Trinitee Jackson gave indication early in the second regional semifinal game Friday night that the Christian County Colonels would not lose to Henderson County for a second time this season. With Jackson having a huge night, the Christian County Lady Colonels advanced to the Girls 2nd Region championship game with a 63-50 win over Henderson County.
The two teams met on February 15th, with Henderson County winning by 12. Jackson and the rest of her teammates were determined not to let that happen again, and a knockout punch of a run to open the final quarter sealed the deal.
In the first quarter it was the Trinitee Jackson show. The senior center from Christian County had one of the great first quarters in Girls 2nd Region tournament history. Jackson score 14 points and had 8 rebounds in the opening quarter as Christian County led at the end of the quarter 22-14. The start of the game featured plenty of energy and intensity on both ends. Henderson’s early problem was trying to find a way to contain Jackson.
In the second quarter, Alyssa Dickson began to heat up for Henderson County as they began to battle to get back into the game. Dickson scored seven in the quarter as Henderson rallied to cut the lead to 32-28 at the half. Jackson scored her 16th point on a putback early in the quarter and then came out for a breather. After she came back in, Henderson was able to find a way to keep the ball out of her hands for the rest of the half.
Christian County opened the 3rd quarter on a 5-0 spurt to push the lead to 37-28. Henderson roared back with an 8-0 run of their own to cut the lead to a single point. Henderson cranked up their defensive pressure, forcing some Christian County mistakes towards the end of the quarter, and with two free throws from Katie Rideout, Henderson ended the quarter with their first lead of the night at 42-41. It would also be their last lead of the night.
Christian County opened the final quarter with a fury. The Lady Colonel ripped off a 10-0 run to take the lead back at 51-42 and it was game, set, and match. Henderson County would get no closer than seven points for the rest of the game, as Christian County officially ended Henderson’s five year reign as region champs.
Trinitee Jackson was spectacular for Christian County, scoring 24 points on the night, 14 of those coming in the first quarter. Aaliyah Hampton came up with 15 points, while Laderia Gold added 10.
Henderson County was led by Emilee Hope with 16 points. Alyssa Dickson added 13, but none in the 4th quarter of the game. Katie Rideout chipped in with 10.
Henderson County’s season comes to an end with a record of 14-13.
Christian County improves to 23-7 and advances to the regional final Saturday at 5pm, where they will take on Webster County. The two teams met back on February 13th, with Webster County winning 46-41. Christian County makes their first appearance in the regional final since 2011.
