Davis 12, Andrews 4, Crank 2, Powell 3. FG. 11. 3-pointers 5 (Neal 3, Elmore 2). FT. 10-19.

Crittenden - Oliver 24, Clark, Dy., 11, Nielsen 9, Porter 6, Gray 4, Owen,. Pierce, Clark, Dev. FG. 12. 3-pointers 4 (Oliver 3, Porter). FT. 18-25. Fouls 15.

Feb. 22

Fifth District Tournament

Lyon 44, Crittenden 30

Lyon 14 19 29 44

Crittenden 4 9 19 30

Lyon - Perdue 11, Houk 11, Gray 8, Ringstaff 5, Sutton 5, Williams 2, Crady 2. FG. 9. 3-pointers 6 (Perdue 3, Houk 3). FT. 8-11. Fouls 11.

Crittenden - Oliver 17, Nielsen 6, Porter 4, Gray 2, Owen 1, Clark, Dy., Frazer, Higfil, Collins, Belt, Clark, De., Pierce. FG. 9. 3-pointers 1 (Oliver). FT. 9-10. Fouls 13.

2009-10 Lady Rocket Box Score recap

Dec. 1

Crittenden 13 24 29 41

Union 10 21 30 45

Crittenden - Hodge 12, Tabor 8, Courtney 8, Brantley 6, Johnson 5, Graham 2, Franklin. FG. 11. 3-pointers 1 (Tabor). FT. 16-21. Fouls 18.

Union - Dayberry, 20, Fowler 11, Hodge 10, Houston 2, Davis, P. 2, Little, Buchanan, Davis, C. FG. 11. 3-pointers 6 (Dayberry 4, Hodge 2). FT. 5-13. Fouls 19.

Dec. 4

Crittenden 71, Trigg 52

Trigg 10 21 31 52

Crittenden 15 37 52 71

Crittenden - Tabor 19, Hodge 12, Brantley 10, Courtney 8, Johnson 6, Brown 6, Franklin 2, Leidecker 4, Graham 4, Head, Mattingly. FG. 28. 3-pointers 3 (Hodge 2, Tabor). FT. 6-10. Fouls 16.

Trigg - Futrell 14, Want 14, Matlock 12, Parker 6, Maxey 4, Grubbs 2, Wortham. FG. 20. 3-pointers 2 (Futrell 2). FT. 6-17. Fouls 10.

Dec. 10

Caldwell 54, Crittenden 49

Caldwell 14 28 39 54

Crittenden 14 25 43 49

Caldwell - Sindelar 16, Meeks 12, Jackson 11, Pepper 10, Yates 5, Stone. FG. 19. 3-pointers 1 (Jackson). FT. 13-25. Fouls 8

Crittenden - Tabor 16, Hodge 15, Brown 6, Brantley 4, Graham 4, Franklin 4, Courtney, Johnson, Leidecker. FG. 13. 3-pointers 6 (Hodge 2, Tabor 2, Brown 2). FT. 5-8. Fouls 21.

Dec. 11

Crittenden 71, Lyon 40

Crittenden 11 22 45 54

Lyon 4 15 24 40

Crittenden - Tabor 14, Hodge 13, Johnson 9, Courtney 6, Brown 4, Graham 2, Brantley 6, Franklin. FG. 19. 3-pointers 3 (Tabor 3). FT. 7-14. Fouls 12.

Lyon - West 13, Riggs 11, Rhodes 9, White 2, Doom 3, Snow 2, McGill, Smier. FG. 12. 3-pointers 4 (West 3, Riggs). FT. 4-7. Fouls 16.

Dec. 15

Hopkinsville 49, Crittenden 46

Crittenden 11 27 33 49

Hopkinsville 11 17 25 46

Crittenden - Brantley 18, Hodge 9, Tabor 9, Courtney 6, Graham 2, Brown 1, Johnson 1, Franklin. FG. 17. 3-pointers none. FT. 12-20. Fouls 18.

Hopkinsville - Soldo 20, Williams 7, Nolen 6, Miller 8, Kemp 4, Cole 4. FG. 17. 3-pointers 1 (Miller). FT. 12-20. Fouls 18.

Dec. 18

Crittenden 51, Livingston Central 41

Livingston 10 25 32 41

Crittenden 9 20 33 51

Crittenden - Brantley 16, Hodge 7, Tabor 7, Johnson 5, Brown 4, Courtney 8, Graham 2, Franklin 2. FG. 21. 3-pointers 1 (Brown). FT. 6-12. Fouls 15.

Livingston - Sloma 17, Kitchens 9, Mitchell 7, Chittenden 4, Moore 3, Smith 1, Croft, Rudd. FG. 14. 3-pointers none, FT. 13-20. Fouls 13.

Dec. 27-31

Lady Rocket Holiday

Tournament statistics

Parkview, PA 52, Crittenden Co. 39

Parkview 8 26 36 52

Crittenden Co. 10 24 37 39

Scoring: Jessi Hodge, 21, Laken Tabor 9, Whitney Johnson 5, Jenna Franklin 2, Bailey Brown 2. 3 pointers 5 (Hodge 2, Tabor 3)

Merion Mercy, PA 58, Crittenden Co. 43

Merion Mercy 17 36 45 58

Crittenden Co. 9 24 39 43

Scoring: Jessi Hodge 15, Whitney Johnson 11, Laken Tabor 6, Hannah Brantley 5, Summer Courtney 4, Jenna Franklin 2. 3 pointers 4 (Tabor 2, Hodge 1, Johnson 1)

Crittenden Co. 63, Foundation Academy, FL 32

Crittenden Co. 17 33 46 63

Foundation Academy 6 15 25 32

Scoring: Jessi Hodge 20, Laken Tabor 15, Whitney Johnson 14, Summer Courtney 8, Tiffany Graham 4, Jenna Franklin 1, Randa Leidecker 1. 3 pointers 4 (Hodge 2, Tabor 1, Johnson 1)

Jan. 5

Trigg 59, Crittenden 49

Crittenden 9 19 32 49

Trigg 9 22 34 59

Crittenden - Hodge 21, Johnson 10, Courtney 4, Tabor 9, Brantley 2, Brown 3, Franklin, Graham. FG. 19. 3-pointers 2 (Tabor, Brown). FT. 5-12. Fouls 17.

Trigg - Matlock 24, Kearney 8, Want 8, Maxey 6, Futrell 6, Grubbs 4, Parker 3, Wortham. FG. 20. 3-pointers 3 (Maxey, Kearney 2). FT. 10-18. Fouls 16.

Jan. 11

Crittenden 77, Dawson Springs 54

Crittenden 19 37 48 77

Dawson 7 13 29 54

Crittenden - Hodge 25, Tabor 22, Leidecker 11, Brantley 6, Johnson 5, Graham 2, Franklin 2, Courtney 2, Roberts 2, Mattingly, Head. FG. 24. 3-pointers 9 (Hodge 2, Tabor 4, Leidecker 3). FT. 2-5. Fouls 25.

Dawson - Lanham 14, Mills 5, Monroe 13, Hatton 7, McKnight 11, Black 2, Sutton 2. FG. 16. 3-pointers 1 (Lanham). FT. 19-35. Fouls 10.

Jan. 15

Crittenden 54, Lyon 41

Crittenden 13 24 41 54

Lyon 6 14 20 41

Crittenden - Hodge 13, Brown 11, Johnson 10, Tabor 9, Brantley 6, Courntey 2, Graham 2, Leidecker 1.

FT. 8-15. Fouls 7.

Jan. 16 – make-up game, originally Jan. 8

Livingston Central 50, Crittenden 40

Crittenden 9 13 25 40

Livingston 11 25 34 50

Crittenden - Hodge 13, Courtney 10, Tabor 3, Johnson 6, Brantley 4, Brown 4, Leidecker. FG. 15. 3-pointers 1 (Hodge). FT. 7-19. Fouls 17.

Livingston - Sloma 29, Smith 11, Mitchell 4, Moore 3, Kitchens 2, Croft 1. Rudd, Chittenden. FG. 12. 3-pointers 3 (Sloma 2, Moore). FT. 17-30. Fouls 21.

