DIXON, Ky. –Defending Second Region champion Webster County held a 32-22 advantage at halftime against defending Fourth Region champion Bowling Green, but the Lady Trojans’ lead was by no means safe.
Bowling Green surmounted several rallies in the second half but could never quite take the lead, and Webster County was finally able to hold off the Lady Purples for a 52-44 victory on Tuesday night in Dixon.
“I’m proud of the resilience,” Webster County coach Brandon Fisher said. “We could have easily folded against a team that’s putting heat out on you. We panicked, we regrouped, and we’re able to come out with our second win of the year.”
Bowling Green (0-1) whittled the deficit down to 34-33 midway through the third quarter before Webster answered with a 10-2 run to take a 44-35 lead into the final frame. The Lady Purples once again came storming back –a basket by T’Alla Brown making it 46-43 with just over two minutes left in regulation – but Lady Trojan freshman Raigan Price scored a basket on the ensuing possession as Webster ended the game on a 6-1 run to secure its second victory of the season. Despite his team coming up short, Bowling Green coach Calvin Head was pleased with how the Lady Purples fought back.
“We have a lot of grit and grind,” Head said. “We didn’t press as much in the second half. We just tried to guard them man. We communicated on defense a lot better in the second half.
“I thought we competed defensively. Offensively we still have some things to work on. We’re trying to figure out who is going to carry the scoring load. I thought we fought hard defensively. We held (Webster) to 20 points in the second half and they scored 76 (Monday night). That’s a really good basketball team.”
Brown led all Lady Purple scorers with 15 while Saniyah Shelton scored eight points off the bench. Kiyah Gray, Taylor Ragland, and Aiyana Gurley each tallied five points for Bowling Green in the loss. Fisher had nothing but words of respect for the Lady Purples, who defeated the Lady Trojans 87-77 in Bowling Green in January.
“Very athletic team,” Fisher said. “We couldn’t really run our offense a lot because they were always up one pass ahead denying and putting pressure on the ball. We had to spread the floor – go four out, one in – and see if we could drive it some.”
Webster County (2-0) was led by Karlie Keeney with 23 points as the senior converted 11-of-13 attempts at the charity stripe. Keeney scored 15 points in the first half to help stake the Lady Trojans to their halftime lead.
“It’s very important,” said Fisher of Keeney’s production. “Outside of her we’re a very young team so we’re looking for somebody to step up and fill that role as a leader and so far this year she has done that.”
Marissa Austin added 15 points in the victory, and her four baskets during the third quarter helped stave off the Lady Purples’ furious rally.
“I thought she really ignited our offense in the second half,” Fisher said. “She made a lot of plays at the rim.”
The left-handed Austin took advantage of the Lady Purple defense shading slightly to the right as she attacked the left side and scored multiple layups after a lackluster first half.
“One layup led to another and I just got going,” Austin said.
Price and Mariah Austin had six points apiece, and Sadie Wurth rounded out the Lady Trojan effort with a basket.
The Lady Trojans will look to pick up their third victory of the season on Saturday night as they host Hopkins County Central in the 6th/7thDistrict Challenge.
Bowling Green will be playing in a similar event as the Lady Purples host Glasgow in the State Farm 14thvs. 15thDistrict Challenge on Saturday night at 8.
“We’re excited about the whole event,” Head said. “Glasgow is really, really good, and they have almost their entire roster back…we have our work cut out for us and we’re going to have to figure out some stuff over the next three days.”
