Lyon freezes Lady Rockets in All A semifinal

DAWSON SPRINGS, Ky. – A case of frostbite from too much Northern Exposure numbed Crittenden County just enough Thursday night to let a fourth straight Class A Second Region championship slip away in the closing seconds against Lyon County at Dawson Springs.

A frigid first half of shooting put Crittenden in the ice house, down 17 points at one stretch. Whether it was the rim on the north end of the Dawson Springs gym or just the basketball gods evening things out, that same end of the floor put a deep chill on Lyon County’s offense after halftime.

Call it the northern slope, the Cuatro Curse or simply a long night at the office, but Lyon County outworked Crittenden for much of the game. Behind top scorers Piper Cotham and Lily Coffman, the Lady Lyons won nearly every 50-50 ball and swept the offensive glass clean. Their defense walled off the lane and forced Crittenden to live on the perimeter. The Lady Rockets made eight 3-pointers, but only seven two-point field goals, and leaned heavily on the foul line, where a quarter of their points came, including a third of their first-half total.

Behind top scorers Anna Boone and Jordyn Hodge, Crittenden slowly thawed. Boone poured in 10 points in the fourth quarter as Lyon struggled to find a friendly roll at the north end, allowing the Lady Rockets to chip away, then surge, briefly taking the lead twice in the final minutes.

The final three minutes were played on a knife’s edge. The teams traded leads and empty possessions, neither able to create separation. Boone tied the game late at the line, but Lyon answered just enough, converting free throws in the closing seconds after Crittenden was forced to foul. With time expiring, Elliott Evans got a clean look from the corner for the tie, but the three-ball drew iron and nothing more as the horn sounded with Lyon holding a 54-51 escape.

For Crittenden, it was a difficult pill to swallow. This has been their tournament ––10 regional titles, three straight, and four of the last five. Lyon County, now the heavy favorite, can make it two of the last six if it can get past Caldwell County in Saturday’s 4 p.m. championship game at Dawson Springs.

Crittenden Co. 9 18 35 51
Lyon County 16 29 35 54
CRITTENDEN – Boone 24, Evans 3, Hodge 19, Federico, Rushing 4, Stewart 1. FG 15. 3-pointers 8 (Boone 4, Hodge 3, Evans). FT 13-18.
LYON – Taylor 6, P. Cotham 22, Collins 5, Coursey 4, S. Cotham 4, Coffman 10, Perry 3. FG 21. 3-pointers 5 (P. Cotham, Collins, Coffman 2, Perry). FT 7-12.