Jan. 18

Class A Second Region Tournament

Caldwell 52, Crittenden 32

Caldwell 12 23 35 52

Crittenden 9 17 25 32

Caldwell - Pepper 13, Meeks 11, Sindelar 10, Jackson 7, Stone 8, McKnight 2, Stone 1. FG. 12. 3-pointers 2 (Pepper 2). FT. 22-27. Fouls 14

Crittenden - Hodge 9, Tabor 8, Brantley 7, Johnson 4, Graham 2, Courtney 2, Brown. FG. 9. 3-pointers 1 (Tabor). FT. 11-17. Fouls 19.

Jan. 26

Crittenden 48, Union 45

Crittenden 23 25 35 48

Union 5 12 29 45

Union – Fowler 18, Davis 6, Buchanan 8, Little 11, Houston 2, Hodge, Dayberry. FG. 12. 3-pointers 3 (Fowler 3). FT. 12-20. Fouls 9.

Crittenden – Tabor 16, Johnson 11, Hodge 7, Brown 5, Brantley 6, Courtney 2, Graham 1. FG 13. 3-pointers 7 (Tabor 4, Hodge, Johnson, Brown). FT. 1-5. Fouls 17.

Feb. 2

Crittenden 48, Heath 45

Crittenden 23 23 37 48

Heath 7 18 35 45

Crittenden - Tabor 21, Johnson 11, Hodge 9, Brantley 4, Courtney 3, Graham, Brown. FG. 13. 3-pointers 7 (Tabor 5, Hodge, Johnson). FT. 1-4. Fouls 13.

Heath - Paxton 22, Baer 12, McSparin 2, Armstrong 3, Simons 4, Chapman 2, Garrett, Cissell. FG. 15. 3-pointers 3 (Baer 2, Paxton). FT. 6-14. Fouls 7.

Feb. 5

Crittenden 61, Dawson Springs 45

Dawson 8 16 30 45

Crittenden 10 33 44 61

Dawson - Workman 10, McKnight 9, Merrell 8, Lanham 7, Hatton 6, Black 3, Mills 2, Loney, Coble. FG. 16. 3-pointers 1 (Lanham). FT. 10-21. Fouls 15.

Crittenden - Hodge 17, Brown 11, Tabor 16, Brantley 6, Courtney 6, Johnson 5, Graham, Roberts. FG. 13. 3-pointers 8 (Tabor 4, Hodge 2, Johnson, Brown). FT. 11-14. Fouls 18.

Feb. 6

Crittenden 36, Reidland 30

Crittenden 12 19 27 36

Reidland 5 16 20 30

Crittenden - Tabor 16, Hodge 9, Brantley 6, Courtney 4, Brown 1, Johnson, Graham, Mattingly. FG. 8. 3-pointers 4 (Tabor 4). FT. 8-12. Fouls 20.

Reidland - Matchen 14, Hayden 7, Lindsay 5, Howard 2, Winsett 2, Day, Powers, Ross. FG. 16. 3-pointers 2 (Lindsay, Matchen). FT. 12-24. Fouls 14.

Feb. 11

Madisonville 52, Crittenden 48

Madisonville 8 17 37 52

Crittenden 6 22 27 48

Madisonville - Foster 18, Tedder 11, Drake 10, McReynolds 7, Elliott 4, Hughes 2, Whittington, Duvall, Jobe, McNary, Stockton. FG. 22. 3-pointers none. FT. 8-23. Fouls 11.

Crittenden - Hodge 26, Tabor 12, Graham 5, Courtney 2, Johnson 2, Brown 1, Brantley, Leidecker. FG. 14. 3-pointers 4 (Tabior 3, Hodge). FT. 8-13. Fouls 17.

Feb. 12

St. Mary 48, Crittenden 47

Crittenden 17 27 35 47

St. Mary 9 19 35 48

Crittenden - Hodge 18, Brantley 12, Tabor 6, Brown 5, Graham 4, Courtney 2, Head. FG. 15. 3-pointers 4 (Hodge 2, Tabor, Brown). FT. 5-11. Fouls 14.

St. Mary - McManus 16, Tincher 8, Vaughan 8, Hendley 6, Guess 7, Dome 3, Powell, Durbin, Thweatt. FG. 16. 3-pointers 2 (Vaughan, Tincher). FT. 10-17. Fouls 12.

Feb. 16

Central Hopkins 72, Crittenden 62

Crittenden 12 27 36 62

Central Hopkins 11 23 44 72

Crittenden - Hodge 33, Tabor 18, Courtney 7, Johnson 4, Brantley, Graham, Head, Brown. FG. 13. 3-pointers 6 (Tabor 3, Hodge 3). FT. 18-19. Fouls 22.

Central Hopkins - Murphy 30, Flecher 19, Wells 14, McNany 4, Orten 3, Daugherty 1, Matchem 1, Watts, Haley, Wilkes, Neptune. FG. 22. 3-pointers none. FT. 28-37. Fouls 17.

Feb. 19

Crittenden 68, Ft. Campbell 29

Crittenden 14 35 57 68

Ft. Campbell 4 13 23 29

Crittenden – Tabor 19, Hodge 13, Brantley 9, Brown 9, Johnson 7, Courtney 4, Mattingly 4, Graham 2, Roberts 1. FG. 19. 3-pointers 7 (Tabor 5, Brown 1, Hodge 1). FT 9-15. Fouls 10.

Ft. Campbell – Crenshaus 7, Caraccilo 6, Daniels 6, Amorine 4, Taylor 4, Laxton 2. FG 9. 3-pointers 2 (Crensaus, Daniels). FT 5-9. Fouls 12.

Feb. 26

Fifth District Tournament

Lyon 48, Crittendn 46

Lyon 11 21 33 48

Crittenden 8 20 36 46

Lyon - Doom 18, Rhodes 11, Riggs 10, White 4, McGill 2, West 3, Snow, Greene. FG. 14. 3-pointers 2 (West, Riggs). FT. 14-20. Fouls 12.

Crittenden - Hodge 15, Tabor 14, Brantley 6, Courtney 5, Brown 2, Johnson 2, Graham 2. FG. 15. 3-pointers 3 (Tabor 3). FT. 7-9. Fouls 20.

March 2

Second Region Tournament

Crittenden 57, Christian 54 OT

Christian 15 24 34 45 54

Crittenden 11 22 36 45 57

Christian - McKnight 20, Bruster 10, Barkley 9, Williams 9, Davis 3, Gold 1, Legett 2, Mosley. FG. 17. 3-pointers 2 (Davis, Bruster). FT. 14-22. Fouls 11.

Crittenden - Hodge 21, Brown 10, Brantley 9, Johnson 9, Tabor 6, Courtney 2. FG. 17. 3-pointers 5 (Hodge 2, Brown, Tabor, Johnson. FT. 8-15. Fouls 15.

Last regular season games against Ft. Campbell on Friday

2010-02-17T08:51:00.000-06:00

The Rockets and Lady Rockets will play their last regular season games against Ft. Campbell on Friday before beginning the Fifth District Tournament on Monday. The boys play at 6 p.m., and the girls will follow after at 7:30.

Fifth District Tournament starts Monday at Rocket Arena

2010-02-17T08:49:00.002-06:00

Boys

Monday, Feb. 22

•Crittenden vs. Lyon, 6 p.m.

•Trigg vs. Livingston, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 25

•Championship - winners of Monday’s games play at 7 p.m.

Girls

Tuesday, Feb. 23

•Crittenden vs. Livingston, 6 p.m.

•Trigg vs. Lyon, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, Feb. 26

•Championship winners of Tuesday’s games play at 7 p.m.

Boys show a late-season surge with 62-50 win

2010-02-17T08:49:00.001-06:00

Crittenden 62, Caldwell 50

Caldwell 18 22 32 50

Crittenden 9 23 42 62

Caldwell - Gray 13, Wisdom 9, Hooks 8, Kilgore 8, Hodges 5, Smiley 2, Sivills 2, Dixon 2, P’Pool 1. FG. 16. 3-pointers 3 (Gray 3). FT. 9-15. Fouls 12.

Crittenden - Oliver 17, Nielsen 13, Porter 11, Clark, Dy., 10, Gray 7, Owen 2, Knox 2, Pierce, Belt, Clark, Dev. FG. 19. 3-pointers 5 (Oliver 2, Gray 2, Porter). FT. 9-14. Fouls 12.

