The Russellville Lady Panthers turned a 10-point halftime deficit into a two=point win Saturday to edge Hopkins County Central 58-56. It was Russellville’s fourth straight win to open the season.
The Lady Storm led 29-19 at the intermission. RHS then went to work on offense, scoring 19 points in the third quarter and 22 in the fourth.
Freshman DeShale LeBlanc scored 10 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter, and senior Davonya Bryant scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half. Junior Loreal Cheaney had six points at halftime, hit a 3-pointer in the third quarter, and added a couple of buckets in the fourth quarter for 13 points.
Junior Addie Hendley was taking the ball to the basket early. She went to the foul line three times in the first half. No one else shot a free throw.
In the third quarter, Bryant hit four straight free throws. In the second half, LeBlanc went five of eight at the line, and Lexie Day had a free throw. All points proved to be important.
The Lady Panthers led by five points late in the game. The Lady Storm’s MaKayla Campbell hit her fourth 3-pointer of the game at the buzzer, but it was not enough. Campbell finished with 18 points, as did Talana Hardy for Coach Todd Webb’s team.
The game was played at Madisonville-North Hopkins High School as part of the Messenger Tipoff Classic.
In the 20 years that the Kentucky High School Athletic Association has been posting results on its online Scoreboard, this is the first season the Lady Panthers have started 4-0, Coach Calvin Head has discovered.
It was the second night in a row that LeBlanc has scored 20 or more points. It was the fourth straight double-figures scoring effort for Cheaney, who was named Female Athlete of the Week by the Bowling Green Daily News.
Score by Quarters: 1) RHS 15-9, 2) HCC 29-19, 3) RHS 38-36, Final) Russellville 58, Hopkins County Central 56
RHS (58) DeShale LeBlanc 21, Devonya Bryant 14, Loreal Cheaney 13, Addie Hendley 3, Denise Stovall 2, Reagan Wilkerson 2, Brooklyn Ray, Jolanda Wells
HCC (56) MaKayla Campbell 18, Talana Hardy 18, Keyasia Combs 9, Gabby Baxter 6, Keke Ikeard 5