For a team that won 25 games last year, Tuesday did not go the way Trigg County wanted in its girls’ basketball season opener.
For a team with a new coach, Tuesday couldn’t have gone better for Todd County Central, who is 2-0 for the first time in nine years. Missed free throws and turnovers doomed Trigg County from the start as they lost to the Lady Rebels 52-48 Tuesday in Elkton. It’s Trigg’s 27th straight loss to Todd dating back to 1986.
Both teams started slowly with neither scoring in the first 2:42 of the game. Trigg’s first field goal came with 3:02 left in the first quarter. Its second came with 46 seconds left in the first half and by that time, they were down 18-8.
Lucy Chester scored nine points in the first quarter as the Lady Rebels built their lead.
Trigg County struggled with 25 first half turnovers that led to 15 Todd County points as the Lady Rebels built a 20-13 lead at halftime.
The turnovers kept the Lady Wildcats from getting into any offensive flow, missing 12 of the 15 shots they took in the half.
Trigg County played better in the second half as they chipped away at the Todd County lead. After two free throws got Trigg to within two points at 28-26 with 1:15 left in the third quarter. Jamaia Coleman answered with a bucket, and Chester hit a putback ahead of the third quarter horn to put the Lady Rebels up 32-26 after three.
Trigg could not catch Todd County in the fourth quarter due to inefficiencies at the free throw line. Trigg was 9-of-28 at the line in the second half, including 5-of-16 in the fourth quarter. For the game, Trigg was 15-of-43 while Todd County was 16-of-31.
Abby Williams was a perfect 6-of-6 at the line for the Lady Rebels, including 4-of-4 in the final 23 seconds that sealed the win. Williams finished with 16 points – eight coming in the fourth quarter. Chester led the Lady Rebels with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Olivia Noffsinger was the lone Lady Wildcat in double figures with 10 points. She fouled out with 2:00 left.
T.T. Grubbs came off the bench to add nine points, and Adri Phillips, DeDe Barbee, and Iyanna Grubbs each scored eight points.
Trigg County outrebounded Todd 39-34 and had 36 turnovers to Todd’s 34.
If its any consolation for the Lady Wildcats, they hit 12-of-30 at the free throw line in their 64-59 season-opening loss to Paducah Tilghman last year and went on to win 25 games.
But it doesn’t get easier for Trigg County as they host Calloway County Friday.
Todd County Central will host Owensboro Friday.
Trigg County 2 11 13 22– 48
TODD COUNTY 15 5 12 20– 52
Trigg County [0-1] – Noffsinger 10, T.T. Grubbs 9, Barbee 8, I. Grubbs 8, Phillips 8, Reynolds 5
Todd County Central [2-0] – Chester 20, Williams 16, Collins 5, Taylor 4, McGhee 4, Coleman 2, Mack 1