Girls’ loss makes winning season difficult to grasp

2010-02-17T08:48:00.004-06:00

Central Hopkins 72, Crittenden 62

Crittenden 12 27 36 62

Central Hopkins 11 23 44 72

Crittenden - Hodge 33, Tabor 18, Courtney 7, Johnson 4, Brantley, Graham, Head, Brown. FG. 13. 3-pointers 6 (Tabor 3, Hodge 3). FT. 18-19. Fouls 22.

Central Hopkins - Murphy 30, Flecher 19, Wells 14, McNany 4, Orten 3, Daugherty 1, Matchem 1, Watts, Haley, Wilkes, Neptune. FG. 22. 3-pointers none. FT. 28-37. Fouls 17.

Lady Rockets fall to St. Mary 48-47

2010-02-17T08:48:00.003-06:00

St. Mary 48, Crittenden 47

Crittenden 17 27 35 47

St. Mary 9 19 35 48

Crittenden - Hodge 18, Brantley 12, Tabor 6, Brown 5, Graham 4, Courtney 2, Head. FG. 15. 3-pointers 4 (Hodge 2, Tabor, Brown). FT. 5-11. Fouls 14.

St. Mary - McManus 16, Tincher 8, Vaughan 8, Hendley 6, Guess 7, Dome 3, Powell, Durbin, Thweatt. FG. 16. 3-pointers 2 (Vaughan, Tincher). FT. 10-17. Fouls 12.

Rockets playing best ball of season

2010-02-17T08:48:00.001-06:00

Crittenden 54, St. Mary 46

Crittenden 9 22 37 54

St. Mary 14 23 29 46

Crittenden - Nielsen 16, Clark 13, Gray 13, Porter 5, Oliver 2, Owen 3, Collins 2, Pierce. FG. 14. 3-pointers 2 (Nielsen, Gray). FT. 20-28. Fouls 16.

St. Mary - Vaughan, R. 11, Bickerstaff 11, Thompson 8, Blackwell 5, Gilland 7, Vaughan, B. 2, Englett 2, Garrett, Ogden, Smith, Bray, Lutz. FG. 11. 3-pointers 4 (Thompson 2, R. Vaughan 2). FT. 12-20.

Girls nearly upset Madisonville 52-48

2010-02-17T08:47:00.002-06:00

Madisonville 52, Crittenden 48

Madisonville 8 17 37 52

Crittenden 6 22 27 48

Madisonville - Foster 18, Tedder 11, Drake 10, McReynolds 7, Elliott 4, Hughes 2, Whittington, Duvall, Jobe, McNary, Stockton. FG. 22. 3-pointers none. FT. 8-23. Fouls 11.

Crittenden - Hodge 26, Tabor 12, Graham 5, Courtney 2, Johnson 2, Brown 1, Brantley, Leidecker. FG. 14. 3-pointers 4 (Tabior 3, Hodge). FT. 8-13. Fouls 17.

Oliver, boys defeat Dawson 60-46

2010-02-17T08:47:00.001-06:00

Crittenden 60, Dawson Springs 46

Dawson 6 16 26 46

Crittenden 14 33 48 60

Dawson - McKnight 15, Bullock 8, McCuiston 7, Miller 4, Smiley 2, Fambrough 8, Lobrado 2. FG. 11. 3-pointers 5 (McKnight 3, Bullock, McCuiston). FT. 9-13. Fouls 12.

Crittenden - Oliver 21, Nielsen 14, Clark 9, Gray 7, Pierce 3, Porter 2, Gardner 2, Hill 2, Knox, Collins. FG. 23. 3-pointers 1 (Pierce). FT. 11-13. Fouls 13.

2010-02-10T16:41:00.004-06:00

The Union game has been rescheduled for Monday, Feb. 15, at 7:30 after a freshman game that is to be held at Rocket Arena.

Rockets down McLean 41-39, winning 4 in a row

2010-02-10T16:41:00.003-06:00

Crittenden 41, McLean 39

Crittenden 10 11 9 11

McLean 9 8 15 7

Crittenden - Clark 10, Oliver 10, Nielsen 9, Porter 7, Gray 5. FG. 16. 3-pointers 3 (Oliver, Gray, Porter). FT. 6-8.

Nielsen earns career-high with win over ‘Hounds

2010-02-10T16:41:00.001-06:00

Crittenden 73, Reidland 57

Crittenden 12 37 53 73

Reidland 6 25 41 57

Crittenden - Nielsen 31, Oliver 18, Clark 8, Porter 8, Gray 6, Pierce 2, Highfil. FT. 25. 3-pointers none. FT. 23-31. Fouls 12.

Reidland - Ward 19, Layne 10, Burnett 7, Weir 4, Aki 5, Witt 5, Guill 3, Patel 2, Garner 2, Draffen, Belt, Herndon. FG. 18. 3-pointers 5 (Ward 3, Witt, Layne). FT. 6-12. Fouls 24.

Lady Rockets skate to a 61-45 victory over Dawson

2010-02-10T16:40:00.000-06:00

Crittenden 61, Dawson Springs 45

Dawson 8 16 30 45

Crittenden 10 33 44 61

Dawson - Workman 10, McKnight 9, Merrell 8, Lanham 7, Hatton 6, Black 3, Mills 2, Loney, Coble. FG. 16. 3-pointers 1 (Lanham). FT. 10-21. Fouls 15.

Crittenden - Hodge 17, Brown 11, Tabor 16, Brantley 6, Courtney 6, Johnson 5, Graham, Roberts. FG. 13. 3-pointers 8 (Tabor 4, Hodge 2, Johnson, Brown). FT. 11-14. Fouls 18.

Lady Rockets 10-9 in the season with 36-30 win

2010-02-10T16:39:00.000-06:00

Crittenden 36, Reidland 30

Crittenden 12 19 27 36

Reidland 5 16 20 30

Crittenden - Tabor 16, Hodge 9, Brantley 6, Courtney 4, Brown 1, Johnson, Graham, Mattingly. FG. 8. 3-pointers 4 (Tabor 4). FT. 8-12. Fouls 20.

Reidland - Matchen 14, Hayden 7, Lindsay 5, Howard 2, Winsett 2, Day, Powers, Ross. FG. 16. 3-pointers 2 (Lindsay, Matchen). FT. 12-24. Fouls 14.

Make-up games

2010-02-03T15:15:00.001-06:00

Monday, February 8 Crittenden boys will be playing McClean away. The junior varsity will play at 6:00 and the varsity at 7:30. The girls will be playing on the same date at Tilghman. The junior varsity will play at 6:00 and the varsity at 7:30.

JV Tournament Schedule

2010-02-03T15:14:00.000-06:00

Girls: Thursday Feb. 4
Semi-final game #1 Crittenden vs. Livingston 5:30 p.m.
Semi-final game #2 Trigg vs. Lyon 6:45 p.m.
Championship 8:00 p.m.

Boys: Sat. Feb. 13
Semi-final game #1 Lyon gets bye (they had drawn to play Livingston and Livingston cannot play)
Semi-final game #2 Crittenden vs. Trigg 9:00 a.m.
Championship 10:30 a.m.

*First teams listed will be home team wearing light color uniforms. Winners of semi-final games #1 will be home in the championship games.

Tabor brings in 21 points for win over Heath

2010-02-03T09:43:00.000-06:00

Crittenden 48, Heath 45

Crittenden 23 23 37 48

Heath 7 18 35 45

Crittenden - Tabor 21, Johnson 11, Hodge 9, Brantley 4, Courtney 3, Graham, Brown. FG. 13. 3-pointers 7 (Tabor 5, Hodge, Johnson). FT. 1-4. Fouls 13.

Heath - Paxton 22, Baer 12, McSparin 2, Armstrong 3, Simons 4, Chapman 2, Garrett, Cissell. FG. 15. 3-pointers 3 (Baer 2, Paxton). FT. 6-14. Fouls 7.

Boys snap 6-game skid

2010-02-03T09:42:00.002-06:00

Crittenden 52, Caldwell 49

Crittenden 14 19 34 52

Caldwell 8 18 39 49

Crittenden - Clark 19, Oliver 13, Porter 7, Nielsen 7, Gray 6, Highfil, Owen. FG. 16. 3-pointers 3 (Oliver 3). FT. 11-13. Fouls 13.

