The Crittenden County Lady Rockets are making their third trip to the All A Classic state tournament in the last seven years this week and fill face an opening-round opponent that they have only played one time before, albeit that was a fairly recent meeting. The Lady Rockets will begin their All A journey Wednesday night at 9:30pm eastern time as they take on Bethlehem in the final opening round game.
The Lady Rockets and the Banshees met in the 2021 tournament, with Bethlehem rolling to an 80-54 win in the semifinals of a snow-delay tournament in McBrayer Arena. That Bethlehem team would go on to win the second of their back-to-back All A titles.
Crittenden County enters the tournament at 15-3. Of those three losses, only one has come to a Kentucky team and that was to Graves County in the season opener back on November 28. Since that time, the Lady Rockets have lost only twice, both of those losses in coming in a holiday tournament in Orlando.
The Lady Rockets are led by Taylor Guess, who is averaging 23.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. Anna Boone is the second-leading scorer at 9.1 points per game. Elliot Evans is not far behind at 8.2 points per contest.
On the boards, after Guess, Addie Hatfield is the second-leading rebounder for Crittenden County at 6.2 points per game. Elliot Evans right behind her at 5.1 boards a contest.
Crittenden County is shooting 39.8 percent from the field, including 28.4-percent behind the 3-point line. The Lady Rockets have been hitting 69.8-percent of their free throws.
For Bethlehem, the Banshees enter the tournament at 14-6, and having won seven of their last eigth games. The only loss in that stretch was a 62-55 loss at Montgomery County. Bethlehem’s other losses have come to Ensworth, Bowling Green, Central, Corbin, and Assumption.
The Banshees are led by Emma Filiatreau, who is scoring 15.9 points a game and pulling down 10.6 rebounds. Carlie Thurmond averages 15.6 points. Ashlyn Miles and Tessa Miles are Bethlehem’s other two double-digit scorers at 12.4 and 11.8 points per contest.
After Filiatreau on the boards, Ashlyn Miles averages 6.9 rebounds, while Tessa Miles averages 4.0.
Bethlehem is shooting 43.3 percent on the season, including 32.7 percent from behind the arc. The Banshees are connecting on 71.2-percent of their free throws.
The winner of the Bethlehem-Crittenden County game will take on the winner of Jackson County and Bishop Brossart Friday afternoon at 1pm.
