Loss caps a 24-10 season, Lady Cols say goodbye to three seniors
The Lady Colonels got off to a shaky start in the opening round of the Clarks Pump-N-Shop Sweet 16 on Wednesday, plagued by turnovers and poor shooting. That continued through the game, ending with Lexington’s Frederick Douglass Broncos taking the victory, 44-23.
Overall, Henderson shot 6-of-39 (15%) from the field, with A’Tylia Green and Nevaeh Dixon being the only Lady Cols to collect a field goal in the game. Additionally, HCHS committed 17 turnovers which led to 19 points for the Broncos.
“They’re a really good team and I feel like their pressure, speed and quickness, and length bothered us a little bit to start the game,” head coach Stephen Haile said.
The Broncos jumped out to a 9-0 lead and midway through the first quarter led 12-2. The Lady Cols were able to fight back and narrow the margin to 12-6 at the end of the first.
The second quarter was disastrous for HCHS however, as they were only able to score two points while Frederick Douglass kept up its frenetic pace on its way to a 24-8 lead at the half. The physicality of the Broncos bothered the Lady Cols, disrupting their drives and causing them to miss many point-blank layups, as they were just 2-for-18 in the first half.
Henderson showed signs of life as the third quarter got under way. Green got the scoring going for the Lady Cols, hitting a 15-footer and a three pointer to cut the lead to 26-13 midway through the third quarter. With a pair of free throws, and a Green putback, HCHS was able to keep Frederick Douglass from extending its lead, holding it at the same 16-point margin it was at halftime, 33-17.
The fourth quarter began with a bucket from Dixon, but the Broncos proved to be too much as they reeled off eight straight points, highlighted by a Tamia Wade triple with four minutes to go that sealed the win. Frederick Douglass would obtain its largest lead of the game at 24 points with just under three minutes to go before eventually claiming the victory, 44-23.
“I don’t know if it was some of them playing their first game at Rupp Arena,” Haile said. “I don’t think it really helped us that we were the first game played in the morning. You can use all the excuses you want, but ultimately, we got outplayed, and it definitely wasn’t our best effort.”
After a hot shooting display during the regional tournament, the Lady Cols shot just 2-for-12 from beyond the three-point line in Rupp Arena. They were 9-for-14 from the free throw line. Green led the way with 11 points and eight rebounds. Dixon contributed five points and five rebounds. Three other Lady Cols scored, with Addy Gish having four, Pacey Parker scoring two, and Maggee Melvin adding one.
Jaelee Knowles led the way for the Broncos with 15 points and eight rebounds, while Wade had 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from the three.
Henderson finished its season with a 24-10 record, while Frederick Douglass moved to 25-7.
Despite the disappointing finish, Haile stated that he was proud of the improvement that his team made, noting the amount of work required early in the season to overcome an injury to one of their star players, while relying on some inexperienced players to fill important roles.
“It was our growth as a team as the season went on more than anything and our younger kids stepping into those roles that they did,” Haile said of the ‘25-’26 Lady Cols. “It was also our seniors leading the team and stepping into new roles themselves as more of leaders on the team and scoring more than they did in the past.”
The Lady Cols will bid farewell to three important seniors from this team, including Green and Gish, as well as Brooklyn Gibson who missed the season with an ACL injury.
Green, the Second Region Player of the Year, was an exceptional scorer who was just as special on defense. She broke both the single season and career steals records in her time with Henderson. Haile mentioned that the program will certainly miss her “scoring and ball handling.” Green led the team this season with 16.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She’s headed to Kentucky State to continue her basketball career in the fall.
Haile called Gish a “true point guard and great defensive player” whose leadership on the court and in the locker room will be missed. She averaged seven points and 4.3 rpg. Gish is still weighing her options at the collegiate level, hoping to find a spot where she can continue playing.
Gibson’s absence was evident this year as the Lady Cols missed her “scoring, rebounding, and high IQ.” She will be a welcomed addition at Asbury University where she has signed to play hoops next year.
“We’re going to miss those three kids in different forms and fashions in the locker room and then on the floor,” Haile admitted.
Though the finish was not as they had hoped, the Lady Cols added to their legacy by winning an historic eighth straight Second Region championship when there were many reasons at the beginning of the season to doubt that they would.
