Breckinridge Outlasts Lady Cats

Sophomore Caitlin Simon (11) reaches for a loose ball against a Breckinridge County player.

Darren Doyle, story and photos
A strong start from the Lady Cats against a good Breckinridge County team wasn't enough as Edmonson County fell 67-61 to the Lady Tigers last night at ECHS.

The Lady Tigers, known for their aggressive style of play and top notch junior point guard Lily Grimes, struggled to keep up in the first quarter as the Lady Cats controlled the pace of the game and easily broke the Lady Tigers' press, time and again. Edmonson County led 18-13 after one.

Sophomores Simon and Martin took advantage of good looks at the basket and scored early, each sporting double figures at halftime. The Lady Tigers inched their way back and cut the EC lead to 36-35 going into the locker room.

Breckinridge County apparently was able to reset during the break as they came out with 8 unanswered points to take control of the game and wouldn't look back. The Lady Cats were outscored 18-7 in the third as they trailed 53-42 going into the 4th quarter. The Lady Tigers were in control the rest of the way as they went on to defeat Edmonson County 67-61.

Even though it went down in the record books as a loss, Coach Jackson said he felt like it was the best game that his girls had played all season long. "Breckinridge County is a very good basketball team," he said. "They're aggressive, they attack, and I knew they would be. We handled their pressure, too. Yeah, we threw it away some, but we were aggressive, too."

The Lady Cats were led in scoring by Caitlin Simon with 22 points while she pulled down 9 rebounds. Peyton Martin had 12 points, only 2 in the second half, but also dished out 11 assists.

"I think that's the first time all year we've had someone in double figures in assists," Jackson said. "The only way Peyton gets those assists is if our girls run the floor. We had our 4 and 5 man running the floor, catching passes, and shooting layups...things we hadn't done all year long."

Jhonna Basil missed being the third Lady Cat with a double-double by only one rebound, with 13 points and 9 boards, Collins had 5 points/3 rebounds, Taylor had 4 points/2 rebounds, and Tori Browning had 2 points and 7 rebounds.

The Lady Cats will be back in action Friday night at home against district rival Butler County in a girl/boy doubleheader. Tip off is scheduled for 6pm. You can listen to live action of both games on WildcatsLive, only on EdmonsonVoice.com.