Scoring 29 of the team’s 46 points, Calloway County senior Sayler Lowe led the Lady Lakers to a 46-41 win over McCracken, a game that was decided in the second half. Lowe finished 9-11 from the field and 10-11 from the free throw line in the contest, one of her most efficient games of the year.
“When you have Jaidan and Sayler, everybody knows what you want to do, but can they stop both of them,” Calloway County head coach Kirsten Collins said. “Sayler was a force down low today She has been all year, but especially today. Jaidan did a great job of getting her the ball. Our other guards did well getting her the ball, and she did well finishing. In the fourth quarter, she was the one that got the ball in her hands, and she made them count from the free throw line.”
Trailing 25-21 at the midpoint after Mason Clements, Anna Hammonds, and Skater Houser all hit threes for McCracken, the Lady Lakers had their best quarter in the third. Lowe came out and scored five of their first seven, and a triple by Olivia Perkins gave Calloway a 31-29 advantage, their first lead since the first quarter.
That lead turned out to be one the Lady Lakers never lost, holding it all the way to the end. McCracken kept it close, even coming to within three with just two minutes left in the game. At that point Calloway ran the clock down with a possession lasting 90 seconds, ending with a Lowe free throw to gain the two-score advantage. The Lady Mustangs had multiple chances to draw it back within one score, but the missed shots piled up, and Calloway executed on their free opportunities, ending out in front 46-41.
So far in their successful season, Calloway has not had many games decided by less than three scores. In a tight matchup like this, Coach Collins said she is proud of the way her team battled until the final buzzer sounded.
“It was really just being mentally tough,” Collins said on the ability to focus down the stretch. “Obviously we haven’t had a ton of games that were that close, but you think back to Taylor County and that being a big game. We know every game in Region 1 is big for us, especially with the goals that we have. We just have to keep being mentally tough and want the ball in our hands.”
With the win, the Lady Lakers finished undefeated against First Region opponents, and look to continue that 13-game streak in the upcoming postseason. Calloway’s final regular season game is this Thursday at home against Henderson County, one of the top teams in the Second Region.
McCracken will also take on a solid opponent from Region 2 in their last regular season battle, traveling to Madisonville-North Hopkins this Friday to take on the Lady Maroons.
Two milestones were celebrated for the Lady Mustangs on Tuesday. Ava Hughes was given a basketball to commemorate her 1000th career point scored this past Saturday. The other was Mason Clements scoring her 1000th career point in the second quarter with a corner three. Also, senior Brooklin Preston, who has not played a game this year due to injury, started the game for senior night and tallied the first basket of game before returning to the bench.
CALLOWAY CO.9 | 12 | 16 | 9 — 46
MCCRACKEN CO.9 | 18 | 7 | 9 — 32
CAL- S. Lowe 29, J. Koch 6, O. Perkins 5, J. Haynes 3, K. Franklin 2, A. Emery 1
MCC- A. Hughes 19, A. Hammonds 7, M. Cements 5, A. Casebier 3, S. Houser 3, L. Bolen 2, B. Preston 2