The Christian County Lady Colonels and the Webster County Lady Trojans have been seen as two of the top teams in the 2nd Region all season. On Tuesday they played out a tense encounter, with the host Lady Trojans winning 46-41. After winning nine in a row, the Lady Colonels have dropped two straight and stand at 19-6 overall. The loss is their first to 2nd Region competition. Christian County junior guard and second-leading scorer Aaliyah Hampton sat out her third game with an injury, with the hope she’ll return for the postseason. Webster County improves to 11-1 in regional play, and 23-6 on the season.
Christian County senior center Trinitee Jackson got off a to a strong start, scoring 6 of the team’s 8 first-quarter points. Jackson hauled down a rebound and scored to give the Lady Colonels the lead at 8-7, but Webster went to the line with :4.6 on the clock, knocking down one of two to tie the game.
The Lady Trojans moved the ball well from side to side, and were able to find cutters for good looks down low. Christian County stayed close, tying the game at 14 on back-to-back three pointers by junior guard Bianna Snorton. Webster hit two threes, answered both times by a bucket from Jackson, and the Lady Trojans led 20-18 with 1:11 until halftime. Both teams stepped to the line and missed both attempts inside the last minute, and Webster took the 2-point lead into the break.
Jackson’s 10 points led the Lady Colonels, followed by Snorton with 6. Senior Jamie Winstead had 7 for Webster, with senior Jessica Winders scoring 6.
Just over three minutes into the third quarter, Webster County forced a turnover and hit two free throws to take the largest lead of the game at 26-21. The Lady Colonels turned it over on their next two possessions, and the Lady Trojans made them pay with a three pointer to take an 8-point lead. Snorton and senior guard LaDeria Gold hit threes on either side of a Webster basket, cutting the lead to 4 with two minutes left in the third frame. Webster scored to take a 33-27 lead with :40 left, before Jackson hit one of two free throws, only the third and fourth attempts of the game for the Lady Colonels, to trim the lead to 5 with one quarter to play.
With 6:34 left to play, Webster were called for an illegal screen, and Gold drilled a three to make the score 35-33. Just over a minute later, junior guard Kinara Phillips came up with a steal and layup to cut the lead to 1, and after forcing a jump ball the Lady Colonels had the ball with a chance to take the lead. Sophomore forward Eniya McGee scored to give Christian County its first lead since early in the second half at 39-38 with just under five minutes left. One Webster free throw would be the only scoring for either team over the next three and a half minutes, with two Lady Trojan free throws breaking the deadlock at 41-39. The Lady Colonels were left having to foul to send Webster to the line, and Jackson was forced to commit her fifth foul with :30.9 left to play. Webster hit both free throws, and got the ball back on a jump ball. County fouled and the Lady Trojans hit one of two, leading 44-39. Gold’s three-point attempt was blocked and she fouled out chasing the loose ball. Webster hit both to ice the game, with County hitting a meaningless basket just before the buzzer for the final 46-42 score.
Snorton led the way for Christian County with 14 points, followed by Jackson with 11. Gold finished with 8, Phillips had 6, and McGee had a basket. Winders paced the Lady Trojans with 14, and Winstead ended up with 12.
Christian County plays its last regular season game on Thursday, hosting the Henderson County Lady Colonels (12-10).