Some nights there are those games where no matter what you try, the opponent seems to have an answer. That is what the Christian County Lady Colonels ran into during the championship game of the Vanous Lloyd Christmas Tournament at Warren Central High School in Bowling Green.
Many a team has withered under the full-court press and the half-court trap of the Christia County Lady Colonels. However, the Cumberland County Lady Panthers were in ‘calm and collected’ mode Friday night. The Lady Panthers handled everything that the Lady Colonels threw at them on the way to a 65-56 win.
Christian County opened the game with its full-court 1-2-1-1 press, but Cumberland County stayed cool. The Lady Colonels played a 2-3 zone, and while it seemed to shake the Lady Panthers for a moment, they had an answer once again. The Lady Colonels would switch to tight man-to-man, and again, it appeared like it might be the solution, but again, Cumberland County had the answer, as the Lady Panthers just would not be rattled in the game.
Christian County took a quick 5-2 lead in the game, only to see Cumberland County run off 12 straight as they were able to attack the Lady Colonel full-court press and get good looks at the basket. The switch to a 2-3 zone sparked the Lady Colonels as they closed out the first quarter on a 9-2 spurt to cut the lead to 16-14 heading into the second quarter.
The Lady Colonels tied the game at 18 as the second quarter got underway. Then the Lady Panthers got their offensive footing again and scored 13 straight to go up 31-18. Nine of the points came on back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers. The lead would be 31-22 at the half.
One of the big stories in the first half was the job the Cumberland County defense did on Lazarie Daniel. Anaysia Bagwell and NeVaeh Day combined for 15 first half points, but the Lady Panthers held Lazarie Daniel, the third part of the big trio for the Lady Colonels to a single point in the first 16 minutes.
Led by the play of Bagwell and Day, Christian County again cut into the lead to start the second half, closing to within four at 36-32. But again, the Lady Panthers found an answer to diffuse the rally, going on an 8-1 run to push the lead back out to 44-33. Cumberland County would take a 45-38 lead into the final quarter.
Christian County would get to as close as four again in the fourth quarter, but, as it had been all night long, Cumberland County had an answer and held off any Lady Colonel rally to take the nine point win and the tournament title.
Anaysia Bagwell finished the night with 27 points. NeVaeh Day added 13 points for the Lady Colonels.
Keagan Walden topped the scoring column for Cumberland County with 15 points. Madi Cooksey and Kenzie Willen finished with 14 points each.
Christian County (5-8) is now off until January 5 when the Lady Colonels will host Marshall County in the City of Hopkinsville Holiday Classic.
CHRC — 14 8 16 18 – 56
CUMB — 16 15 14 20 – 65
Christian County – Bagwell 27, Day 13, McGee 6, Bradley 4, Daniel 3, Northington 3
Cumberland County – Walden 15, Willen 14, Cooksey 14, Morgan 10, Craft 9, Smith 3
