Lakayla Samuel posted a double-double with a game-high 23 points and the Hopkinsville Lady Tigers avenged an early-December loss to 8th-District foe Christian County with a 66-49 victory over the host Lady Colonels on Friday night.
The Lady Tigers move to 4-1 in district play and top the Lady Colonels for the first time in eight tries, dating back to the 2016/17 district-title game. Christian County is now 1-1 against district competiton with two game against both Fort Campbell and UHA remaining.
Hopkinsville jumped out to a 5-0 advantage, but the Lady Colonels scored the next 4 and trailed by a point after Eniya McGee converted a layup. However, McGee would find herself on the bench after her second foul with four minutes left in the opening quarter, and the Lady Tigers took advantage. 
Behind 7 second-quarter points from Samuel and 5 from Jakayla Epps, Hoptown reeled off a 13-1 run capped by a Shaterrea Bellamy steal and score for a 27-12 lead. The Lady Colonels closed the half with six-straight free throw makes, but Samuel buried a corner 3 with less than a minute to play for a 30-18 halftime score.
Hoptown continued to pull away after the break, starting the third on an 11-3 spurt and taking a 20-point advantage after a 3-pointer by Faith Dansbury. Over the final three minutes of the third, Donisha Flowers hit 4 free throws and Samuel scored 6, including a steal and layup to close the quarter, for a 26-point cushion.
The Lady Colonel offense awoke in the final eight minutes, led by 9 points from Destinee Catlett-Watkins, and the margin was 16 after Catlett-Watkins’ second 3 of the quarter with 2:35 to play, but they wouldn’t get any closer.
Christian County didn’t do itself any favors at the free throw line, finishing 15-34 for 44%. The Lady Tigers took advantage of their trips to the line, shooting 22-31 for 71%. The teams almost battled to a stalemate on the boards, with Hoptown pulling down 34 to the Lady Colonels’ 31. Samuel led the Lady Tigers with 10 rebounds, while Flowers and Epps both had 8. Catlett-Watkins and Serenity Shemwell both finished with 7 rebounds for Christian County.
Hopkinsville 14 16 21 15 — 66
Christian County 11 7 7 24 — 49
Hopkinsville (10-10) — Samuel 23, Flower 16, Epps 12, Bellamy 10
Christian County (5-10) — Catlett-Watkins 13, McGee 11, Shemwell 8