Caldwell - Gray 18, Wisdom 10, P’Pool 13, Smiley 5, Dixon 2, Hooks 1, Kilgore. FG. 12. 3-pointers 6 (Gray 4, P’Pool 2). FT. 7-17. Fouls 15.

Nielsen leads boys to second straight win

2010-02-03T09:42:00.001-06:00

Crittenden 69, Central Hopkins 60

Central Hopkins 10 30 42 60

Crittenden 20 36 52 69

Central Hopkins - Caldwell 16, Vanwactan 12, Truckey 6, Cook 5, Mitchell 9, Tandy 7, Foster 3, Baxter 2, Almon. FG. 14. 3-pointers 5 (Mitchell 2, Vanwactan 2, Foster). FT. 17-27. Fouls 13.

Crittenden - Nielsen 24, Oliver 16, Clark 11, Gray 8, Porter 5, Pierce 3, Highfil 2, Belt, Hill, Cozart, Collins. FG. 22. 3-pointers 3 (Oliver, Pierce, Nielsen). FT. 16-18. Fouls 16.

Lady Rockets down Dawson Springs 77-54

2010-01-13T08:36:00.002-06:00

Crittenden 77, Dawson Springs 54

Crittenden 19 37 48 77

Dawson 7 13 29 54

Dawson - Lanham 14, Mills 5, Monroe 13, Hatton 7, McKnight 11, Black 2, Sutton 2. FG. 16. 3-pointers 1 (Lanham). FT. 19-35. Fouls 10.

After a six-day layoff between games due to snowy weather, the Lady Rockets got back on the winning track with a 77-54 road win at Dawson Springs Monday night.

They jumped out to a 23-7 lead in the first half and were never headed as guards Jessi Hodge and Laken Tabor had great performances to lead their team to victory.

Tabor had 22 points, five rebounds and four assists connecting on four of her team’s nine treys.

Meanwhile, Hodge only came up one assist and three rebounds shy of a triple double. The junior point guard poured in 25 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out nine assists as the visitors seized control of the contest from the outset.

After Crittenden experienced some early foul trouble, they switched to a 3-2 zone to try and protect any more players from getting into deeper trouble.

Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge was happy with her team’s defensive performance in spurts, but still wants to see a more consistent effort on that end of the court.

“We’re not handling screens as well as I would like for us to,” she said after the game.

Offensively, the visitors burned the nets up, shooting 33-of-64 for a tremendous 51.5 percent. That included an impressive 9-of-19 performance from three point land - the most treys they have made in a contest this season.

“Its nice to get a win that did not come down to the wire. You’ve got to be happy about that,” said Hodge.

The assist-to-turnover differential was also glaring in the contest. Crittenden handed out 20 assists compared to 13 turnovers, while the Lady Panthers only had one assist opposed to 15 turnovers.

Hodge also praised the play of young freshman Randa Leidecker, who scored 11 points, handed out a pair of assists and recorded a steal.

“I was glad to see her have a good night,” the Lady Rocket coach about her freshman.

One area she was displeased in was her team getting outrebounded 46-31 as well as surrendering 23 offensive rebounds against the Lady Panthers.

Another thing she disliked was the fact that her team sent the hosts to the free throw line 35 times in the contest. Although they only made 19-of-35 free throws, the Lady Rocket skipper knows they can’t afford to put an opponent on the line that many times.

Conversely, Crittenden only had five free throw attempts and Hodge believes they need to be attempting around 20 per game.

Eleven different Lady Rockets got in the game as their lead never dipped below double digits when they took the commanding first quarter advantage.

Rockets drop game to Webster in OT 53-49

2010-01-13T08:36:00.001-06:00

Webster 53, Crittenden 49

Crittenden 11 21 31 43 49

Webster 4 16 32 43 53

Crittenden - Oliver 16, Clark 7, Nielsen 12, Porter 9, Gray 5, Pierce, Highfil. FG. 16. 3-pointers 2 (Gray, Oliver). FT. 11-20. Fouls 17.

Webster - Scott 22, Winstead 10, Doyles 7, Little 5, Turner 2, Baker 2, Tapp 4, Maver 1, Pitman, Harting. FG. 12. 3-pointers 5 (Scott 5). FT. 14-22. Fouls 17.

Although playing some of the best basketball they have put together this season, in the first half Tuesday at Dixon, it was still not enough to stave off Webster County as the Rockets dropped a hard-fought 53-49 decision in overtime.

Crittenden (3-9) had a tremendous defensive effort in the first half mixing things up between a 2-3 and 3-2 zone. It helped limit the Trojans to only one field goal in the first quarter as the visitors took an 11-4 lead at the conclusion of that quarter.

Webster continually misfired from the perimeter making just 1 of their first 9 treys.

After leading 21-16 at halftime, the Rockets were outscored 11-6 to begin the second half and the hosts knotted the game for the first time at 27-all, thanks to an old-fashioned three-pointer.

Trailing 39-37, Rocket point guard J. D. Gray put his team back on top connecting for a trey with 3:52 left in the third period. After losing the lead, Webster got burned long in their full court pressure defense as Patrick Nielsen extended the lead to 42-39 on a layup.

But in the end, surrendering 17 offensive rebounds and a bad 11-of-20 performance at the free throw line came back to haunt the Rockets as they could not pull an upset against one of the better teams in the Second Region.

Trailing 43-42 with :04 ticks left in regulation, Nielsen was fouled and went to the line for a chance to give his team the lead. But he missed the first and made the second to take his team into overtime.

Rocket off guard Casey Oliver was the only player who shot better than 50 percent for his team-going 3-of-4.

The tone was set early in overtime as the hosts controlled the opening tip and the Rockets allowed them four shots before getting fouled on that first offensive possession.

Leading 47-45, Scott connected for one of his five treys, giving his team a 50-45 lead they would never relinquish.

Oliver scored four of his team’s six points in the extra frame to keep Crittenden in striking distance, but it was still not enough to pull the upset.

After being defeated by 19 by the Trojans last month at home, Rocket coach Chad Hayes was pleased with his team’s play in the opening half.

Hayes lists Webster as the third-best team in the Second Region and was proud of his team’s effort throughout the contest.

Middle School Scores

2010-01-13T08:35:00.001-06:00

Middle school Statistics

Livingston Co. 39, CCMS 8th-grade boys 37

Livingston Co. 11 16 22 39

Crittenden Co. 8 13 25 37

Scoring - Aaron Owen 13, Tristan Cullen 13, Travis Gilbert 6, Taylor Champion 3, Brenden Phillips 2. 3 pointers 3 (Owen, Cullen, Gilbert)

CCMS 8th-grade boys 62 St. Anns 54

Scoring - Owen 24, Gilbert 9, Cullen 16, Champion 4, Phillips 3, Tinsley 6

Caldwell 30, CCMS 7th-grade boys 22

Scoring - Young 7, Watson 2, Dickerson 2, Jo. Enoch 2, Ja. Enoch 7, Dempsey 2

St. Ann’s 44, CCMS 7th-grade boys 23

Scoring - Young 3, Watson 1, Dempsey 4, Jo. Enoch 6, Driver 5, Hadfield 3, Deboe 1

Livingston Co. 34, CCMS 8th-grade girls 33

Livingston Co. 8 18 26 34

Crittenden Co. 6 15 21 33

Scoring - Bailey Brown 16, Abby Whitney 6, Mallory McDowell 5, Maggie Collins 4, Kayla Davis 2. 3 pointers 2 (Brown, McDowell)

Ladies’ shooting, rebounds lead to 59-49 loss

2010-01-11T09:14:00.001-06:00

Trigg 59, Crittenden 49

Jan. 5

Crittenden 9 19 32 49

Trigg 9 22 34 59

Crittenden - Hodge 21, Johnson 10, Courtney 4, Tabor 9, Brantley 2, Brown 3, Franklin, Graham. FG. 19. 3-pointers 2 (Tabor, Brown). FT. 5-12. Fouls 17.

Trigg - Matlock 24, Kearney 8, Want 8, Maxey 6, Futrell 6, Grubbs 4, Parker 3, Wortham. FG. 20. 3-pointers 3 (Maxey, Kearney 2). FT. 10-18. Fouls 16.

