Also a recap of the Lady Cols’ runner-up finish in the Queen of the Commonwealth
It was a tough night for the Henderson County Lady Colonels (6-6) basketball team as they fell by a score of 56-35 to the Evansville Reitz Lady Panthers (12-1) in the Faupel Automotive Colonel Basketball Classic on Saturday. Plagued by turnovers, the Lady Cols were unable to overcome the solid play of Reitz, who came into the game the ninth-ranked team in the Indiana Division 4A rankings.
Junior JaNyla Locher put Henderson up 3-0 to start the game with a three-pointer from the corner, but it would be the only time the Lady Cols would lead in the contest. The Lady Panthers reeled off eight straight points and then scored the last five points of the quarter to open up a 13-6 lead after the first.
Things did not get any better in the second quarter. After back-to-back baskets by Locher and sophomore Callie Burnett pulled HCHS to within 18-10, Reitz put together a 9-0 run which included sophomore Rhyan Wagner hitting her third three-pointer of the first half. Wagner led all scorers with 19 points on her way to being named the Faupel Automotive Player of the Game. The Lady Panthers held a 27-10 lead by halftime, as Henderson committed 16 turnovers before the break.
“We were lethargic on offense. We scored 10 points in the first half. We just weren’t passing the ball very well,” said head coach Stephen Haile. “It was a lack of just understanding what they were trying to do to us.”
The Lady Cols showed signs of life in the third quarter, outscoring Reitz 16-14, as they got hot from beyond the arc. In the last 2:15 of the quarter, HCHS hit three triples, two from Locher and one from Senior A’Tylia Green before a buzzer-beating layup from senior Bailey Hape pushed the Lady Panthers’ third quarter lead to 41-26.
The Lady Panthers regained their momentum in the fourth quarter as the Lady Cols were unable to stop them from scoring inside and outside the paint, including two more threes for Wagner. Reitz was able to hold Henderson to its lowest scoring output of the season, which matched two of its other losses.
“We dug in and played harder in the third quarter and got back into the game a little bit. Then, we got tired at the end and the thing kind of got away from us. It just wasn’t a great performance from us tonight…from the coaches, players, or any of us,” said Haile. “Credit to Reitz and Coach Stone. They did a great job.”
Locher was the leading scorer for the Lady Colonels pouring in 13 points with three three-pointers in the game. Green added 11 points with three threes of her own. Overall, Henderson was 6-for-17 (35%) from downtown. They committed 22 turnovers for the game while forcing 15 against Reitz.
Other scorers included Burnett with five points, while sophomore Bella Estabrook contributed four points and seventh grader Kenley Evans scored two.
The Lady Cols were without sophomore role player Jersey Gardner who had to sit out the game after receiving two technicals and being disqualified in their last game. She will also miss the next game when Henderson returns to action on January 3 against Louisville Mercy Academy in the German American Bank Shootout at Bowling Green.
Lady Colonels finish as runner-up at Queen of the Commonwealth
Henderson 65 South Oldham 43 (Dec. 19)
Henderson began its first of four games in four days with a commanding 65-43 win over South Oldham. The Lady Colonels hit a scorching 12-of-25 from three-point range. Junior JaNyla Locher and sophomores Jersey Gardner and Bella Estabrook each had three triples. Locher led all scorers with 13 points, while senior A’Tylia Green added 12 points and nine rebounds. Both Gardner and Estabrook finished with nine points.
Henderson 69 Louisville Central 40 (Dec. 20)
The Lady Cols rolled to an easy victory over Louisville Central in the quarterfinals, defeating the Yellowjackets by 29 points behind the post play of sophomore Callie Burnett who scored 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Other double digit scorers included Gardner and Green who both had 11 points.
Henderson 56 Bullitt East 48 (Dec. 21)
In the semifinals, Henderson battled Bullitt East in a tough game in which it needed a gritty comeback to win by a score of 56-48. It was the senior Green who carried the load, scoring a career high 28 points, shooting 10-for-19 overall and 4-for-9 from three-point range. She also added five rebounds.
Cooper 59 Henderson 52 (Dec. 22)
The Lady Cols’ run would end with a loss in the championship as they faced the Cooper Jaguars, one of the top teams in the state. Henderson held the lead throughout the first half, but Cooper was able to rally and take control of the game in the second. Gardner was assessed two technical fouls during the game, leading to her ejection and the Lady Cols were unable to fight their way back into the game, falling 59-52. Green once again led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Addy Gish added nine points and three rebounds.
