After winning its first two games, the Todd County Central girls’ basketball team dropped its third-straight with a 60-48 setback at Russellville on Friday night. An early hole proved too much to overcome for the Lady Rebels, sending them to a loss in their first 13th-District matchup of the season.
A jumper by Lucy Chester tied the game early on at 2-2, but the Lady Rebels wouldn’t score again until the final seconds of the first quarter. Chester hit a pair of free throws followed by a 3-pointer by Abby Williams with :42 left, but they trailed 15-7 after one. Amiyah Collier and Anastasia Dowlen combined for 11 first-quarter points for the Lady Panthers.
The Lady Rebels stayed close through much of the second quarter and were within 6 after Chester hit one of two free throws with just under three minutes left in the half, but Russellville ran off an 8-0 run over the next minute and a half to build a 38-20 lead at the halftime break.
Todd Central climbed back into the game in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 10 after Williams scored on a pull-up jumper with a minute and a half left. Williams scored 8 in the frame, matched by Russellville’s Dowlen, and the score was 51-39 with a quarter to play.
Chester scored on a drive to open the quarter and once again pull the Lady Rebels to within 10, but that would be as close as they would get. Russellville got 5 fourth-quarter points from Lareesha Cawthorne to help keep the Lady Rebels at arm’s length, while Todd Central’s Alexis Taylor scored 5 of her 9 points over the final eight minutes.
The Lady Rebels have a short turnaround before a visit from Cumberland County on Saturday afternoon. They will honor their lone senior, Jayla Leavell, before the game.
Todd County Central 7 13 19 9 — 48
Russellville 15 23 13 9 — 60
Todd County Central (2-3) — Williams 17, Chester 12, Taylor 9, Collins 5, Coleman 3, Mock 2
Russellville (3-2) — Dowlen 22, Cawthorne 13, Whitescarver 12, Collier 5, Hines 4, Kennedy 1