A sluggish defensive performance coupled with surrendering 19 offensive rebounds brought the Lady Rockets unbeaten streak in Fifth District play to an end Tuesday night at Cadiz as they fell to Trigg County 59-49.

In a first half that featured three ties and numerous lead changes, the Lady Wildcats managed to take a 22-19 lead into intermission.

After holding Trigg center Ashley Matlock to 12 points in last month’s 71-52 victory at Rocket Arena, she had a heyday in Tuesday’s rematch.

She poured in 24 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and recorded three steals as the hosts prevented Crittenden (4-6, 3-1) from claiming a stranglehold on the top seed for the postseason tournament.

Trailing 22-17 with less than :05 ticks left in the first half, Lady Rocket forward Whitney Johnson (10 points, 10 rebounds) scored right before the buzzer to bring her team even closer in a seesaw second quarter. She also scored her team’s first six points of the second half as they claimed a 25-22 lead less than 2:00 into the third quarter.

At that juncture it appeared the visitors may have weathered the storm against the pesky Lady Wildcats and were ready to get things rolling.

But Trigg had other ideas as they ran off seven unanswered points to claim a 29-25 advantage and would never trail again during the remainder of the contest.

The Lady Rockets’ low post defense struggled most of the way as Trigg had their way in the paint all night long.

While the rebounding statistic ended deadlocked at 45-all, it was 19 Lady Wildcat offensive rebounds and 12 second chance points that helped them get revenge for the earlier season setback.

Points off the bench were also a big key in their win as they outscored Crittenden 12-3 in that area.

Crittenden shot 21-of-62 from the floor for an icy 33.8 percent as no player shot over over 40 percent. While the hosts were not a lot better for the game, going 23-of-61 for 37.7 percent, they shot much better in the second half going 15-for-30.

After the lackluster performance, Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge lamented that her squad has yet to put a consistent 32:00 of solid basketball together this season.

“We somehow run out of legs,” she said, also pointing to a lack of conditioning.

Despite her team defeating the Lady Wildcats by 19 last month, the Lady Rocket skipper did not believe her team would have an easy time in the rematch.

“I don’t think you ever go to Trigg County and think it is gonna be easy. I thought they played well,” said Hodge.

Another frustrating thing to her was that with a pair of district wins this week, the Lady Rockets could have been in the driver’s seat for a number one seed for the Fifth District Tournament.

While that is still attainable, Hodge believes Tuesday’s loss makes the district race more interesting.

“The district is very competitive. You can’t count any game before you play it,” she said.

Rockets down Dawson Springs 51-41

2010-01-11T09:13:00.000-06:00

Crittenden 51, Dawson Springs 41

Jan. 5

Crittenden 8 24 40 51

Dawson 12 14 25 41

Crittenden - Oliver 18, Porter 10, Gray 9, Clark 7, Nielsen 4, Highfil 3, Pierce, Gardner, Belt, Collins, Scott. FG. 20. 3-pointers 2 (Gray, Highfil). FT. 5-12. Fouls 19.

Dawson - Cobb 28, McKnight 12, Fambrough 1, Burden, Lobrodo, Miller, Bullock, Chapelle, Smiley, McWilliams. FG. 11. 3-pointers 2 (McKnight). FT. 13-19. Fouls 14.

Moving senior J. D. Gray to point guard helped the Rockets snap a four-game losing streak Tuesday night as they upended host Dawson Springs 51-41.

Gray scored nine points and handed out three assists and his move to the point also allows leading scorer Casey Oliver to move to his more natural position of off guard.

After the Rockets (3-8) fell behind 12-6 after 8:00 of action, a big 16-2 run in the second quarter ensured that they would never trail again, while winning their first road game of the season.

Crittenden stretched the lead out to 40-20 in the second half and did not allow the Panthers to ever climb back in the game afterwards.

Rocket coach Chad Hayes did not allow his team to get caught up in the Panthers’ being winless on the season. He thought they played pretty decent after a slow first quarter.

“They don’t have a win, but they have been playing alot better,” he said.

He was pleased with Gray’s play and believes it will bode well for the Rockets as the season continues.

“I felt like tonight J. D. took the next step,” said Hayes, about the senior’s most extensive work as the floor general this season.

Although Dawson only had three players to score and only made 11 field goals, going 13-of-19 at the charity stripe prevented them from being totally blown out of the contest.

Conversely, Crittenden only made 5-of-12 free throws, which is a continued area of concern for Hayes, who knows that must improve if they are to start winning on a consistent basis.

Oliver scored 18 points while senior forward Alex Porter turned in a good outing with 10 points and five rebounds.

The Rockets will try to even their league record at 2-2 tomorrow night when they travel to Smithland to face Fifth District archrival Livingston Central.

Crittenden has not defeated the Cardinals in Smithland since 2005.

Girls' holiday tournament in Orlando

2009-12-28T14:09:00.001-06:00

Lady Rocket Holiday

Tournament statistics

The varsity and junior varsity teams traveled to Orlando during the winter break and competed in a tournament.

Here are the statistics:

Varsity

Dec. 28

Parkview, PA 52, Crittenden Co. 39

Parkview 8 26 36 52

Crittenden Co. 10 24 37 39

Scoring: Jessi Hodge, 21, Laken Tabor 9, Whitney Johnson 5, Jenna Franklin 2, Bailey Brown 2. 3 pointers 5 (Hodge 2, Tabor 3)

Dec. 29

Merion Mercy, PA 58, Crittenden Co. 43

Merion Mercy 17 36 45 58

Crittenden Co. 9 24 39 43

Scoring: Jessi Hodge 15, Whitney Johnson 11, Laken Tabor 6, Hannah Brantley 5, Summer Courtney 4, Jenna Franklin 2. 3 pointers 4 (Tabor 2, Hodge 1, Johnson 1)

December 30

Crittenden Co. 63, Foundation Academy, FL 32

Crittenden Co. 17 33 46 63

Foundation Academy 6 15 25 32

Scoring: Jessi Hodge 20, Laken Tabor 15, Whitney Johnson 14, Summer Courtney 8, Tiffany Graham 4, Jenna Franklin 1, Randa Leidecker 1. 3 pointers 4 (Hodge 2, Tabor 1, Johnson 1)

Dec. 28

Ambridge, PA 67, Crittenden Co. 31

Ambridge 16 33 51 67

Crittenden Co. 10 17 24 31

Scoring: Bailey Brown 9, Jenna Franklin 6, Randa Leidecker 6, Megan Roberts 4, Maggie Collins 4, Kaitlyn Binkley 2. 3 pointers 1 (Randa Leidecker)

Dec. 29

Wayne Co. Tenn. 53, Crittenden Co. 43

Wayne Co. 10 27 40 52

Crittenden Co. 11 19 32 43

Scoring: Jenna Franklin 14, Randa Leidecker 12, Bailey Brown 8, Megan Roberts 5, Maggie Collins 4. 3 pointers 2 (Leidecker 1, Brown 1)

Dec. 30

Crittenden Co. 36, Abingdon, VA 35

Crittenden Co. 10 18 26 36

Abingdon 5 18 30 35

Scoring: Bailey Brown 13, Jenna Franklin 10, Randa Leidecker 5, Megan Roberts 4, Kaitlyn Binkley 2, Maggie Collins 2. 3 pointers 1 (Leidecker)

Turnovers, missed free throws cost Ladies the game

2009-12-16T08:54:00.000-06:00

Hopkinsville 49, Crittenden 46

Crittenden 11 27 33 49

Hopkinsville 11 17 25 46

Crittenden - Brantley 18, Hodge 9, Tabor 9, Courtney 6, Graham 2, Brown 1, Johnson 1, Franklin. FG. 17. 3-pointers none. FT. 12-20. Fouls 18.

Hopkinsville - Soldo 20, Williams 7, Nolen 6, Miller 8, Kemp 4, Cole 4. FG. 17. 3-pointers 1 (Miller). FT. 12-20. Fouls 18.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

The Lady Rockets were doomed by 22 turnovers and a very poor 12-of-20 showing at the charity stripe Tuesday at Hopkinsville and dropped the contest 49-46.

With the Lady Tigers playing a triangle-and-two defense to try and limit Crittenden guards Laken Tabor and Jessi Hodge, the visitors struggled to get any consistent offense throughout the game.

