17TH DISTRICT GIRLS' BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT: Lady Bruins overcome shaky start to top Knox (02/21)

For coach Demond Thomas, the postseason opener Monday night for his Central Hardin Lady Bruins was much like a time-delayed text on his players’ phones – sure they got the message, but why did it take so long, exactly?

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Central Hardin's Alexis Johnson has her shot attempt blocked by Fort Knox's Brianna Smith during opening 17th District Tournament action Monday night at John Hardin High School.

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Neal Cardin

Fort Knox's Tyra Jackson drives the lane for a layup Monday night against Central Hardin in 17th District Tournament action at John Hardin High School.

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Central Hardin's Aislynn Barnes knocks the ball away from Fort Knox's Tyra Jackson during 17th District Tournament action Monday night at John Hardin High School.

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Central Hardin's Abbi Goedde shoots over Fort Knox's Breannah Bretches during 17th District Tournament action Monday night.

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After a lackluster first half in their quarterfinal against the fifth-seeded Fort Knox Lady Eagles, senior forwards Abbi Goedde and Alexis Johnson combined for 22 second-half points as the fourth-seeded Lady Bruins pulled away for a 55-38 in the 17th District Tournament at John Hardin.

“I’d like to think that we were looking past this game, but that was unacceptable,” Thomas said. “We talked about being zero-at-zero and playing one game at a time. But to come out and play like that in the first half, they should have been embarrassed, too.”

Thanks in no small part to 15 turnovers, missing 8-of-11 free throws and shooting just 20 percent from the field, Central Hardin went into the half clinging to an 18-11 lead and allowed the Lady Eagles 13 possessions in the first half to tie or take the lead – although they never did.

Central Hardin senior guard Lauren Norton said it was too hard to politely describe how mad Thomas was at halftime.

“I’m not sure there’s a word for it,” said Norton, who had eight points, three steals and two assists. “But he wasn’t happy with us and I know I wasn’t happy with us or myself. He’s worked hard this season and so have we and he didn’t deserve that.”

Johnson, who had 11 rebounds to go with her game-high 17 points, scored the first six points of the second half and accounted for 11 of her team’s 18 points in the third quarter as Central Hardin extended its lead to 36-20 entering the fourth quarter.

“He told us at halftime we needed to pick it up or our season was over,” said Goedde, who finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. “At some spurts we did pick it up, but we still didn’t play like we should have.”

The Lady Bruins took their largest lead of the game at 53-23 with 3:45 left in the game after back-to-back baskets by sophomore reserve forward Autumn Jaggers.

The Lady Eagles didn’t go away that easily, though.

With three Central Hardin starters still on the floor, Fort Knox eighth-grade guard Tyra Jackson scored eight of her 14 points in the final 3:35 as the Lady Eagles (5-25) ended the game on a 15-2 run.

All-Tournament team selection Breannah Bretches, a Fort Knox sophomore guard, added 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while eighth-grade post Brianna Smith approached an unorthodox double-double (nine blocks, seven rebounds).

“I was pleased with our overall effort,” said first-year Lady Eagles coach Dana Beaven. “When a team beats you by a lot of points twice, it’s hard to enter the game with a mental capacity not to give up.

“Instead of letting them get on another run, we stopped them,” she added. “It took a team effort not to let it get bad.”

Central Hardin (9-20) advances to play the top-seeded Elizabethtown Lady Panthers (22-5) in Wednesday night’s early semifinal at 6. Elizabethtown, the tournament’s six-time defending champion, swept the Lady Bruins in the regular season, rolling to a 69-45 road win Dec. 16 before earning a 67-34 win at home Jan. 5.

Goedde knows exactly what will happen Wednesday if the Lady Bruins come out like they did Monday.

“We’ll get the game handed to us by E’town,” she said. “Our season will be over.”

Nathaniel Bryancan be reached at (270) 505-1758 or nbryan@thenewsenterprise.com