The Christian County Colonels were right there on the verge of ending a 9-game losing streak to the Bowling Green Purples. Right there.
The Colonels, getting a big start from Rahsean Stevenson had controlled the first half, getting some big second chance baskets, controlling the glass, and forcing the Purples into turnovers. But then came the break at halftime, and Bowling Green was a different team in the second half.
The Purples rallied from a double digit deficit in the second half and then fended off the Colonels at the end to take a 66-61 win in Lyle Dunbar Gym. Barring a meeting in the Sweet 16, it was the final meeting between the two programs and the series will end with the Purples having won 10 straight since February 2018.
Rahsean Stevenson was certainly ready to roll when the game got started. He scored the first seven points of the game for Christian County as the Colonels ran out to a quick 7-2 lead.
Bowling Green battled back to tie things up at 7-7, sparked by the play of Braylon Anderson.
The two teams battled back and forth for the rest of the quarter with Christian County doing enough to hold a 17-15 lead when the quarter ended.
With Stevenson leading the charge inside and Tom Johnson connecting on a couple of shots from beyond the arc, the Colonels went on a 6-0 spurt that transformed a 19-17 lead into 25-17. With the defense clamping down on the Purples and forcing five second-quarter turnovers, Christian County was able to extend the lead to 34-24 going into the break.
Turnovers were a big story in the first half as Christian County turned the Purples over 8 times while committing only four ballhandling miscues of their own.
Also, Rahsean Stevenson was virtually unstoppable down low for Christian County in the first 16 minutes, scoring 17 points and pulling down 7 rebounds.
Braylon Anderson and Christian Muhire kept the Purples in the game in the half, combining to score 14 points.
Christian County extended the 10-point halftime lead to a dozen points on a couple of occasions early in the third quarter. Led by the play of Hudson Aikins and Christian Muhire, the Purples made a charge to get back in the game, closing to within 43-39 and prompting a timeout call from Christian County coach Dior Curtis with just under two minutes to go in the third.
Coming out of the timeout, the Purples continued their move, scoring the final 6 points of the quarter, including a steal and layup just head of the horn from Anthony Davis that gave Bowling Green its first lead of the night at 45-43.
The fourth quarter went back and forth with five lead changes. Christian County’s last lead was at 61-60 when Zion Acree made two free throws with 1:21 left in the game.
Anthony Davis scored with just over a minute left to put Bowling Green up 62-61. The Purples then scored on a putback after a runout with 28.5 seconds to go, extending the lead to 64-61. Braylon Anderson added two free throws in the final seconds to get to the final 5-point margin.
Rahsean Stevenson ended the night with 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead Christian County. Tom Johnson knocked down three 3-pointers for nine points. Jay Henderson also had 9. Zion Acree chipped in with 8 points for the Colonels.
Bowling Green was led by Braylon Anderson and Christian Muhire with 17 points each.
Christian County (2-3) gets back on the court Thursday night when the Colonels go on the road to Todd County Central.