Trailing 33-25 entering the fourth quarter, Crittenden (2-3) picked a bad time to go cold from the free throw line. They missed eight free throws in the last stanza which was a huge obstacle in preventing them from making a comeback.

“We just didn’t get going for any length of time,” Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge said after the loss.

Long range shooting was also a problem for the Lady Rockets as they were 0-of-10 from the three-point territory in a three point defeat.

One bright spot in Tuesday’s defeat was the way Crittenden went to the boards outrebounding the hosts 46-29.

Whitney Johnson recorded 11 rebounds followed closely behind by Summer Courtney and Laken Tabor with nine apiece.

The Lady Rockets’ three losses have come by an average of only 4.3 points per game as their biggest margin of defeat has been by six points.

Hodge wants her team to realize that one play on either end of the court can spell the difference in winning and losing.

“The expectations have to start in practice,” she said.

Hodge continues to be pleased with the performance of reserve senior center Tiffany Graham, who recorded two points and a pair of rebounds in Tuesday’s loss.

“Tiffany has given us some valuable minutes this year,” she said.

Technical fouls, turnover lead to Rocket defeat

2009-12-16T08:53:00.000-06:00

Lyon 55, Crittenden 42

Crittenden 12 16 29 42

Lyon 10 24 31 55

Crittenden - Oliver 16, Clark 5, Pluskota 2, Pierce 7, Porter 8, Highfil 2, Nielsen 2, Gray, Scott, Belt. FG. 10. 3-pointers 5 (Oliver 3, Pierce, Porter). FT. 7-13. Fouls 24.

Lyon - Ringstaff 15, Perdue 12, Houk 10, Sutton 5, Taylor 2, Gray 6, Crady 2, Polk 3, Williams. FG. 15. 3-pointers 3 (Ringstaff 2, Polk). FT. 16-27. Fouls 16.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

In a sloppy game, which featured a combined 45 turnovers and three technical fouls, the Rockets let too many opportunities get away Tuesday at Eddyville and dropped a 55-42 decision to Fifth District foe Lyon County.

Rocket junior guard Casey Oliver scored seven first quarter points in helping his team jump out to a 12-6 lead with 1:38 left in the opening stanza.

The Lyon defense limited Crittenden (1-4, 0-2) to one field goal in the second quarter taking a 24-16 lead into the dressing room.

The hosts’ fullcourt and three-quarter-court pressure defense forced the Rockets into some of their 31 turnovers.

Lyon reserve guard Chris Ringstaff helped fuel the Lyons rally in the second quarter as his first trey gave his team its initial lead. He finished the game with 15, but 12 of those came in the opening half.

The second half is when the whistles started blowing and technical fouls began being called.

Leading 26-18 with 6:16 remaining in the third quarter, Lyon coach Jeff Embrey was called for a technical during a dead ball situation.

The shocking thing was that the Lyon skipper did not appear to lose his temper and seemed to do nothing to warrant one.

However, Crittenden began to seize a bit of momentum slicing the lead to 26-24 less than 1:30 later. Lyon guard Taylor Gray was called for another one at the 4:39 mark of the third stanza.

Rocket senior guard Alec Pierce knotted the game at 32-all with 7:15 left in the game.

They eventually took their first lead since early in the second quarter going up 34-32 less than 1:00 later.

But the Lyons, who only made three treys for the game, took the lead for good on their last one going up 35-34 with about 5:30 left to play.

Trailing 46—39 with 1:44 to go but still very much in the contest, Rocket forward Dylan Clark was called for a technical foul.

Battling the team, who many consider to be the favorite in the Fifth District race, to such a hard-fought game, but coming up short was obviously disappointing to Hayes.

“We had an opportunity tonight to steal one and we didn’t do it,” he said.

Hayes lamented the 31 miscues and knows that can’t continue if they want to start winning. In the last two contests, Crittenden has committed 58 turnovers.

“Its just lazy passes,” said Hayes.

Despite not being a thing of beauty, Embrey was glad to escape with a district win against the pesky Rockets.

“We won, but we sure didn’t look good doing it,” he said.

Crittenden will not have to wait long for a rematch, as they face the Lyons at the Hopkins County Christmas Tournament.

Hayes is impressed with Fifth District archrival Livingston Central who will come to tomorrow night to renew the border rivalry.

“They play extremely hard. It won’t be an easy game,” he said.

Tabor leads team to win over Lyon

2009-12-16T08:52:00.000-06:00

Crittenden 71, Lyon 40

Crittenden 11 22 45 54

Lyon 4 15 24 40

Crittenden - Tabor 14, Hodge 13, Johnson 9, Courtney 6, Brown 4, Graham 2, Brantley 6, Franklin. FG. 19. 3-pointers 3 (Tabor 3). FT. 7-14. Fouls 12.

Lyon - West 13, Riggs 11, Rhodes 9, White 2, Doom 3, Snow 2, McGill, Smier. FG. 12. 3-pointers 4 (West 3, Riggs). FT. 4-7. Fouls 16.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Lady Rocket junior guard Laken Tabor had a fantastic outing last Friday at Lyon County recording a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds helping her team gain a 54-40 victory. With the win, Crittenden improved to 2-0 in Fifth District play.

After the contest was knotted at 4-all in the early going, the Lady Rockets ran off seven unanswered points to take an 11-4 advantage capped off by a short jumper from Lady Rocket point guard Jessi Hodge with 1.9 seconds left in the opening quarter.

In the second half Tabor went 3-for-5 from long range to help her team extend the lead to double digits.

Tabor made all of her team’s treys as she recorded her first double-double as a Lady Rocket.

Leading 26-17 with about 6:00 remaining in the third quarter, the Lady Rockets ran off 12 unanswered points to take a commanding 21-point lead.

Displeased with how her team was not picking up the Lyon shooters on the perimeter, Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge called a timeout with 5:13 left to play.

“They were all capable of shooting the ball. Our failure to close out on them was a breakdown in intensity,” she said.

Hodge praised the play of Tabor and thought her fine performance was key in the triumph.

“Her shots gave us a big boost and defensively she gave us a spark,” Hodge said.

Lady Rocket forward Whitney Johnson barely missed a double-double of her own scoring nine points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the league win.

One area Hodge continues to be disappointed in is her team’s assist-to-turnover ratio. They had 14 assists compared to 18 turnovers against Lyon but still managed to win the game.

For the season, Crittenden has handed out 50 assists but committed 64 turnovers.

With a victory over the Lady Cardinals, Crittenden will keep sole possession of first place with a 3-0 mark, However, if the Lady Cardinals defeat Crittenden and Lyon upends Trigg the same night, there will be a three-way tie for first place in district play.

“Its always a war. You can throw records out the window when Crittenden and Livingston get together,” said the Lady Rocket skipper.

Lady Rockets fought had against Caldwell

2009-12-16T08:51:00.000-06:00

Caldwell 54, Crittenden 49

Caldwell 14 28 39 54

Crittenden 14 25 43 49

Caldwell - Sindelar 16, Meeks 12, Jackson 11, Pepper 10, Yates 5, Stone. FG. 19. 3-pointers 1 (Jackson). FT. 13-25. Fouls 8

Crittenden - Tabor 16, Hodge 15, Brown 6, Brantley 4, Graham 4, Franklin 4, Courtney, Johnson, Leidecker. FG. 13. 3-pointers 6 (Hodge 2, Tabor 2, Brown 2). FT. 5-8. Fouls 21.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

In a game which featured 11 ties and leads that rarely grew larger than five for either team, the Lady Rockets lost a hard-fought 54-49 game to visiting Caldwell County last Thursday.

The Lady Tigers opened the game giving the Lady Rockets trouble with their fullcourt pressure defense, enabling them to jump out to an early 7-1 lead.

But a pair of Lady Tiger turnovers enabled Lady Rocket point guard Jessi Hodge to convert two layups in transition to whittle the lead to one.

Crittenden center Summer Courtney, who was limited to only 14:24 of action due to foul trouble, drew her second with 2:06 left in the opening stanza.

Whitney Johnson, who had three first half fouls, committed her fourth with 5:28 left in the third period. Her playing time was also severely hampered by foul trouble as she only saw 10:32 of action.

