The Christian County girls’ basketball team completed the season sweep of crosstown rivals Hopkinsville on Friday night, capping off senior night festivities with a 60-45 win. The Lady Colonels win their eighth straight, improving to 18-4 and 5-0 in district play. The Lady Tigers have lost four of five to fall to 15-8, 3-2 against 8th District competition.
Hoptown started quickly, taking an 8-2 lead after a steal and layup by junior forward Jayla Rose with 2:44 left in the opening quarter. Christian County junior guard Aaliyah Hampton had limped to the bench, and senior center Trinitee Jackson picked up an early second foul and went to the bench as well. Lady Colonels’ senior guard LaDeria Gold banked in a straight-away three pointer, jump starting an 8-2 run. With just over a minute left, Gold drilled another three to tie the score at 10 heading into the second quarter.
Freshman forward Trinity McGee scored to give the Lady Colonels their first lead of the night at 12-10 will less than a minute gone in the second. Rose nailed a three pointer to take the lead back for Hopkinsville at 16-15 with 5:10 to go in the half, but Christian County ripped off a 13-0 run to lead 28-16 with 1:25 left. Rose connected on another three for the Lady Tigers, closing to the halftime score of 28-20.
Rose led all scorers at the break with 13, 7 in the first quarter and 6 in the second. Oldham was the Lady Tigers’ next highest scorer with 4, and sophomore guard Anna King hit a three. Trinity McGee paced the Lady Colonels with 9, followed by Hampton with 7, and Gold with 6.
Trinitee Jackson came out of the locker room on the attack, restless from sitting most of the first half with two fouls. She scored the first 4 points of the half on the way to 8 in the quarter, and the Lady Colonels led 32-20. Gold scored on a three-point play, with junior guard Yogianah McKnight answering with a three for the Lady Tigers, making the score 37-25. Trinity McGee scored with 1:20 left in the period, and Christian County took its biggest lead of the game at 45-27. Rose hit one of two at the line for Hoptown, before Jackson got a steal and saw a runner from just inside half court roll off at the buzzer. The Lady Colonels outscored Hoptown 17-8 in the third quarter, more than doubling their 8-point halftime lead.
The Lady Tigers still had some life, starting the final frame on an 8-2 run bookended by three pointers from McKnight and Foster, trimming the lead to 11 at 47-36. Christian County responded with a 7-2 run to push the margin back to 14 with just over four minutes to play, and Hopkinsville never got any closer the rest of the way. Oldham scored the Lady Tigers final basket and they called a timeout, with the Lady Colonels running out the clock on the ensuing possession, winning 60-45.
Trinity McGee scored 22 for the Lady Colonels to lead all scorers, including 9 in the fourth quarter. Gold put up 13 points on her senior night, followed by fellow senior Trinitee Jackson with 10, all in the second half. Hampton finished with 9, sophomore forward Eniya McGee had 4, and junior guard Kinara Phillips had a bucket.
Rose led the Lady Tigers with 16, but only scored 3 after halftime, coinciding with the return to the game of the Lady Colonels’ Jackson. McKnight was next with 9, followed by Oldham and Foster with 8 each. King scored 3, and freshman forward Lakayla Samuel had a free throw.
Christian County travels to post on Monday for its last 8th District regular-season game, facing the Fort Campbell Lady Falcons (0-17). The Lady Tigers are off until Thursday, when they host University Heights (8-12).
