Henderson County made the plays that mattered most.
Clutch stops and late turnovers helped the Colonels hold off Lyon County down the stretch Tuesday night, escaping with a 65-58 road win in a matchup of Region 2 contenders.
The Colonels (17-9) forced a pair of critical miscues in the final minutes to seal it. A’tylia Green led Henderson with 24 points.
Piper Cotham carried Lyon County with a game-high 30 points, but the Lady Lyons couldn’t overcome costly turnovers.
Both teams opened with full-court pressure. Lyon forced four turnovers in the first three minutes but failed to cash in, allowing Henderson to keep the early edge.
Ball control soon became Lyon’s problem. Six turnovers in a two-minute stretch late in the first quarter helped Henderson stretch its lead to 10.
Cotham and Courtney Collins, who added 17 points, hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second to spark a rally. Still, Henderson took a 31-26 lead into halftime after Lyon scored four quick points in the closing seconds.
Cotham buried a 3 midway through the third to give the Lady Lyons their first lead. The teams traded blows the rest of the quarter before Henderson reclaimed the advantage entering the fourth.
The Colonels pushed a two-point lead to 11, but Lyon answered behind three 3s from Collins to cut it to two with 3:10 left. That was as close as it got. More turnovers followed, and Henderson closed it out at the line.
Henderson hosts Crittenden County on Thursday. Lyon County travels to Hopkins County Central.
