Rockets pull out of Owensboro holiday action

Crittenden County’s boys’ basketball team has pulled out of the Southwire Holiday Classic in Owensboro this weekend due to team illness and injuries that had whittled the roster down to just five players, according to CCHS coach Matt Fraliex.

The Rockets were already without leading scorer Travis Champion, who suffered an ACL injury in the season’s second game. He is expected to return to the lineup as early as next week. 

Forward Gabe Keller broke his hand in a non-basketball accident over the holidays and other issues had left three more players unavailable for action.

The Rockets are scheduled to play Thursday at Fort Campbell. 

Crittenden was supposed to have played Hancock and McLean counties in the Owensboro event.

South Oldham overpowers Lady Rockets

Anna Boone is fouled during the
girls loss to South Oldham.

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Down by 20 in the first half, Crittenden County scratched its way back to within five points against South Oldham Thursday before losing big 82-57 in the FirstBank Holiday Bash at South Warren High School. 

With a methodical two-headed offense, the Lady Dragons (8-2) outplayed Crittenden County (6-4) most of the way, but the Lady Rockets showed periods of life, particularly on a 16-8 run that brought them back into contention halfway through the third quarter. 

Sophomore Anna Boone scored 20 points to lead CCHS, and Oldham had two strong offensive threats, who finished with 27 and 24 points.

South Oldham was an Eighth Region semifinalist a year ago with a 19-9 record and returned the heart of the lineup.

Crittenden County plays Glasgow at 1:30pm and Muhlenberg County at 6pm on Friday.

Crittenden Co. 10 25 45 57
South Oldham      17 37 57 82
CRITTENDEN – Boone 20, Evans 6, Holeman 5, Federico 4, Rushing 10, Hodge 8, Stewart 4. FG 21. 3-pointers 3 (Boone, Holeman). FT 12-21.
SOUTH OLDHAM – Morrison 27, Brickey 10, Young 24, John 2, Turner 12, Hall 1, Flynn 3, Knabel 3. FG 32. 3-pointers 8. FT 10-18.

Rockets fall to Dawson Springs at St. Mary event

The Rockets were 1-2 at the St. Mary event.
Pictured is senior Turner Sharp (11).

PADUCAH, Ky. – Crittenden County, still without leading scorer Travis Champion, fell behind by double digits in the first half and made only one significant run late in the third against Second Region foe Dawson Springs in the third-place game of the St. Mary Christmas Tournament Friday.

CCHS lost 42-34 as senior Jaxon Hatfield led the Rockets with 10 points. He was the only player in double figures for CCHS. 

Dawson Springs, now 7-3, has beaten Crittenden three straight times. Before the Panthers’ win streak against CCHS, the Rocket had beaten Dawson 18 in a row dating back to 2011.

Crittenden County is now 1-8 on the season and will play next week in the Owensboro Southwire Holiday Classic. The Rockets will play McLean County (10-2) and Hancock County (4-7)  in the holiday event.

Champion, who tore his ACL in the second game of the season, is expected to return to the lineup at Owensboro. Doctors have told the senior that he can brace the knee and play so long he can bear any pain that might go along with it.

Crittenden Co. 4    14    27    34
Dawson Springs 11  22    29    42
CRITTENDEN – Belcher 6, Walker 8, Hatfield 10, Sharp 2, Keller 4, Travis, Poindexter 4. FG 14. 3-pointers 2 (Hatfield). FT 6-8.
DAWSON – Blue 19, Dever 4, Fain 3, Johnston 8, Plunkette 8. FG 13. 3-pointers 5 (Blue 4, Plunkette). FT 11-18.

Lady Rockets beat Logan in overtime

Jordyn Hodge and Logan County's Kyla
Bilyeu were players of the game. 

PRINCETON, Ky. – Lady Rocket sophomore Anna Boone and eighth-grader Jordyn Hodge led a fourth-quarter comeback Friday that took Logan County into overtime where Crittenden County prevailed 60-57 in a holiday basketball event at Caldwell County. 

Crittenden trailed most of regulation but took a lead with two minutes in regulation on a Hodge three-pointer. Boone had scored six straight points to pull CCHS close after falling behind by double digits.

Hodge scored five points in the overtime and sophomore Bristyn Rushing had tie other four.

Crittenden’s defense was good much of the way, but turnovers and periodic poor rebounding were chronic issues that the Lady Rockets overcame late. Logan County (6-3) featured 5-foot-11 center Kyla Bilyeu, who posed a challenge for CCHS inside. 

Boone scored a game-high 23 points and Bilyeu had 20. Hodge scored 18 for CCHS, including five threes. She was chosen Player of the Game.

