Lady Rockets reach end of chain against Henderson

Three-on-one Bristyn Rushing fights for a rebound

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. – Like a dog straining against the end of its chain, Crittenden County had little fight left by the third quarter of Saturday’s Second Region championship game at Hopkinsville.

The momentum had shifted long before Lady Rocket junior Anna Boone left the game temporarily with an ankle injury six minutes into the second half. By then, Crittenden’s leading scorer for the past two seasons had accounted for more than half of her team’s 24 points. But it wasn’t nearly enough, as Henderson County – a school with four times the enrollment of Crittenden’s 429 – showed no mercy in a dominant 66-31 victory.

Andrea Federico shooting

Crittenden County, appearing in the regional final for just the fourth time in program history, had defied the odds to get there. But taking down 22-time tournament champion Henderson County proved an insurmountable task. Crittenden’s bark was without ample bite against a team that won its three regional tournament games by an average of 32 points each.

In dynastic fashion, the Lady Colonels have now captured 19 of the last 21 regional crowns. Familiarity with the hardware didn’t appear to have changed their intensity from the jump or when they hoisted the trophy and cut down the nets.

Minutes after tweaking her ankle, Boone was back on the floor for a ceremonial last lap, but by then her Lady Rockets had already fallen 25 points behind—five more than when she first exited. Shortly after, both coaches emptied their benches, a clear sign that the competitive portion of the game was over.

Lady Rocket coach Shannon Hodge had exhausted every option by then. It began slipping away in the second half not before. Henderson County had reeled off runs that came in waves. What started as a 12-12 tie late in the first period quickly unraveled with a 7-0 Henderson scoring run, followed by an 8-0 spurt.

Jordyn Hodge on defense

After 33 years leading Crittenden County, Coach Shannon Hodge likely knew her team’s press – so effective in getting them to the title game – was a long shot. But she deployed it anyway, hoping for a spark. It was the last straw, but Henderson remained unfazed.

The Lady Colonels used their defensive quickness to cut off driving lanes, contest every Crittenden County shot and neutralize the Lady Rockets' perimeter game. With no breathing room and little chance to close the gap, Crittenden’s championship hopes faded long before the final buzzer.

“We will be back next year,” said junior Elliot Evans, one of three Lady Rockets named to the all-region team. “Four of our five starters are juniors. We’re going to work harder over the summer and be right back here next year. We want to go to Rupp.”

After winning their seventh straight regional title, Henderson County (27-5) will play First Region champion Marshall County in the opening round of the Sweet Sixteen next week at Rupp Arena. Crittenden’s season ends with a 23-8 record. It has now won more than 20 games in five seasons, and this year’s starters have been part of three of those. They won 19 last year. Had it not been for February snow-outs, this year’s Lady Rockets would have challenged the program’s winningest season of 2016 (25-8).

Crittenden County 12 18 25 31
Henderson County 14 31 19 66
CRITTENDEN – Boone 15, Evans 2, Hodge 7, Federico 4, Stewart, Holeman 3, Berry, Champion, Grau, Hunt, Rich, Mathews. 3-pointers 2 (Boone, Hodge). FT 11-16.
HENDERSON - Gish 11, Gardner 6, Kemp 3, Rideout 8, Cansler 3, Green 21, Gibson 14. 3-pointers 8 (Gish 3, Gibson 2, Green 2, Cansler). FT 12-18

Elliot Evans on defense

Anna Boone off the dribble

 

Lady Rockets headed to regional championship

HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. – On a stage that should’ve, could’ve, would’ve belonged to Christian County, Lady Rocket junior Anna Boone and her posse scorched the Lady Colonels 63-49 in Friday’s Second Region semifinal at Lyle Dunbar Gym in Hopkinsville.

Anna Boone scored 19 of her 24 in the 1st half.

Christian, looking for its first championship game berth since Crittenden County beat the Lady Colonels for the regional title in 2011, was taken to the woodshed by the Lady Rockets, who built as much as a 30-point lead in the second half en route to securing their second regional championship appearance in three years.

Crittenden, which has won a record 10 All A Classic regional crowns, has won only one KHSAA regional title in history. That was in 2011. The Lady Rockets will on Saturday play in their fourth regional championship in school history. The first was in 1978.

Boone dominated the first half, displaying wizardry off the bounce and from downtown. She was unstoppable, stymieing the homesteading Lady Colonels, who are typically as territorial as a pit bull on their own floor.

