On Friday night, the McCracken County Lady Mustang seniors said goodbye to Strawberry Hills Pharmacy Arena with the 66-33 victory over the visiting Calloway County Lady Lakers. First Region Player of the Year senior Claire Johnson led the charge with a game-high 33 points in the win.
The seniors Johnson, Mikee Buchanan, Jayden Skaggs, and Megan Swinford left everything on the court for the Mustangs in the 33-point victory. Buchanan finished with 13 points and Skaggs with five.
“It’s a special night. I’ve had Claire, Mikee, and Jayden for a long, long time. I’m glad that Megan came along her freshman year and came back this year, wanting to be a part of this team. Those four seniors have had a terrific season, going undefeated at home again this year,” McCracken County head coach Scott Sivills said. “When you can win 24 games, what a season. The real season begins next Monday, and the road to Rupp Arena is square in our view. I’m glad that the kids have responded these last two games heading into tournament play and proud of their accomplishments.”
The Lady Mustangs held Calloway County’s leading scorer and standout guard, sophomore Sayler Lowe, to 12 points in the contest. Lowe led her team in scoring, with Jaycee Crouch following behind with nine points.
“Very proud of Claire being the KABC Player of the Year for the First Region. I think she is one of Kentucky’s top three to five players. Claire makes people around here better,” Sivills said. “She’s a legend. Mikee’s also a legend. Those two are two major corner pieces to our school and our program. Some people don’t understand that Mikee and Claire are both set to be valedictorians. I’m super excited about how they handle their business off and on the floor. They’re terrific to coach and will be missed, but we’ve got three weeks before us to get them back to Rupp Arena.”
Although the Lady Lakers scored first with a field goal, the Mustangs answered and surged in the opening quarter. The team held Calloway County to 12 points while posting 24. Johnson led all scorers in the quarter with 10 points, with Buchanan and Skaggs following behind her with five points each.
“I get in a rhythm and try not to force anything. I play and let my defense start it with no pressure. We have a young team—we have Mikee and me that have been throughout this process a few times; it’ll be new to a few people,” Johnson said. “I’m excited, and I think we’re capable of getting back to state, and that’s the main goal so far. It’s been crazy; I feel like I’ve been here my whole life—I’ve been a Mustang for a long time. I’ve always had a good group of girls around me, great coaches. I’ve grown physically and mentally and gotten better.”
The Lady Lakers cut into the Mustang lead in the second quarter. Still, McCracken County held on tightly with Johnson, Buchanan, eighth-grader Ava Hughes, sophomore Reagan Hill, and freshman LeZharia Bolen working with all hands on deck to keep Calloway County’s offense and Lowe at bay. By halftime, the Mustangs led 34-22.
“It’s great being able to play here since I was an eighth-grader, and it’s kind of sad this is my last game here, but it’s been a great ride,” Buchanan said. “I always know there are people in the stands rooting for me, and that’s great to have them there almost every single game. The fans are always great, and the atmosphere that this place creates is so much fun. We want to take each game at a time, but getting to the championship and winning is our main priority.”
With a 12-point difference heading into the third quarter, the Mustangs pushed ahead with stoic defense, holding the Lady Lakers to four points. McCracken County dropped 26 points with Sivills at the helm on the sidelines and the seniors controlling the pace of the play on the court.
“It’s been fun playing again. Coach Sivills pushes us like that’s the main reason that he’s doing this, to make us better,” Swinford said. “I like it in the locker room before and after games; we’re close. I’ve been friends with them since Little League basketball. We’ve always been together playing on travel teams, and we’re all pretty close. The goal is to win districts and regionals and make it to state. That’s what the steps are.”
By the end of the third quarter, Johnson led all scorers with 31 points. The fourth quarter allowed Calloway County to outscore the Mustangs 7-6 as the seniors said their final goodbyes to the court they have called home since middle school. The Lady Mustangs’ youthful talent took their positions in the quarter as Johnson, Skaggs, Buchanan, and Swinford greeted coaches and teammates on the sidelines, with the young defense keeping the Lakers to 33 points.
“It’s sad to know that it was our last game here that we’ll ever play, but we’re excited for tournament time and excited to show everyone that we can do this and get back to state,” Skaggs said. “I’m just excited for the rest of the season and to see where it takes us, which is hopefully state.”
UP NEXT: The McCracken County Lady Mustangs will head to Paducah Tilghman on Monday to face Community Christian Academy in the Second District tournament. On Monday, the Calloway County Lady Lakers will head to Murray to face the Christian Fellowship Lady Eagles for the Fourth District tournament.
MCCRACKEN COUNTY 66, CALLOWAY COUNTY 33
CCHS 12 10 4 7 — 33
MCHS 24 10 26 6 — 66
CCHS: S. Lowe 12, J. Crouch 9, J. Koch 8, G. Reyes 2, O. Perkins 2. FIELD GOALS: 4 (S. Lowe 3, G. Reyes). 3-POINT FG: 5 (J. Crouch 3, J. Koch, S. Lowe). FREE THROWS: 10/13. RECORD: 24-6.
MCHS: C. Johnson 33, M. Buchanan 13, L. Bolen 8, J. Skaggs 5, A. Hughes 5, R. Hill. FIELD GOALS: 19 (C. Johnson 10, L. Bolen 4, M. Buchanan 3, J. Skaggs, R. Hill). 3-POINT FG: 6 (C. Johnson 2, M. Buchanan 2, J. Skaggs, A. Hughes). FREE THROWS: 10/15. RECORD: 24-5.