On Friday night, two First Region titan programs met at the historic Reed Conder Gymnasium for what is always a classic showdown between McCracken County and Marshall County High Schools. In the doubleheader, the two programs split the night, with the Lady Mustangs taking a 65-40 victory while the Marshals snagged a 59-51 win.
MCCRACKEN COUNTY 65, MARSHALL COUNTY 40
The Lady Marshals and Lady Mustangs have claimed State Runner-Up titles in recent years, sharing the same fate against Sacred Heart in the 2021 and 2023 final games at Rupp Arena, both teams filled with expectations for the now and the future.
On Friday night, the Lady Mustangs continued their seven-game win streak over Marshall County with a 25-point win as seniors Claire Johnson and Mike Buchanan led the charge for McCracken County under head coach Scott Sivills.
Johnson led all scorers in the contest with 23 points, nine in the first quarter. Buchanan followed suit with a second-best game, 21 points, nine coming from the 3-point range.
Marshall County’s Chevelle Henson led the Lady Marshals with a team-high 12 points. Laken Schroader followed behind with 10 in the game.
With the Lady Mustangs winning the tip, McCracken County took full advantage with a colorful roster of Lady Mustangs from seniors to eighth graders. In the opening quarter, McCracken County outscored the Lady Marshals, only allowing the often explosive offense of Marshall County to post six points—taking a 22-6 lead.
In the second quarter, Skylar Waller, Marshall County’s leading scorer, posted her first points in the contest. Waller, who averages 16.6 points per game, was held to five against the McCracken County defense, specifically eighth-grader Ava Hughes, who found herself on patrol against Waller throughout the night.
By halftime, McCracken County had a comfortable 37-17 lead over Marshall County, with Johnson leading, posting 17 points in the contest’s first half.
The momentum favored the Lady Mustangs in the third quarter as Buchanan’s offense exploded. The senior posted 14 points for McCracken County, pushing the lead further out of reach in the quarter. Jayden Skaggs also made noise offensively, adding two 3-point field goals to the mix. McCracken County outscored the Marshals 26-11 in the third quarter, all points coming from the senior trio of Johnson, Buchanan, and Skaggs.
However, the Lady Marshals were able to cut into the significant lead in the final eight minutes of regulation as McCracken County posted two points in the fourth quarter, courtesy of Johnson.
The Lady Mustangs will host St. Mary on Saturday at Strawberry Hills Pharmacy Arena in a doubleheader with their male counterparts. Marshall County will host the Marshall County Holiday Classic on Wednesday at Reed Conder Gymnasium.
MCHS 22 15 26 2 — 65
MCHS 6 11 11 12 — 40MCHS: C. Johnson 23, M. Buchanan 21, J. Skaggs 13, R. Hill 4, A. Hughes 4. FIELD GOALS: 20 (C. Johnson 9, M. Buchanan 6, J. Skaggs 2, R. Hill 2, A. Hughes). 3-POINT FG: 7 (M. Buchanan 3, J. Skaggs 3, C. Johnson). FREE THROWS: 4 / 5. RECORD: 4-1.
MCHS: C. Henson 12, L. Schroader 10, S. Waller 5, K. Terry 3. E. Sandlin 3, R. Teague 3, I. Washburn 2, A. Wall 2. FIELD GOALS: 13 (C. Henson 5, L. Schroader 5, S. Waller, I. Washburn, A. Wall). 3-POINT FG: 4 (S. Waller, K. Terry, E. Sandlin, R. Teague). FREE THROWS: 2 / 4. RECORD: 5-2.
MARSHALL COUNTY 59, MCCRACKEN COUNTY 51
In the nightcap contest between the Marshall County Marshals and McCracken County Mustangs, the rivalry between the two MCHS programs continued at Reed Conder Gymnasium as the Marshals defeated the Mustangs in a 59-51 finish.
Alex Staples led all scorers with 18 points in the contest, three coming from the 3-point field goal range. McCracken County’s Connor Miller finished behind with a second-best in the game with 15 points.
With a fast-paced and intense opening quarter, the two battled back and forth as Dylan Jackson and Matthew Langhi shined for their respective teams, which resulted in a 14-14 draw to close out the first quarter.
Like the last time the Mustangs visited Reed Conder, shots did not favor McCracken County, and missed opportunities plagued the team early as Marshall County held their opponents to only six points in the second quarter. On the other end of the court, each shot by the Marshals landed perfectly, allowing them to outscore McCracken County 15-6 before halftime.
After the half, McCracken County continued to inch closer to Marshall County’s lead but could not overcome the deficit and take the lead. In the third quarter, the Mustangs outscored Marshall County by one point, trailing 41-33 heading into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Both teams posted 18 points in the fourth quarter, but foul trouble plagued the Mustangs as Jackson and Miller fouled out of the contest. As the Mustangs trailed by four with less than two minutes away, the Marshals pulled ahead with successful trips at the charity stripe to put the game out of reach with time ticking away.
The Mustangs will host the St. Mary Vikings on Saturday afternoon at Strawberry Hills Pharmacy Arena. Marshall County will return home on Wednesday before heading to Madison Central for the Richmond Car and Truck Holiday Classic after the holiday.
MCHS 14 6 13 18 — 51
MCHS 14 15 12 18 — 59
MCHS: C. Miller 15, J. Klope 12, D. Jackson 9, J. Martin 6, G. Parish 6, J. Dawson 3. FIELD GOALS: 12 (J. Klope 5, C. Miller 4, G. Parish 3). 3-POINT FG: 6 (D. Jackson 3, J. Martin 2, C. Miller). FREE THROWS: 9/14. RECORD: 5-2.
MCHS: A. Staples 18, M. Langhi 12, L. Parker 12, T. Robertson 7, R. Stokes 5, K. Mohler 2, Phillips 2, Phelps 1. FIELD GOALS: 16 (L. Parker 5, A. Staples 4, M. Langhi 3, R. Stokes 2, T. Robertson, K. Mohler). 3-POINT FG: 3 (M. Langhi 2, A. Staples). FREE THROWS: 18/22. RECORD: 5-2.