“I knew I had to get in there and score my points,” said Boone, who has averaged just under 15 points per game this season and scored 24 against Christian. “Once we started scoring, our defense just clicked.”

While Boone was lighting it up, the rims were mighty unforgiving to Christian County, which misfired like an AK-47 with a 30-round clip full of blanks – shot after shot, but none hitting the target. The Lady Colonels collected rebound after rebound, but seldom found the net.

Center Bristyn Rushing and Coach
Shannon Hodge.

Meanwhile, Boone was raking. She scored 19 in the first half to lift Crittenden to a 37-19 lead at the break. Crittenden had fallen behind 7-2 early but outscored Christian 17-4 the rest of the first quarter.

Even when Crittenden’s offense cooled slightly in the third period, Christian kept losing ground while its offense was as unsuccessful as a lottery ticket. The Lady Rockets convincingly frustrated their hosts, forcing rushed shots, off-balance prayers, and frequent misses around the basket on attempts the Lady Colonels typically make.

Although Crittenden stuck to a six-player rotation before unloading the bench late, it was clear that Coach Shannon Hodge’s team had met the physical challenge she posed to them heading into the contest against a team known for its ruggedness.

“We knew it was going to be a war inside for rebounds,” Hodge said. “We knew that if we could just challenge their shots, then they wouldn’t be as comfortable on those first shots. They got a lot of offensive rebounds, but we got enough, especially early, to keep them from scoring a lot of points in that first half.”

Crittenden (23-7), ranked No. 2 in the region’s power rankings, will tip off at 6 p.m. Saturday against Henderson County (26-5), the top-ranked team in the region.

“They have two good post players, so we have to keep the ball from going into them and keep them off the boards,” Boone said of Henderson. “And they have really quick guards, so we have to keep a hand in their face.”

Henderson, a six-time defending Second Region champion, beat Hopkins Central 60-37 in Friday’s other semifinal game. Crittenden lost by 10 to Henderson in a regular-season matchup in February at Rocket Arena.

Crittenden County 19 37 57 63

Christian County 11 19 31 49

CRITTENDEN – Boone 24, Evans 2, Hodge 12, Federico 9, Rushing 12, Stewart 4, Holeman, Berry, Champion, Hunt. 3-pointers 4 (Boone 3, Hodge). FT 16-26.

CHRISTIAN – Northington 4, Bagwell 14, Day 10, Hobson 4, McGee 3, Daniel 9, Bell 2, Bradley 3. 3-pointers 2 (Daniel, Bagwell). FT 11-21.

Lady Rockets 2 wins for Sweet 16

 ⭐ Lady Rockets Aim for Region 2 Finals Berth ⭐

🏀 Game Night Alert! The Crittenden County Lady Rockets are just one step away from returning to the Girls’ Region 2 Basketball Tournament finals for the second time in three years. They face off against the Christian County Lady Colonels tonight at Lyle Dunbar Gym in Hopkinsville.

🔄 Road to the Semifinals

• Crittenden County secured their spot with a 46-39 victory over Union County on Tuesday.

• Christian County advanced with a 70-51 win against Madisonville-North Hopkins.

🏆 Team Breakdown

• Lady Rockets (22-7) ✨ 3-game winning streak | District 5 champions

• Lady Colonels (18-9) ✨ 8 wins in last 9 games | District 8 champions

💪 Key Matchup: The teams met earlier this season, with Christian County narrowly winning 56-49. Lady Rocket head coach Shannon Hodge highlights rebounding and physical play as crucial elements for success tonight.

🏅 History at Stake

• Crittenden County was last in the regional title game in 2023 when they finished runner-up to Henderson County (71-53). Crittenden won the region in 2011, its only championship. 

• Christian County is eyeing its first finals berth since 2011, when they fell to Crittenden County (53-49).

⏰ Tipoff at 7:45 p.m. | 🎧 F&M Bank Pregame Show at 7:30 p.m. on 95.3 The Farm

📺 Can’t make it to the game? Watch it live on NFHS Network!

🔥 Bonus Action: The first semifinal at 6 p.m. features defending champion Henderson County battling Hopkins County Central.

Bench key in opening-round regional win

Georgia Holeman and others came off the bench
to help CCHS hold the line the first half.

Crittenden County found itself in a tough spot early in the opening round of the Second Region Tournament on Tuesday at Hopkinsville. Early foul trouble for a couple of key starters forced coach Shannon Hodge to turn quickly to her bench, and she credited a handful of reserves for helping hold the line and giving her team a chance to regroup in the second half.

