It was not the game for you if you like to see points in bunches. If you like all-out effort, in-your-face defense, crashing the glass, shots hard to come by, and bodies on the floor basketball, then Friday night’s Christian County and Hopkinsville game at Lyle Dunbar Gym was your cup of tea.
In the end, it was Christian County’s offense, led by Derrell Bateman’s 21 points that was able to generate enough to come away with a tough, hard-fought 47-39 win over the Tigers.
The Tigers opened the game having trouble finding the basket while Christian County was dialed in from deep. Derrell Bateman knocked down two threes and JaSean Riley added another as Christian County ran out to a 9-0 lead with 4:26 left in the opening quarter, prompting a timeout from Hopkinsville coach Anthony Babb.
The Tigers would finally break the ice when Antonio Williams knocked down a pair of free throws with 3:15 left in the first. Williams would also give Hopkinsville its first field goal of the game with 1:48 left in the opening quarter, cutting the Christian County lead to 14-4.
A late-quarter basket from Derrell Bateman would make it 16-4 Christian County at the end of the quarter. Bateman ended the first eight minutes with 9 points.
Williams got some help at the 5:23 mark of the second quarter as Deavery Ramey knocked down a pair of free throws to make it an 18-8 game.
Both teams were trying to find ways to get something going in the paint, but down in the lane was not a place for the faint of heart in the opening half. Contact, scrums for the ball, and blocked shots were the order of things when attacking the basket.
Jonathan Hart became the first Tiger to score a field goal with a basket at 1:30 to go in the half, as Hopkinsville trailed 23-14 going into the break.
The two big men in the game were the leading scorers at the half, Derrell Bateman with 11 points and Antonio Williams with 8.
Christian County’s defense limited the Tigers to just four field goals in the first sixteen minutes of the game. On the other end, it was Hopkinsville’s defense keeping them in the game as the Tigers held Christian County to just seven points in the second quarter.
Hopkinsville opened the third quarter with five quick points on a three by Deavery Ramey and a basket from Antonio Williams to trim the lead to 23-19. However, Christian County responded with a 7-2 run of its own on a pair of baskets from Derrell Bateman and a three from Prince Northington to extend the lead back out to nine points at 30-21. The Christian County lead would be 37-25 when the quarter ended.
With the offense fighting for every opportunity to score against the Christian County defense, Hopkinsville could not find a way to mount one final charge to get back in the game over the final eight minutes, as Christian County kept the Tigers at arm’s length for the eight point win.
In addition to Bateman’s 21 points, Prince Northington hit double-digits for Christian County with 11. Kamren Williams added seven.
For Hopkinsville, Antonio Williams worked his way to 17 points. DeReion Dudley just missed hitting double-figures with nine.
Christian County (3-3) is back in action Monday taking on Ohio County in the Sportscenter Shootout in Owensboro.
Hopkinsville (4-2) goes on the road Saturday to take on Webster County.
HHS — 4 10 11 14 – 39
CCHS — 16 7 14 10 – 47
Hopkinsville – Williams 17, Dudley 9, Ramey 5, Hart 4, Leavell 4
Christian County – Bateman 21, Northington 11, Williams 7, Riley 3, Rowe 3, Miles 2
