HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – The Christian County girls’ basketball team hosted the Lady Tigers of Hopkinsville High in a cross town-rivalry matchup on Friday, Dec. 15. The Tigers were on an offensive tear early, but the Colonels pulled away late for a 73-54 victory.
Both teams fought for the upper hand throughout the game, and it was evident right from the jump. Spirited basketball on both ends of the floor led to a close contest early, which was a point of emphasis for Hopkinsville head coach Keith Leslie.
“It was our strategy to come out like that and try to build a lead,” Leslie said. “We got away from it a little bit in the 2nd and 3rd, but it’s something we can build on.”
At halftime, Christian County only held a slim 3-point lead, however, the Colonels came out of halftime on fire and took it to their rival.
They stringed together key stops and clutch buckets to build a 14-point lead at the end of the third. A large chunk of the scoring came from guard Anaysia Bagwell who finished with 31 on the night.
“The players came together and knew we had to get out of it.” said Christian County head coach Kiki Radford. “There’s a lot of nerves we have with this crowd and this rivalry, but once we were able to calm down and lock in, we were able to execute.”
Christian County girls’ basketball went on to win 73-54, and it’s important to note that this may be one of the last iterations of this rivalry, as the schools are set to merge within the next year or two. Radford believes this is a huge win for her program and players.
“Anytime you can get a win over that rival, it’s special,” Radford said. “We don’t know how many more times we’re going to get to do this, we have to take advantage of it. The ladies took that challenge, embraced it and found a way to win.”
Christian County top scorers: Anaysia Bagwell – 31 points; Neveah Day – 13 points; Lazarie Daniel – 12 points; Carliah Hobson – 11 points; D’Ebony Anderson – 2 points; Genesis Mcgee – 2 points; Daniya Bradley – 2 points scored.
Hopkinsville top scorers: Shiya Foete – 15 points; Alicia Davis – 10 points; Kahtahviea Flemming – 10 points; Taria Sharber – 8 points; Lashanti Wilsin – 6 points; Tahailey Mason – 2.
Christian County wins back-to-back games
The Hopkinsville High boys’ basketball team visited Christian County High for the second rivalry matchup on the night of Friday, December 15. The Colonels ended up winning a defensive slugfest, 47-38.
From start to finish, each team played physical with high intensity in an electric atmosphere. “It’s like a tournament type atmosphere,” said Christian County head coach Toby Miles. “It means a lot to win this one, the stands are packed, everybody knows everybody and they’re all going crazy. It’s a special thing for these guys to come here and battle and compete.”
The Colonels set the tone early, by going on a 9-0 run to start the game, then holding the Tigers to only four points in the first quarter. However, Hopkinsville did not go down easy.
In front of a packed crowd that featured student sections shouting at each other, cheerleaders competing to see who can perform more flips and high school administrators getting into debates, the Tigers weren’t just going to lay down.
“The gameplan was to just make something happen.” said Hopkinsville head coach Anthony Babb. “It’s like a boxing match, it was blow for blow, and we were just trying to keep punching.”
In the end, the Colonels used great defense and timely scoring to beat out the Tigers, 47-38. A big part of their victory was forward Darell Bateman, who ended the night with 21.
Christian County top scorers: Derrell Bateman – 21 points; Prince Northington – 11 points; Kamren Williams – 7 points; Jasean Riley – 3 points; Nadarien Rowe – 3 points; Jordan Miles 2.
Hopkinsville top scorers: Antonio Williams – 15 points; Derion Dudley – 9 points; Jarae Leavell – 4 points; Jonathon Hart – 4 points.