However, the Lady Rockets withstood those problems and were in the game the entire way thanks in part to their three-point shooting.

They went 6-of-15 from behind the arc enabling them to take a 43-39 lead into the fourth quarter. Two of those trifectas came from eighth grader Bailey Brown, which marked the first ones of her varsity career.

It was shots from two-point land and the free throw line which helped the visitors escape with a narrow win.

The Lady Tigers were a 20-of-36 from two-point land for 55.5 percent. The hosts shot 19-of-51 from that area for 39.2 percent.

Although Caldwell shot 13-of-25 at the charity stripe, they made more than Crittenden attempted- 5-of-8.

“We weren’t very aggressive,” Crittenden coach Shannon Hodge said, explaining her squad’s inability to get to the free throw line more frequently.

Nursing a slim lead heading into the fourth, the Lady Rockets were plagued by some crucial turnovers in the late going.

They converted 13 Lady Rocket turnovers into 18 points. Unfortunately, Crittenden was only able to score eight points off of the 15 Lady Tiger miscues.

“We didn’t handle things very well at the end,” Shannon Hodge said after the disappointing setback.

“Caldwell became a lot bigger when Summer and Whitney got in foul trouble,” she said.

Despite coming up a little short, she commended her team for giving great effort.

“It was a great game. I thought we played hard,” Hodge said.

Boys' performance disappointing in loss to Webster

2009-12-09T09:15:00.000-06:00

Webster 41, Crittenden 22

Webster 13 20 34 41

Crittenden 5 9 16 22

Crittenden: Pluskota 8, Oliver 6, Gray 4, Pierce 2, Clark 1, Porter 1, Nielsen, Highfil. FG. 7. 3-pointers 1 (Gray). FT. 5-13. Fouls 18.

Webster: Scott 12, Little 6, Winstead 6, Hartig 5, Turner 4, Patmor 4, Tapp 4, Baker, Major, Douglas, Piesk. FG. 10. 3-pointers 3 (Scott 2, Hartig). FT. 12-20. Fouls 17.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

The Rockets turned in a lacluster performance Tuesday night against visiting Webster County committing 27 turnovers en route to a 41-22 defeat.

After Crittenden (1-3) jumped out to an early 4-0 lead at the 6:04 mark of the first quarter, the Trojans ran off 13 unanswered points. The hapless Rockets did not score another field goal until :51 ticks left before intermission.

While the Rockets had major issues taking care of the ball, so did the Trojans as they committed 22 for the game.

Unfortunately, Crittenden could not convert many of them into points or they would have been in the game the whole way.

“We just played stupid,” Rocket first-year Coach Chad Hayes describing his team’s poor showing.

He was so disappointed that he said all five starting positions will be up for grabs as practice continues this week.

“We’ve got some stuff to figure out,” he said.

Another area that the Rockets need to get better at in a hurry is free throw shooting.

Through four games this season, they are an anemic 47 out of 93 at the charity stripe for a terrible 50.5 percent.

The Rocket skipper said he could live with a loss if an opponent is simply better than they are and executes better on both ends of the floor.

However, he did not think his team gave themselves a good chance of winning against the Trojans.

With nearly a week before they play again, he is anxious to see how his team responds in practice to the frustrating performance.

“Competitors come back from defeat and dont wallow in it,” Hayes said.

Trojan coach Bev Hart was unsure if he had ever had a team limit an opponent to 22 points in a varsity game.

“Its good to get the win. I thought we played real good defense,” he said.

Conversely, he was also displeased with how his squad failed to protect the ball leading to the 22 miscues.

Despite Tuesday’s results, Hart does not expect an easy game when Crittenden travels to Dixon next month for the rematch.

Coach earns first win of career, season with Rockets

2009-12-09T09:14:00.000-06:00

Crittenden 46, McLean 38

McLean 12 21 24 38

Crittenden 2 20 28 46

Crittenden - Oliver 20, Clark 11, Porter 6, Pluskota 3, Pierce 3, Nielsen 3, Gray. FG. 12. 3-pointers 2 (Pierce, Oliver). FT. 16-33. Fouls 20

McLean - Rose 18, Free 7, Phillips 3, Humphrey 2, Ashton 2, Trogden 2, Shocklee 2, Ellis 2, Coakley, Hatfield. FG. 6. 3-pointers 2 (Rose 2). FT. 20-26. Fouls 28.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

After digging themselves a 12-2 deficit at the end of the opening quarter last Saturday night against visiting McLean County, the Rockets kept their composure and came back to give first-year Crittenden skipper Chad Hayes his first victory at the helm winning 46-38.

The Cougars went 7 out of 9 at the charity stripe in the opening frame to take the 10-point lead, and it looked like the cold shooting Rockets (1-2) might possibly be in trouble.

But Rocket forward Dylan Clark helped get his team going into the second quarter, scoring nine of his 11 points to help trim the deficit to a slim 21-20 at intermission.

After making only one field goal in the first quarter, the Rocket defense turned the tide on the Cougars, limiting them to a mere one field goal in the third quarter. With the game knotted at 23-all about midway through the third stanza, Rocket guard Alec Pierce hit a trey to give his team a lead they would never surrender.

Crittenden guard Casey Oliver, who is averaging 16.6 points through three games, poured in 20 points to help his team get their first win on the young season.

But a terrible 16 out of 33 showing at the free throw line prevented the Rockets from winning the game in an easier fashion.

“We gutted one out tonight,” Hayes said after the game.

After falling behind by the 10-point margin after the opening 8:00, the Rocket coach was proud of the way his team fought, outscoring McLean 44-26 the rest of the way to claim the win.

He also pointed to Pierce’s trifecta in the third which put his team up for good as being a huge turning point in the contest.

“I thought he gave us some solid minutes,” Hayes said.

With the first win of his tenure in the books, the Rocket coach hopes his team realizes that it will require a maximum effort to achieve success.

When we stay within ourselves, we can be pretty darn good,” said the first year coach.

Boys come up short against Trigg

2009-12-09T09:13:00.000-06:00

Trigg 49, Crittenden 42

Trigg 12 31 41 49

Crittenden 8 19 30 42

Trigg - Alexander 14, Wright 15, Mount 11, Nance 8, Grubbs 1, Rogers, Adams, Mitchell, McKenzie. FG. 11. 3-pointers 7 (Nance 2, Wright 4, Alexander). FT. 6-12. Fouls 17.

Crittenden - Oliver 20, Porter 8, Clark 3, Nielsen 3, Gray 3, Highfil 2, Collins 2, Pierce 1. FG. 7. 3-pointers 5 (Oliver, Gray). FT. 13-19. Fouls 14.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

While limiting visiting Trigg County to just 49 points last Friday, the Rockets made only seven two-point field goals for the entire game and fell 49-42 to their Fifth District foe.

Leading 12-8 entering the second quarter, Wildcat forward Zeke Wright made treys in the second quarter to help his squad take a 31-19 advantage at intermission.

After holding Rocket leading scorer Casey Oliver to 10 points through three quarters, the junior guard put his team on his shoulders in the final 8:00 as they attempted to mount a comeback.

Leading 44-31 with 4:16 left to play, the Wildcats seemed to have things pretty much in hand.

But the Rockets never gave up and Oliver connected on three of his four treys in the final frame as they whittled the deficit to 46-41 with 1:24 remaining.

Unfortunately, Crittenden could never get over the top falling to 0-1 in league play.

Despite the setback, the Rocket skipper praised Oliver’s fourth quarter effort to try and record a comeback win.

“That is what he is capable of,” said Hayes.

He also continues to be impressed with the play of senior forward Dylan Clark through the opening three games.

“He is probably one of the hardest working kids I have ever coached,” said the Crittenden coach.

Trigg coach Mike Wright was pleased with the play of his team for the first 28:00 of the district encounter.

“We really controlled the game until the last 4:00,” he said.

But after doing a pretty good defensive job on Oliver before then, the Wildcat coach was displeased that his defenders did not do a good job in finding him late in the game.

Otherwise, he was happy with his squad’s defense which limited the Rockets to only 42 points.

“Our man-to-man was really good,” he said.

