Lady Rockets capture regional championship

2nd Region All A Champions!

GO HERE: ALL A STATE BRACKET

Crittenden County is heading to Frankfort next week to play in its sixth All A Classic State Tournament.

The Lady Rockets punched their ticket to the small-school sweet 16 with a 42-37 victory Saturday over Lyon County in the Second Region Class A championship at Hopkinsville.

Crittenden got 17 points from Madison Champion who scored the Lady Rockets first six points of the fourth period just before Lyon made its final run. Crittenden led by 11 at one point in the second half, but Lyon trimmed it three with 1:07 to play.

Meredith Evans, off the bench for Mauri Collins who fouled out, made four key free throws down the stretch to help close out the Lady Lyons – a team Crittenden has struggled to control over the past four years.

Lyon concentrated its game plan on stopping Cassidy Moss, Crittenden's candidate for player of the year in the Second Region.

Lady Lyon defensive specialist Terrianna Johnson was assigned to Moss and every time the Lady Rocket stalwart caught the ball, another defender or two collapsed on her, freeing up Champion and the rest of the Lady Rockets. Crittenden shot well, nailing 5-of-10 field goals in the second half. Champion had Crittenden's only three fielders in the final period. CCHS was 11-for-15 at the foul line in the final frame.

Johnson was a teammate of the Lady Rocket seniors when they were all in middle school She moved to Eddyville before her freshman year. Johnson is a top-notch defender and streak scorer. She held Moss to no field goals in the game and led Lyon's offense with 11 points.

Moss needs just 30 points to become the Lady Rockets’ all-time career scoring leader.

Crittenden’s defense was stellar the entire game, forcing Lyon to settle mostly for outside shots. The Lyons are routinely accurate from long range, but struggled most of the game. A couple of late three-pointers helped them close the gap in the fourth period.

The game became much more physical in the second half. Each team was whistled for just one personal before the break, and Lyon committed 14 fouls and Crittenden 8 in the last half.

The Lady Rockets will face Sayre, a private school from Lexington, which is 11th Region champion. The play the Lady Spartans in Wednesday’s first round of the state tournament. Game time will be 5:30pm CST. Sayre beat Berea Saturday night for the 11th Region crown.

Crittenden has been to the All A Classic five times previously, the last being in 2011 when the Lady Rockets also won went the KHSAA Sweet 16. Crittenden has never won a first-round game at the All A Classic State Tournament.

Crittenden 42, Lyon 37
Crittenden County 8 16 26 42
Lyon County 4 11 19 37
CRITTENDEN - Moss 6, Lynch 6, Collins 4, Champion 17, Nesbitt 5, Evans 4. FG 12. 3-pointers 1 (Champion). FT 17-23. Fouls 9.
LYON - Ellis 2, Johnson 11, White 5, Doom 2, Holloman 8, Murphy 9. FG 14. 3-pointers 4 (Hollomon 2, Murphy, White). FT 5-7. Fouls 15.

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