The McCracken County Lady Mustangs returned to Strawberry Hills Pharmacy Arena on Friday night for the first home game of the second half of the 2023-24 season. Playing host to the visiting Madisonville-North Hopkins Maroons, the Lady Mustangs finished with a 63-32 victory with two players in double-digit scoring.
Senior Claire Johnson led all scorers with 25 points in the win for McCracken County, while freshman LeZharia Bolen finished with 12.
For Madisonville-North Hopkins, sophomore SaNya Carney finished with a team-high 11 points for the Lady Maroons. Junior Bryanne Johnson finished with seven for her team in the loss.
Ahead of the contest, the Lady Mustangs honored senior Mikee Buchanan with a basketball to recognize her 500th career rebound for McCracken County. Buchanan earned her 500th rebound on December 28, 2023, against Rogers Heritage (AR) during the Innisfree Hotels Pensacola Beach Tournament.
The Lady Mustangs kicked off the scoring in the opening quarter with a 10-0 run courtesy of Bolen, Johnson, and Buchanan before the Lady Maroons got on the board with a field goal by Carney. From there, McCracken County continued to push ahead, outscoring Madisonville-North Hopkins 33-2 in the first quarter. In addition to the trio that started the offensive run, scoring from McCracken County came courtesy of junior Ashley Word, senior Jayden Skaggs, and sophomore Reagan Hill.
The second quarter favored McCracken County as the Lady Maroons tried to figure out the Lady Mustang press. Despite McCracken outscoring Madisonville-North Hopkins by 12, scoring came from three Mustangs: Johnson, Buchanan, and Skaggs. Johnson led the team in the second quarter with 10 points.
By halftime, the Lady Mustangs led 49-6, allowing the running clock to come into play for the second half of the contest. However, McCracken County struggled with shots in the third quarter, posting four points from Johnson and Skaggs. The Lady Maroons took advantage, posting 13 points with aid from Carney, Bryanne Johnson, Destiny Whitsell, and Jaycee Noffsinger.
Like the third quarter, the younger Mustangs continued to battle against Madisonville-North Hopkins but kept the lead comfortable in the final eight minutes of regulation. The Maroons outscored McCracken County by three points but ultimately fell in the 31-point gap.
Up next: The McCracken County Lady Mustangs will travel to Calloway County on January 9, 2024. The next home game at Strawberry Hills Pharmacy will be held on January 26 against Graves County.
MCCRACKEN COUNTY 63, MADISONVILLE-NORTH HOPKINS 32
MNHS 2 4 13 13 — 32
MCHS 33 16 4 10 — 63
MNHS: S. Carney 11, B. Johnson 7, M. Wright 5, D. Whitsell 4, K. Parish 3, J. Noffsinger 2. FIELD GOALS: 10 (S. Carney 4, D. Whitsell 2, M. Wright 2, J. Noffsinger, B. Johnson). 3-POINT FG: 3 (B. Johnson, K. Parish, S. Carney). FREE THROWS: 3/4. RECORD: 7-8.
MCHS: C. Johnson 25, L. Bolen 12, M. Buchanan 9, J. Skaggs 8, A. Brison 4, A. Word 3, R. Hill 2. FIELD GOALS: 21 (C. Johnson 10, L. Bolen 5, M. Buchanan 2, A. Brison 2, J. Skaggs, R. Hill). 3-POINT FG: 4 (J. Skaggs 2, M. Buchanan, A. Word). FREE THROWS: 9/9. RECORD: 13-2.