That, it did, as CCHS stormed back to beat Union County 46-39 and advance to Friday’s regional semifinal against tournament host Christian County, a team the Lady Rockets lost to by seven on the same floor a month ago.

In what Hodge described as a “survive-and-advance battle,” she said her team didn’t play to its full capability.

“Hats off to Union County for playing hard, defending well and shooting well,” Hodge said. “Abigail Champion, Morgan Stewart, Adri Berry and Georgie Holeman came in during the first half, kept it together and got us through when Anna and ‘Fed’ were in foul trouble.”

The Lady Rockets started sluggishly, missing shots they normally make and turning the ball over while Union County played inspired defense and contested every shot. When Anna Boone picked up her second foul away from the ball with 1:30 left in the first period, CCHS’s offense began to sputter. Then, Andrea Federico went to the bench with two fouls.

Boone is the team’s leading scorer, and Federico, who has been scoring well lately, serves as the team’s physical enforcer around the basket.

Without them, Crittenden went more than a dozen minutes without a basket but still stayed within striking distance, surviving only on intermittent free throws. At the line, CCHS was 4-for-8 in the first half but a paltry 3-for-17 from the floor.

Union County made twice as many field goals in the opening half but led by only four, 18-14, at intermission. Coincidentally, Union led Crittenden County at times in both regular-season matchups and even took a lead into the final period at Morganfield in one of those games.

Neither Boone nor Federico played a single second of the second period, and Hodge kept them out as long as the game didn’t get too lopsided.

When the second half started, Boone and Federico returned to the floor, scored the first four points and Federico had a steal on the press, forcing Union to take a timeout to regroup. CCHS had tied the game, and for the first time, it wasn’t trailing. Those were the first points Boone and Federico scored in the game. Federico scored on the baseline with 5:05 left in the third to give CCHS its first lead, 24-23.

When Jordyn Hodge drained a 3-pointer from the right wing in transition with 2:40 left in the third, Crittenden led by six, and Union had a great opportunity to fold. However, the Bravettes didn’t go quietly, hanging on like a dog tick and trailing by just one with a little over three minutes to play.

Crittenden County, however, scored in transition and at the foul line late to hang on. CCHS was 21-30 at the line and outscored from the field 31-23.

“We looked good in spurts during the second half but never could put it away,” Hodge said. “But we made some plays down the stretch to get a win.”

Hodge said rebounding will be a key factor when the Lady Rockets face a bigger, more physical Christian County squad on its home floor for a chance to play in Saturday’s championship. 

Union County 9 18 30 39
Crittenden Co. 4 14 31 46
UNION – Davis 3, Bell, Steward 14, Mendoza 8, Tamayo 2, Curry 11, Byrd 1. 3-pointers 5. FT 8-11.
CRITTENDEN – Boone 13, Evans 7, Hodge 14, Federico 6, Rushing 2, Stewart 3, Holeman 1. 3-pointers 1 (Hodge). FT 21-30.

Fraliex steps down at CCHS boys' coach

High School boys’ basketball coach Matt Fraliex resigned Tuesday morning after two seasons leading the program. Fraliex, who met with his team to announce the decision, posted on social media that his coaching future remains uncertain.

Fraliex compiled a 3-51 record at Crittenden County, finishing last in the Second Region both seasons. He said after recent discussions with school administrators, it was determined that the program needed new leadership.

 A Caldwell County native, Fraliex is currently building a home in Fredonia. He previously served as an assistant coach at Caldwell County and was head coach of the Todd Central girls’ team. He remains the all-time leading scorer for Caldwell County boys’ basketball with 2,941 career points and was a finalist for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 2007. He played collegiately at Murray State and Mid-Continent University before the school closed.

Fraliex, a Crittenden County Elementary School teacher, was hired to replace DJ Pigg, who coached the Rockets for one season.

Lady Rockets draw Union in region opener

 

2nd Region Tournament

GIRLS

At Christian County

Monday, March 3

Henderson Co. vs Lyon Co., 6pm

Hopkins Central vs Hopkinsville, 7:30

Tuesday, March 4

Christian Co. vs Madisonville, 6pm

Crittenden Co. vs Union Co., 7:30 pm

Friday, March 7

Semifinal games, 6pm & 7:30pm

Saturday, March 8

Championship, 6pm