Heritage Christian Academy played one of its best defensive games of the girls’ basketball season but just didn’t have enough firepower to overcome Northside Baptist in a 43-30 loss Thursday at Warrior Gym.
The Mayfield school led wire to wire but couldn’t pull away until midway through the fourth quarter.
The Lady Royals scored the game’s first nine points as HCA struggled against the Northside press. A pair of Abbi Bullock free throws got the Lady Warriors on the board with 3:49 left in the quarter.
Bailey Craft hit consecutive buckets to end the first half to draw HCA to within 21-14 at the break.
Bullock knocked down a 3-pointer to get the Lady Warriors to within 27-21 in the third quarter.
Emile Whitaker scored five of her 14 points in the fourth quarter to keep HCA at bay.
Kinley Deason hit a 3-pointer to trim the deficit to five points, but Northside answered with a 9-0 run to seal the win.
LeAnn Richard led Northside Baptist with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Craft led HCA with eight points, and Deason, who was crowned homecoming queen before the game, scored six points.
Heritage Christian will play a KCAA Region 1 game Saturday at Oak Ridge Christian.
Northside Baptist 15 6 8 14– 43
Heritage Christian 6 8 9 7– 30
Northside Baptist – Richard 15, Whitaker 14, Sheridan 4, Ketchum 4, Woods 4, Taylor 2,
Heritage Christian [1-10] – Craft 8, Deason 6, Bullock 5, St. Martin 3, Carr 2, Zieg 2, Sutton 2, Robson 2