RUSSELLVILLE — After Logan County sophomore Paige Vanzant rattled off six consecutive points to give the Lady Cougars a 8-4 lead midway through the first quarter, it looked that maybe Logan County was going to be able to really challenge Barren County — who has won eight straight Region Four games.
Barren County then demonstrated why they’re viewed as a contender in the Fourth Region.
The Trojanettes quickly answered with a 6-0 run to take a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the game, and Barren County amped up the defense and held Logan County without a field goal for several minutes in the second quarter to build a considerable lead and cruise to a 65-48 victory over the Lady Cougars on Tuesday night in Russellville.
“Our defense is excellent,” Barren County coach Piper Lindsey said. “I feel like that’s one thing we live and die by. Our defense is our offense at times. The girls are just so disciplined defensively. It’s a team defense: a team man-to-man. It’s not just ‘you guard your man’. I think the girls have done an excellent job buying into that concept.
Barren County (16-5) led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter before cranking up the defensive pressure and holding Logan County without a field goal until Lady Cougar junior Sarah Hale found the bottom of the net on a 3-pointer with 1:45 left in the half.
Logan County sophomore Peyton Vanzant nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner just before the buzzer, but the damage had already been done in a second quarter where the Trojanettes outscored the Lady Cougars 22-9.
The Lady Cougars (12-8) broke even with the Trojanettes in scoring in the second half, but Logan County had dug too deep of a hole for itself in the second quarter—making that second half deadlock worthless.
Bailey Pedigo led Barren County with 15 points and seven rebounds, and Lindsey had several words of praise for the way the junior was a leader.
“I think she has done a great job in that role,” Lindsey said. “I think in the past we relied on Elizabeth [Bertram] a little bit too much, and we’ve had to have some kids step up.”
Mallory Pedigo added 14 points and five boards while Karleigh Delk and Eve Jackson each chipped in 10 points apiece.
Logan County was led by Addie White with 11 points on three 3-pointers while Sarah Hale added nine. Paige Vanzant finished with eight in the loss for the Lady Cougars.
Barren County will now host crosstown rival Glasgow on Friday night—a team they defeated 43-29 on the road back on Dec. 29. But the past means nothing for Lindsey and the Trojanettes,
“We just want to get better,” Lindsey said. “I told them in (the locker room) that the sky is the limit, and we want to keep getting better.”
Logan County will also host a crosstown rival on Friday night as the Lady Cougars will welcome the Russellville Lady Panthers into Cougar Gym. The Cougars beat Russellville 66-32 on Jan. 5.
