YSE File Photo
For three quarters, the Hopkins County Central Lady Storm were right there with the Marshall County Lady Marshals Friday afternoon. It was just that doggone fourth quarter that did em in.
The Lady Marshals knocked down three of their ten 3-pointers during a 19-5 run to open the final quarter as they pulled away from the Lady Storm to take a 65-47 win in the championship bracket semifinals of the Rafferty’s/Double Dogs Caveland Classic at Edmonson County High School.
For most of the afternoon, the game was far closer than the final score would indicate.
The Lady Marshals used the outside shooting of Kenzlee Terry and Skylar Waller to take an 11-5 lead late in the first quarter. Terry hit two from behind the arc and Waller added another to get Marshall County to the lead.
The Lady Storm got a three from Kenzleigh Harrison and a three-point play from Addie Menser to come back and tie the game up at 11-11 by the time the opening quarter ended.
The threes kept falling for Marshall County as the second quarter got underway. Skylar Waller bagged two to start the quarter to make it 17-11. A three from Rylee Teague and a 3-point play from Jessica Reed extended the lead out to 23-14. At that point, all but two points for the Lady Marshals had been scored on a three-pointer or a three-point play.
Tyah White was battling to keep the Lady Storm in the game as Marshall County had no answer early in the game for Hopkins County Central’s inside force. Heading towards halftime, the Lady Storm also got a boost from Calajia Mason and 8th grader Bri Dulin as Hopkins Central closed to within 23-22.
But, as had been the patter for most of the half, Marshall County got a three just ahead of the buzzer to push the lead back out to 26-22 at the half. Marshall County had seven 3-pointers and one three-point play in the half.
Coming out of the break it was Jessica Reed’s world for the Lady Marshals. Reed went on a personal 9-2 run to open the second half and run the Marshall County lead out to 35-24.
But the Lady Storm would not go away quite that easy. Led by Tyah White and Calajia Mason, Hopkins County Central battled their way back again. The Lady Storm would get as close as three before the third quarter ended with Marshall County up 40-36.
After a first half that saw Marshall County knock down 7 threes, the Lady Storm did not allow the Lady Marshals a trey in the third quarter. The problem for the Lady Storm would be that those shots started falling again for Marshall County as the final quarter got started.
Marshall County got two threes from Skylar Waller and a three from Jessica Reed in the opening moments of the fourth quarter to quickly run the lead out to 46-39.
A basket from Calajia Mason momentarily slowed down the Marshall County run. However, after Mason’s basket, the Lady Marshals put the game away with a 13-0 lead to make it a 59-41 lead. Marshall County would cruise on out from that point to take the 65-47 win.
Hopkins County Central got 18 points from Tyah White. Calajia Mason added 12. Addie Menser and Bri Dulin finished with 6 points each.
Marshall County was led by Skylar Waller and Jessica Reed with 19 points each. Reed scored 16 in the second half. Kenzlee Terry also hit double figures with 12.
Hopkins County Central drops to 6-5 with the loss and will be back in action Saturday in the third place game of the tournament.
