Both the Hopkinsville and Christian County will participate in the region tournament next week.
However, only one school will be sending their teams their as district eight champions.
The Lady Colonels kicked off the night with a runaway 71-26 win over the Lady Tigers. Christian County led 40 to 17 at halftime and 60 to 17 after 3.
Not much more to say beyond that, besides stating Anaysia Bagwell had 25 points, Neveah Day had 20, and D’Ebony Anderson had 11. Hopkinsville was led in scoring by Taria Sharber and Shiya Forte with 6 apiece.
The all-tournament team was headlined by Bagwell, Anderson, Day, and Lazarie Daniel. From Hoptown Kahtahvia Fleming, Makaya Payton, and Taria Sharber. Along with UHA who would see Alecia Davis and Amaryia Bass rounded out the team for the Christian County representation.
Fort Campbell did have two young ladies make the team; Trinity Scott and Laniya Managan.
Meanwhile the Colonels and Tigers played a much different game; an instant classic by every metric.
Both teams played near perfect and elite defense in half number one, as we ended the half with County leading just 24-23.
Coming out in the second half, it seemed as if the Colonels would begin to pull away building a seven point lead before watching it dwindle back down and then rebuilding it to eight points.
As they would all night, the Tigers clawed their way right back into it with an 8-0 run to tie it again. I remarked that the game seemed it might be a battle to fifty, and well, it seemingly was; in regulation.
With just over thirty seconds left, Christian County led by six, 53-47, and was heading to the line to ice the game. Again I remarked, free throws did not feel all that free in the game, as both teams had struggled mightily at the line.
That remark rang true as the Colonels missed the front end of a one-and-one opportunity, the Tigers rebound, and down the floor flew Bubba Leavell who stopped and popped a big three to cut the deficit to three at 53-50.
Again the Tigers would foul and watch as the Colonels walked to the line with around 15 seconds left to seal the win. Also, again, County would miss the front end and this time down the floor flew Leavell who found KeiMarion Smith for a three, deep, with a hand it his face, GOOD!
All tied up at 53 a piece.
That would send us to overtime as Breland Morrison missed a runner at the buzzer to win it.
Morrison would not take long to come up big though, and he was aided by Jordan Miles.
In the OT period, the Colonels went into a hold the ball, possesion offense. This forced the Tigers to continue to foul, after Derrell Bateman made a lay-up that handed County a 55-53, two point advantage.
After missing the two front end one-and-ones, you could tell the Colonel faithful were on edge.
They had no reason to be.
Morrison and Miles would make seven of their eight free throws, and Christian County overall would go nine of ten from the stripe in the extra four minutes.
The Tigers try as they might, including a three to make it just a five point game, 61-56, could not find another shot down the stretch and ultimately fell in OT.
A valiant effort nonetheless though, as head coach Anthony Babb after the game made sure to state how proud he was of his team.
Meanwhile, head coach Toby Miles was so ecstatic he nearly missed the post game interview, where he stated unequivocally how impressed he was by his teams resiliency and competitiveness. Including Bateman who had considered and stated was the ultimate “competitor.”
Both squads of course were well represented on the all tournament team. County had four members, point totals in parenthesis; Bateman (22), Miles (14), Morrison (11), and George Sanders (6). Hoptown had three; Leavell (19), Smith (16), and Antonio Williams (6).
UHA did join the fray including Gavin Grubbs and Zan Brown in the festivities.
Both teams now await their region draw. The Tigers will play a district winner; Henderson, Lyon, or Madisonville. The Colonels meanwhile will receive a district runner-up; Webster, Trigg, or Hopkins County Central.