The Madisonville-North Hopkins girls lost just twice all season and reached the 2nd Region championship game for the first time in 10 years.
However, the Lady Maroons fell just short of the program’s first regional title since 1983, bowing to Henderson County 66-49.
Madisonville’s only other loss in the 2019-20 season? Also to Henderson, 66-52, on Jan. 18.
The Lady Maroons opened the season 17-0 before that first setback.
Madisonville then won 12 straight before bowing in the regional final, finishing with a 29-2 mark.
The Lady Maroons figure to be among the top squads in the region again next season, but have to find a way to make up for the loss of 5-11 senior sisters Courtney and Lindsey Peyton.
The Peyton sisters will play college basketball and softball at Brescia University in Owensboro.
Courtney scored a team-high 17.9 points a game while grabbing 4.3 rebounds. Lindsey scored 9.6 points a night while leading the team in rebounding at 6.7.
Madisonville loses five seniors to graduation overall, but has some talented youngsters still in the program.
Sophomore guard Camryn LaGrange scored 16.2 points a contest this season and will likely be called on to carry even more of the offensive load next season.
LaGrange was second on the team in rebounding this season at 6.6 boards a contest. She also shot 40.8 percent from 3-point range and made 74.5 percent of her free throw attempts.
Freshman Amari Lovan scored 4.9 points a game this year while junior Kara Franklin netted 4.7. Franklin led the team in field goal percentage, making 52.2 percent of her shots.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Zieba scored just 2.0 points a game, but knocked down some big shots in the regional tournament and figures to play a bigger role next season.
Madisonville certainly has some retooling to do, but the Lady Maroons still appear to be the favorite in the 7th District next season, and could make another run at the 2nd Region championship in 2020-21.