CCHS improved to 6-3 and 31-year head coach Shannon Hodge pulled to wishing one victory of her 400th win. Fewer than 40 Kentucky high school girls’ basketball coaches have won more than 400.

The Lady Rockets will be back in action Dec. 28 at he FirstBank Holiday Bash at South Warren in Bowling Green. South Oldham is 7-2 and will be the first of four games CCHS will play there, including contests against Glasgow and Muhlenberg County.

Crittenden 7 18 33 51 60

Logan Co. 9 23 38 51 57

CRITTENDEN – Boone 23, Evans 2, Holeman 2, Federico 8, Rushing 6, Hodge 18, Stewart 1. FG 20. 3-pointers 7 (Hodge 5, Boone 2). FT 13-18.

LOGAN – Holloway 3, Borders 12, Bilyeu 20, Mason 6, Adler 12, Wettan 4. FG 21. 3-pointers 4. FT 11-19.

Rockets fall in tournament semifinal

PADUCAH, Ky. – Carlisle County’s defense picked up in the second half to close out a 57-42 tournament semifinal win over Crittenden County in the St. Mary Christmas Tournament Thursday.

Sophomore Bryson Walker scored 14 points in the first half, but was held to just two in the final two periods. Meanwhile senior Turner Sharp picked up on offense and scored all of his nine points in the final period as CCHS tried to make a run.

CCHS plays Dawson Springs at 5pm today in the third-place game.

Crittenden Co. 9 20 31 42
Carlisle County 14 31 42 57
CRITTENDEN – Belcher 5, Walker 16, Hatfield 7, Sharp 9, Keller 5, Travis, Poindexter. FG 15. 3-pointers 5 (Walker 3, Belcher, Hatfield). FT 7-12.
CARLISLE – Williams 5, Burgess 3, Burnett 24, Bruer 8, Arnold 2, King 5, Rickard 3, Grogan 7. FG 21. 3-pointers 7. FT 9-12.

Lady Rockets fall in final seconds

PRINCETON, Ky. – A 31-point performance by sophomore Anna Boone wasn’t enough for the Lady Rockets in a 61-59 loss to Rowan County Thursday.

The Lady Rockets and Rowen County played the first game of the two-day Hoops Classic at Caldwell County High School. 

Behind Boone, sophomore center Bristyn Rushing added 14 points. Boone’s effort earned her player of the game honors.

The Lady Rockets were down six at the half and tied at 41 apiece at the end of the third quarter then led by five points for a time. 

The teams were tied with 8 seconds on the clock when a Lady Rocket foul in the backcourt sent Rowan County’s leading scorer, eighth grader Kelbie Ford, to the line for the two-point win.

Crittenden 14 28 41 59
Rowan Co. 18 34 41 61
ROWAN – Wills 10, Ford 17, Thomas 3, Perkins 6, Beach 11, Walker 12, Furnish 2. FG: 19. 3-pointers 5 (Ford, Thomas, Perkins, Beach 2). FT: 18-23. 
CRITTENDEN – Boone 31, Evans 6, Holeman, Federico 7, Rushing 14, Hodge 2, Stewart. FG: 21. 3-pointers 2 (Boone 2). FT: 15-18.

Rockets get first win of season

PADUCAH, Ky. – Sophomore Bryson Walker scored 23 points Wednesday to lift Crittenden County to its first victory in seven games to the start the season. 

The Rockets beat Ballard Memorial (2-5) in the opening round of the St. Mary Christmas Tournament. The Bombers were defending tournament champs.

Crittenden will play Carlisle County (4-2) in the winner's bracket at 7pm Thursday. 

The win comes on the heals of coach Matt Fraliex announcement that senior Travis Champion will be able to return to the lineup soon. Champion, one of Rocket basketball's all-time best scorers, has been diagnosed with a torn ACL. However, doctors say he can brace the knee and play. He was hurt in the second game of the season at Livingston Central. Champion did not play against Ballard Memorial and will not likely play in other St. Mary Tournament games this week. He's projected to return the court next week when CCHS plays in a holiday tournament at Owensboro. 

Crittenden County 21 40 57 68

Ballard Memorial 15 26 38 53

CRITTENDEN – Belcher 4, Walker 32, Hatfield 10, Sharp 7, Keller 2, Candelario, Reddick 2, Travis 6, Poindexter 5. FG 29. 3-pointers 8 (Walker 3, Hatfield 3, Sharp). FT 2-6.

BALLARD – Brown, Owensk, Ballard, C.Ballard 4, Chandler 9, McGlenon 2, Birney 23, Collier 4, Duncan 7, Overstreet 4, Whipple, J.McGlenon. FG 20. 3-pointers 4. FT 13-18.