Lady Cougars grit out 73-70 win in overtime at Warren Central

bailey-sa
bailey-sa

Though it took overtime to do it, the Lady Cougar basketball team came home from Bowling Green last night with a hard-fought, 73-70 win over the Warren Central Lady Dragons.

The Lady Cougars led by nine points, 50-41 heading into the fourth quarter, and when they scored the first four points of the period, led by 13 points. But the Lady Dragons closed out the period on a 24-11 run to tie the game at 65-65 and send it into overtime.

Senior Kenzie Renfrow set a new career high with 32 points, while junior Rachael Snyder scored 21 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. In addition to her points, Renfrow added five rebounds, five assists and five steals.

The game was tied three times in the first period before the Lady Dragons scored the final five points to take a two-point lead, 13-11 into the second period.

The Lady Cougars then opened the second period with a 10-2 run that put them in front by six, 21-15 with 5:00 left. When Renfrow hit two bonus free throws with 51 second left, the Lady Cougars held their largest lead of the night, 14 points at 37-23. They led by 12 points, 39-27 at the half.

The lead see-sawed between nine and 11 points for much of the third quarter until Central’s Kyleigh Ray buried a three-pointer with 44.8 seconds left that cut the lead to six points, 47-41. Grayson County led by nine, 50-41 at the start of the fourth quarter. Renfrow scored back-to-back lay-ins to start the fourth quarter to push the lead back up to 13 points, 54-41.

The Lady Dragons responded with a 10-2 run that cut it to a five-point lead, 56-51 with 4:36 remaining. A three-pointer by Central’s Alyssa Conner cut the lead to just four points, 60-56 with 3:01 left to play. Another Conner three cut it to a single point, 64-63 with 42 seconds left.

Renfrow went to the line with 38.8 seconds left with the chance to make it a three-point game, made the first but missed the second leaving the lead at two points.

Krisheana Johnson then scored on a put-back basket with 26 seconds left that tied the score 65-65. The Lady Cougars then tried for the final shot but could not get it to fall and the game headed into overtime.

Snyder opened the scoring in the overtime, hitting 1-of-2 at the line to make it 66-65, but LaAuhnni Lewis hit a shot just inside the arc that put the Lady Dragons in front 67-66.

Bailey Snyder then went to the line with 2:46 remaining and hit two shots to put the Lady Cougars back in front, 68-67. Snyder then came up with a steal and a lay-in to increase the lead to three points, 70-67.

Ray buried a three with 39 seconds left that tied the score one last time at 70-70, but Renfrow drove to the hoop to score with 20.7 seconds left and was fouled on the play. Her made free throw made it 73-70 and when she rebounded a missed shot at the other end, the Lady Cougars had their victory.

Bailey Snyder finished with nine points and she added six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Freshman Aryssa Riggs finished with three points, while four players, Jenna Nash, Annie Kiper, Ella Robinson, and Raigan Cave all had two points to complete the scoring.

By Don Brown, Local Sports
Reach Don at donbrown@k105.com