Trailing 29-13 at halftime against Danville Christian in the first round of the state tournament, Daviess County never fully recovered falling 53-40. The Lady Panthers struggled to find their shot early, shooting 6-19 from the floor and 0-7 from deep in the first half.
Heading into the game, Daviess County knew they were going to have their hands full with the Lady Warriors height and the duo of Grace Mbugua and Amauri Blackford showcased why – combining for 33 points and 21 rebounds. Alaya Quisenberry added 17 points and six assists.
“We had a tough time guarding their bigs, and we knew that going in,” Daviess County head coach Natalie Payne said. “The size advantage hurt us, but I thought we fought, and we didn’t give up. They won the battle on the boards, and when teams get second, third, and fourth opportunities, it puts you into a bind. Then we had to play from behind, but again, I thought our girls battled all night long. No excuses, we just came up short.”
In the second half, the Lady Panthers found their offensive game with Kennedy Lane leading the charge – scoring 14 of her 19 points. After not hitting a three in the first half, Daviess County shot 5-10 from deep the rest of the game.
Lane finished with 19 points, four rebounds, and three assists, while Lily Hoagland added seven points, three rebounds, two assists, and one steal. Zoey Beehn finished with four points, five rebounds, one assist, and one block, while Molly Hancock recorded a team-high six rebounds.
Daviess County is losing two seniors to graduation – Hoagland and Beehn – both of who Payne says are leaving a legacy.
“The things they bring to the team with their talent is impressive, but what’s more important is the human beings that they are,” Payne said. “They’re going to leave this program better than it was, and that is always your hope as a coach and for your program. They led us to our first regional title in the history of our school, and I told them that can never be taken away and no one can ever repeat that. We’re going to miss them.”
Despite the loss, this will go down as one of the most successful seasons in Lady Panthers history, winning their first ever 3rd Region Championship and beating longtime rival Owensboro Catholic for the first time in 14 years.
“We proved that we can face adversity head on and be better because of it,” Payne said. “This group coming back now knows what it takes and they will be hungry and will fight to get back there next year. …In 22 years of coaching, I’ve never been a part of something this special. We are the first team in Daviess County history to ever go to the state tournament.”
