Thursday’s First Region semi-final was a re-match of last season’s championship game, one the Lady Marshals won 49-21. McCracken County handily won both of the regular season games this year but with it all on the line, the Lady Marshals came to play.
In the end, it was the Lady Mustangs who will advance to the championship game with a 63-52 win.
“The pressure was on them”, Coach Aaron Beth said. “I know what they felt. Last year, it was very stressful and we were the dominant team in the first region. I think we won the region by an average of 29 points and I was more stressed for that regional final game than any game we played all year.”
McCracken County is now 30-1 on the season and will meet Graves County who defeated Calloway County 55-27 in the first semi-final, for a chance to represent the region at Rupp Arena.
McCracken grabbed the opening tip and within seconds, Claire Johnson hit a 3-pointer that was followed by another three from Mikee Buchanan for a quick 6-0 lead. Jada Driver cut it in half on a 3-pointer but Buchanan hit her second of four threes in the game to push the lead back to 9-3.
Skylar Waller scored the next six points for the Lady Marshals, four at the line after drawing the foul, and a free throw from Mia Teague finished out the first quarter trailing 19-10.
Waller, Driver, Halle Langhi and Chevelle Henson combined for 16 second quarter points and the Lady Marshals held McCracken to six to take a 26-25 lead at halftime.
Destiny Thomas gave the Lady Mustangs the lead back to open the second half and it grew to 31-26 prompting two early second half timeouts from Beth. Down by eight, Langhi and Waller closed the gap to four points but the McCracken lead was 11 at 47-36 at the end of the third quarter.
With 3:35 remaining, the Lady Marshals were within five points at 55-50. The final bucket of the game for Marshall County was scored by Langhi to hold the deficit to five points at 57-52 but trips to the line in the final couple of minutes sealed the 63-52 win for the Lady Mustangs.
“Had the one-point lead at halftime”, said Beth. “It would have been very easy to fold there in the first quarter when we got down by nine or 10. Cut it to 34-30, had two pretty easy shots that didn’t go, then they make back-to-back threes and it goes to 10. When you’re down 10 to a team like that… very balanced, made their free throws like we knew they would.”
Beth said it was the best game they’ve played all year and the team has been playing their best basketball over the past two and a half, three weeks which is what they always want to do.
“Couldn’t be more proud, and sad for the seniors”, said Beth of Langhi, Driver and Neely Northcott. I wish I had them again. They’ve done a lot over their four-year high school career. The last three especially. Making the runs we’ve made and the post-season record they have.”
The Lady Marshals finish the season with a record of 21-6.
Waller led all scorers with 21 points and was a perfect 9-for-9 at the free throw line. Thomas and Buchanan led McCracken with 17 points each.
“I know that every one of them left everything on the court”, said Beth. “They played to win and that’s all I can ask. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way, but the effort was there and I couldn’t be more proud.”
Marshall 10 16 10 16 – 52
McCracken 19 6 22 16 – 63
Marshall: Waller 21, Driver 11, Langhi 8, Teague 7, Schroader 3, Henson 2
McCracken: Thomas 17, Buchanan 17, Daye 15, Johnson 10, Sivills 4
Marshall: FG 17/44, 3 PT 7/21 (Driver 3, Waller 2, Teague 2), FT 11/15 (Waller 9/9), REB 24 (Langhi 7), AST 12 (Langhi7), PF 18
McCracken: FG 18/45, 3 PT 6/20 (Buchanan 4), FT 21/28 (Thomas 8/12), REB 31 (Thomas 12), AST 13, PF 11
