Post Photo by Chris Siers Sammie Brown pulls up for a jumper. She finished with eight points.
Post Photo by Chris Siers Lanaya Young drives the ball to the rim and goes up for a shot. She led all scorers with 23 points.
By CHRIS SIERS
csiers@bedfordcountypost.com
SHELBYVILLE — After falling behind in Friday night’s District 5-4A tilt against Warren County, the Shelbyville Central Golden Eaglettes kept finding answers to pull within two points at different occasions in the fourth quarter.
But with the game on the like, the Lady Pioneers answered the Eaglettes’ runs and dealt Shelbyville the 64-59 loss.
Warren County raced out to a 7-0 lead before Lanaya Young put the Eaglettes on the board with 4:39 left in the quarter.
After later tying the game at 10, Warren County worked its way to the free throw line and made good on 5-of-7 attempts in the final 1:35 to pull ahead, 15-10.
A similar script played out in the second quarter, with Warren County pushing out to a six-point lead with with 1:38 left in the quarter.
But the Eaglettes closed the gap and went on a 6-0 run over the final 1:24, capped by a basket by Young with 17 seconds left in the half to knot the game at 27 by halftime.
Defensively, the Eaglettes held the Lady Pioneers scoreless from the floor over the final 3:03 of the half.
Shelbyville went on to take a four-point lead with baskets by Sammie Brown and Paige Blackburn to open the third quarter, but the lead was short-lived, however.
Warren County rallied for a pair of shots and eventually took the lead on a 3-pointer by Trinity Reynolds, being one of three made triples in the period.
In total, the Lady Pioneers went on a 19-11 run to once again push the lead out to 46-38.
While fouls continued to play a factor for both squads pressing into the fourth quarter, both teams got their looks from the floor as well.
After Blackburn drew a foul at the 3:48 mark, two made free throws pulled Shelbyville within a possession.
Later in the quarter, with a 61-56 lead, Warren County’s Lex Verge was fouled and had a chance to put the game on ice.
But Verge missed two free throws, and 3-point play by Young once again pulled the Eaglettes within two with less than 30 seconds left.
Young was fouled on a shot and finished through contact and was awarded a free throw attempt, which she swished through the nylon, cutting the Lady Pioneer Lead to 61-59.
Facing a dwindling clock, Shelbyville was forced to foul and in the final 12 seconds, Warren County went 3-for-4 from the charity stripe to hold off the Eaglettes’ comeback.
Young and Lilly Brown combined for 42 points, with Young’s 23 points leading all scorers.
Warren Co. 15 12 19 18 — 64
Shelbyville 10 17 11 21 — 59
Warren Co.: Bri Taylor 21, Trinity Reynolds 15, Maci McBride 8, Miranda Medley 8, Brinlee Griffith 6, Lex Verge 6.
Shelbyville: Lanaya Young 23, Lilly Brown 19, Sammie Brown 8, Paige Blackburn 7, Morgan Pridmore 2.
3-Point goals: Warren Co. (8): Reynolds 4, Griffith 2, Medley, Taylor; Shelbyville (5): L. Brown 2, Blackburn, S. Brown, Young.
Halftime score: Shelbyville 27, Warren Co. 27.