Lady Rockets' 71-52 win over Trigg a team effort

2009-12-09T09:11:00.000-06:00

Crittenden 71, Trigg 52

Trigg 10 21 31 52

Crittenden 15 37 52 71

Crittenden - Tabor 19, Hodge 12, Brantley 10, Courtney 8, Johnson 6, Brown 6, Franklin 2, Leidecker 4, Graham 4, Head, Mattingly. FG. 28. 3-pointers 3 (Hodge 2, Tabor). FT. 6-10. Fouls 16.

Trigg - Futrell 14, Want 14, Matlock 12, Parker 6, Maxey 4, Grubbs 2, Wortham. FG. 20. 3-pointers 2 (Futrell 2). FT. 6-17. Fouls 10.

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Lady Rocket junior point guard Jessi Hodge possibly set a school record for assists in a varsity girls’ game last Friday dishing out 12 as the hosts dismantled Fifth District foe Trigg County 71-52.

Hodge posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 assists as the Lady Rockets got a measure of revenge for last year’s setback to the Lady Wildcats in the Fifth District Championship game.

After the game was knotted in the early going, the Lady Rockets (1-1) began to cause havoc with their fullcourt pressure defense taking a 6-2 lead less than 2:00 into the contest.

After the hosts took a 21-11 lead with about 5:00 remaining in the first half, the lead never dropped below double digits again.

The Lady Rockets had very crisp passing and ran nice fastbreaks which helped them capture the game in easy fashion.

Lady Rocket guard Laken Tabor led the Lady Rockets with 19 while Hannah Brantley pitched in with 10 as the winners placed three players in double digits.

The game also saw freshman Randa Leidecker and eighth grader Bailey Brown score their first points of their young varsity careers. Brown had six points while Leidecker chipped in with four as 11 Lady Rockets saw action in the satisfying district win.

“I thought we played a very unselfish game,” Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge said after the triumph.

Crittenden shot a very fine 31 out of 70 from the field for 51.7 percent, many of them coming in transition after forcing Trigg turnovers.

Hodge was proud of the business-like approach her squad took to the game and was glad that it carried over into good execution on both ends of the floor.

“Every district game is huge,” she said.

She was also very pleased with the way center Summer Courtney (8 points, 6 rebounds) ran the floor in transition.

“I thought Summer could really outrun their post players. If she runs the floor that hard, she deserves to get the ball,” said the Lady Rocket skipper.

She praised the efforts of youngsters Brown and Leidecker and believes both of them have bright futures as Lady Rocket hoops players.

“Everybody made some positive things happen,” she said.

Teams drop season openers to Union

2009-12-02T10:47:00.001-06:00

Boys Stats
Union 70, Crittenden
46
Crittenden 11 27 41 46
Union 17 32 53 70
Crittenden - Clark, Dyl., 7, Oliver 10, Pluskota 12, Porter 9, Nielsen 7, Highfil 1, Pierce, Clark, Dev., Scott, Belt, Copeland, Frazer. FG. 15. 3-pointers 1 (Porter). FT. 13-28. Fouls 20.
Union - Rister 22, Curry 18, Hall 10, Brown 12, Higginson 6, Cruse 2, Price, Foster, Alvey, McCormick, Moore. FG. 19. 3-
pointers 8 (Rister 5, Hall 2, Brown). FT. 8-20. Fouls 25.

Girls stats
Union 45, Crittenden 41
Crittenden 13 24 29 41
Union 10 21 30 45
Crittenden - Hodge 12, Tabor 8, Courtney 8, Brantley 6, Johnson 5, Graham 2, Franklin. FG. 11. 3-point
ers 1 (Tabor). FT. 16-21. Fouls 18.
Union - Dayberry, 20, Fowler 11, Hodge 10, Houston 2, Davis, P. 2, Little, Buchanan, Davis, C. FG. 11. 3-pointers 6 (Dayberry 4, Hodge 2). FT. 5-13. Fouls 19.

Boys lose despite tying game up in 3rd period

BY CHRIS HARDESTY

PRESS SPORTS WRITER

After hanging tough for the first half, the Rockets could not muster enough to make new Rocket coach Chad Hayes’ debut a winning one falling 70-46 at Union County Tuesday night.

The Braves’ pressure defense gave the visitors trouble the entire way and helped force many of their 28 turnovers.

But despite making way too many turnovers in the first quarter, the Rockets only trailed 17-11 after the opening eight minutes of action.

Missed layups, which displeased Hayes during preseason scrimmages, continue

d to be a problem as they missed three in the first quarter.

Union seemed ready to possibly take control of the game with about five minutes remaining in the first half. They extended their lead to 22-11 before senior forward Joey Pluskota connected for an old-fashioned three pointer to keep his team in contention.

The visitors continued to slice into the deficit even further as Casey Oliver made a short jumper to cut it to 26-25. The Rockets finally knotted the score at 36-all in the third

period on a layup from senior forward Patrick Nielsen and it appe

ared like they had new life.

But behind more pressure defense which led to more easy points off turnovers, the hosts went on a 17-5 run the remainder of the third quarter to take a 53-41 lead into the final frame.

Although playing good defense, Union did not exactly take good care of the ball either committing 22 turnovers of their own.

Unfortunately, Crittenden did not convert nearly enough of them into points to score an upset win in Hayes’ debut.

Giving up 19 offensive rebounds and missing 17 shots from 10 feet and in were also huge problems in the season opening loss.

The Braves had a very balanced scoring attack, placing four players in double figures.

Meanwhile, Pluskota led his team with 12 points and eight rebounds while Oliver had 10 points.

Senior forward Dylan Clark also had a solid effort scoring seven points and grabbing seven rebounds in the setback.

Obviously wishing he could have experienced a victory in his debut as the Rocket coach, Hayes realizes it is a process of rebuilding that is going to take time.

“We’re having to learn a brand new system,” he said.

After knotting the contest at 36-all in the third quarter, he did not believe his team took the right approach from that point.

“We weathered all the storms, but then we got complacent,” said the new coach.

The three glaring things which stood out to him in the setback was the 17 mis

sed shots from 10 feet and in, 19 offensive rebounds they allowed Union and 28 turnovers.

He was also very displeased with his team’s 13-of-28 showing at the free throw line, many of those misses coming when the game was still close.

Lady Rockets’ errors contribute to 45-41 lose

Surrendering 17 offensive rebounds and committing 19 turnovers led to the de

mise of the Lady Rockets Tuesday night at Morganfield as they dropped a 45-41 decision to host Union County.

It didn’t take long for the lack of offensive rebounding to rear its ugly head as Crittenden gave up two just :50 ticks into the game.

But behind the steady play of guards Jessi Hodge and

Hannah Brantley, the visitors still managed to claim a 13-10 lead after a seesaw first quarter.

But in a game which neither team led by more than eight points, the Lady Rockets did not have a defensive answer for Bravette forward Madison Dayberry. She poured in four three-pointers and scored 20 points to help lead her team to victory.

Long-range shooting was another telling difference in the outcome. Both te

ams made 11 two-point field goals and the Lady Rockets held a huge advantage at the free throw liner going 16-of-21.

But despite Union going a terrible 5-for-13 at the free throw line, they co

nnected for six trifectas compared to only one for the visitors.

Trailing 42-34 with 3:19 left to play, the Lady Rockets managed to stay in the contest by connecting on 10 fourth quarter free throws to trim the deficit to 43-40.

But a lack of rebounding late helped seal their fate as the Bravettes got two rebounds off of missed free throws to hold on for a close win.

The 19 turnovers were also a huge problem as five players had at least two in the regular season opener.

Hodge led her team with 12 points and also dished out six assists in the game.

Even with the poor rebounding and high number of miscues, Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge felt like her team should have won the ballgame since they held the Bravettes to only 45 points.

“If you would have told me we would have just scored 41 points, I would not have believed you,” she said after the game.

The Lady Rocket skipper hopes her team realizes that proper execution and taking care of fundamentals can be the difference between winning and losing.

“I think we have to take it a little more personal when we don’t rebound and defend well,” she said.

The Lady Rockets host Fifth District foe Trigg County tomorrow night in a rematch of last year’s Fifth District championship game.

She hopes her team remembers that disappointing 51-46 overtime loss and uses it for a bit of motivation in the home opener.

“It becomes a pride thing. I feel like we’ll get ourselves going Friday night,” Hodge said.