After failing to win a single 13th-District game last season, the Todd County Central girls’ basketball team picked up its second straight with a 47-34 victory over a Russellville team that limped into Friday night’s matchup without its top-two scorers.
The Lady Rebels move to 2-2 in district play and 6-6 overall and will look to add to a three-game win streak when Trinity (Whitesville) visits Elkton on Saturday.
Todd Central led 7-0 after a Lucy Chester 3-pointer just a couple of minutes in, but the Lady Panthers answered with a 7-0 run to tie it up midway through the first quarter. Abby Williams beat the buzzer with a baseline runner to put the Lady Rebels in front 10-9.
Playing without Anastasia Dowlen (15 ppg) and Amiyah Collier (14.7 ppg), Russelville’s Jayla Kees opened the second quarter with a 3-pointer and they led throughout, but a Williams layup with less than a minute to play in the half tied the game at 18-18. Alexis Taylor scored 6 points in the quarter and her putback with :5 on the clock gave the Lady Rebels a 2-point edge at the break.
The Lady Rebels lost 60-48 in the teams’ first meeting this season, but they made used a big third quarter to make sure the Lady Panthers wouldn’t complete a season sweep. 7th-grader Jamya Kay came off the bench to score 6 points, including a 3-pointer to stretch the lead to 29-20 and force a Russellville timeout. Jamaia Coleman hit a pair of jumpers with two minutes left in the quarter to give the Lady Rebels’ a 15-point advantage.
Todd Central led by as many as 18 over the final eight minutes. Lucy Chester scored 4 points for the Lady Rebels and Macaria Hines scored 5 of her game-high 20 for Russellville.
Russellville 9 9 7 9 — 34
Todd Central 10 10 18 9 — 47
Russellville (4-6) — Hines 20, Kees 7, Whitescarver 3, Higgins 2, Kennedy 2
Todd Central (6-6) — Taylor 14, Williams 12, Chester 9, Kay 6, Coleman 5, Collins 2
