Elizabeth Bertram scored a career-high 31 points and Bailey Pedigo added 18 to lead the Barren County girls’ basketball team to a 64-51 win Tuesday at Bowling Green.
In a matchup between two of the top five teams in Region 4, Barren County (9-4 overall, 5-1 Region 4) played nearly perfect from start to finish and proved to be too much for a young Bowling Green (8-7, 5-1) team.
“I think it was a great team effort,” Barren County coach Piper Lindsey said. “I thought, defensively, we were outstanding on all parts. We scored the ball well, we executed, we took care of the ball. I thought we played fearless and not scared at all and I just think we did a good job.”
Bowling Green scored the first points of the night on a basket by Shalyn Whitson, but Barren County then went on a quick 10-2 run to take a 10-4 lead at the 1:58 mark of the first quarter.
The Lady Purples responded with a surge of their own but still trailed 15-9 after one, as Bertram already had 11 points for the Trojanettes.
“It’s been good,” the sophomore Bertram said of how the Trojanettes are clicking. “I think we all work good together. This was a big deal. Coach Lindsey has been pushing us in practice and we’ve been using that and executing in games and it’s just all working out.”
BG cut its deficit to three at 15-12 early in the second before five straight points by Pedigo put Barren up by eight at 20-12 with 4:50 remaining in the opening half. A couple of baskets by Keely Morrow helped Bowling Green keep it within single digits, as the Trojanettes led 26-19 at halftime.
At the break, Bertram had 13 points to lead all scorers while Morrow had 10. Morrow finished with 21 to carry the Lady Purples.
The Trojanettes scored five quick points to open the second half and built a 31-19 advantage at the six-minute mark of the third quarter. A score inside by T’Alla Brown gave Bowling Green its first points of the half, but it was still down 35-21 after Bertram converted an and-one at the 3:43 mark.
“She’s fun to watch,” Lindsey said of Bertram. “I think the girls do a good job of getting her the ball and they all share the ball. We’re so unselfish and she just did a good job finishing tonight.”
Leading 46-30 entering the fourth, the Trojanettes were able to maintain a comfortable lead throughout the final period and rolled to a big region victory on the road.
“They’re a very good defensive team,” Bowling Green coach Calvin Head said. “We just didn’t do a good job of committing to our game plan.”
Barren County returns to action Friday against Christian County while Bowling Green hosts Greenwood in a District 14 contest. Both games are scheduled to tipoff at 6 p.m.
Senior writer Tyler Mansfield can be reached at mansfield.sportingtimes@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @_TylerMansfield.
