Despite hanging close to the Sacred Heart Valkyries throughout the first half play, the McCracken County Lady Mustangs came up short. The game - the KHSAA Girls Sweet 16 State Championship. The outcome - State Runners-up.
Not only did they finish runners-up in a 60-49 contest Saturday night, but it's the Lady Mustangs second straight year to reach that accomplishment.
"Being able to be here before definitely helped with our nerves," senior Mikee Buchanan said. "I don't think we were as nervous as we were the first time, but we also have a lot of girls that haven't been here before."
That experience, alongside the fact that the Lady Mustangs and Valkyries had now faced each other three times in a years span, helped the western Kentucky team be ready for the Championship stage.
"I thought we had a valiant effort this entire game. They (Sacred Heart) had to earn that State Championship," McCracken County head coach Scott Sivills said. "I love how my kids fought and competed and that's all I can ask for in this environment and I'm just very, very pleased."
It was a neck and neck ball game throughout much of the first half, with the Valkyries holding at most a 5-point advantage. That would all change though in the second half as turnovers for McCracken County turned into points on the other end for Sacred Heart. What was a 32-28 Valkyrie lead at the half turned into a 42-30 lead midway through the third quarter, a deficit that would be difficult to bounce back from.
With impressive performances all weekend long, Johnson and Buchanan put up big numbers one last time in Lady Mustang jerseys. Johnson led her team with 24 points and Buchanan following with 19.
And while a win wasn't the final outcome for the Lady Mustangs, they can still hold their heads high, knowing they accomplished big things for the First Region in western Kentucky."Not many people can say that they've made it to back-to-back state championship game," Buchanan said. "I feel like every year we've been on this team we've made history and it's been a really cool thing to be a part of."
In the last three years, McCracken County has put up impressive numbers. They hold a win-loss record of 97-11 from the 2021/22 season until now, an accomplishment that seniors including Buchanan, Johnson and Jayden Skaggs can be proud of.
"I'm just beyond thankful that we get these experiences with each other," Johnson said. "It teaches us a lot about life, not just basketball. I just love spending time with my team like this."
Following the game, Buchanan, Johnson and sophomore Reagan Hill were named to the All-Tournament Team. Throughout the four games plays in the state tournament this week, Johnson tallied 100 points, Buchanan added 67 and Hill added 20 as just a sophomore.
SACRED HEART 15 17 21 7 - 60
MCCRACKEN COUNTY 14 14 15 6 - 49
SH: Z. Johnson 21, R. Bender 18, A. Pelayo 13, A. Kincaid 4, M. Frey 2, T. Jordan 2.
MCHS: C. Johnson 24, M. Buchanan 19, L. Bolen 4, R. Hill 2.