Madisonville-North Hopkins will play for its 13th straight 7th District title after breezing past Dawson Springs 82-43 in semifinal action Tuesday night in Princeton.
The championship game is Friday night at 6:00. The Maroons will face Hopkins County Central, which upended Caldwell County 79-68 in Tuesday’s late semifinal.
Kale Gaither scored 20 of his game-high 23 points in the first half for the Maroons while Brayden Butler had 11 of his 13 before the break.
Madisonville (21-8) never trailed after running out to a 12-2 lead to start the game.
Dawson (3-27) threatened to get back in it late in the opening stanza, trimming the margin to 19-14.
But Gaither hit a 3 just before the horn to push the lead to eight. That started a 12-0 run that pushed the Madisonville lead to 31-14, and the Maroons were in control the rest of the way.
Madisonville led 47-24 at halftime and 69-35 through three quarters.
Dilyn Skinner had 11 points for Dawson Springs.
The Panthers did have a moment of their own in the fourth quarter.
Dawson stopped the game to remove its seniors, and the crowd at Caldwell County’s CAB gym gave them a standing ovation. It’s been a trying season for the Panthers after the well-documented devastation suffered by the City of Dawson Springs.
Meanwhile, the Maroons don’t just advance to the district final; they return to the 2nd Region tournament with Tuesday’s win. Madisonville has reached the regional final each of the past three seasons, winning back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020.
Dawson Springs 14 10 11 8 — 43
Madisonville-NH 22 25 22 13 — 82
Dawson Springs (3-27) — Skinner 11, Johnston 8, Plunkette 6, Cunningham 4, Nieters 4, Blue 4, Whalen 3, Fain 2, Pace 1.
Madisonville-North Hopkins (21-8) — Gaither 23, Butler 13, Martin 9, McAdoo 9, Frazier 8, Gaines 6, Rodgers 5, N. Peyton 3, M. Peyton 2, Cheirs 2, Watkins 2.
