Reeling from a five-game losing streak as they took the court on Monday night, the Christian County boys’ basketball team survived a pair of free throw attempts with :0.5 on the clock to hold on for a 57-56 victory over defending state champions Warren Central on Senior Night at Colonel Gym.
The Colonels handed Warren Central only its second defeat in its last eight games, improving to 8-14 ahead of a Friday rematch with University Heights Academy. Christian County suffered its first district setback last week in a 77-62 loss to the Blazers.
Christian County led 4-1 early on Monday after a bucket by Derrell Bateman, but Warren Central answered with an 11-1 run to lead 12-6 before the Colonels’ Jordan Miles knocked down a three-pointer to close the first quarter.
Bateman erupted for 14 points in the second frame, including a three-pointer to push the Colonels in front 20-18 with 4:15 left in the half. The Dragons ran off eight straight points to build a six-point cushion before Bateman scored five in a row to pull Christian County to within a point. But Warren Central scored on a jumper just ahead of the buzzer to go to the locker room with a 28-25 advantage.
A pair of threes by the Dragons’ Cadin Hammer made it 39-32 and forced a Colonel timeout with three minutes played in the second half. Prince Northington II answered with a triple out of the timeout and Bateman scored nine points in the frame, but Drevin Bratten and Elijah Starks combined for 11 to send Warren Central to the fourth quarter with a four-point edge.
Northington II delivered another triple to tie it at 47-47, and Ja’Sean Riley followed with a putback for the Colonels. Northington II’s jumper and one of two free throws by Miles gave Christian County its largest lead of the night at 57-52 with two minutes to play, before a bucket on the baseline by Starks and a jumper by Bratten trimmed the lead to a point.
After the teams traded turnovers, Christian County came up empty on a trip to the free-throw line, giving the Dragons the ball with three seconds left and a chance to win. A foul with half a second on the clock sent Starks to the line, but he missed both to give the Colonels a signature win as they enter the last month of the season.
Bateman led all scorers with 30, and Northington II also reached double figures for the Colonels with 10.
Starks scored 17 to lead the Dragons, followed by Bratten with 13, and Hammer with 12.
Warren Central 12 16 17 11 — 56
Christian County 9 16 16 16 — 57
Warren Central (7-7) — Starks 17, Bratten 13, Hammer 12, Howard 6, Boards 4, Dye 2, Kirk 2
Christian County (8-14) — Bateman 30, Northington II 10, Miles 7, Quarles 4, Williams 4, Riley 2
