Male head basketball coach Champ Ligon, Jr. huddles with his players in the second round of the Girls LIT. 25 January 2017
Ciaja Harbision scored 17 points to lead the Male High School girls basketball team to a 67-52 victory over Henderson County on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Republic Bank/Coca-Cola Consolidated Louisville Invitational Tournament at Bellarmine University’s Knights Hall.
Male’s depth was the key, as the Bulldogs (19-1) – No. 2 in the state in The Courier-Journal’s Litkenhous Ratings – broke open a close game late in the third quarter to get past the No. 17 Colonels (17-3).
Male had nine players get at least nine minutes of action, while Henderson County had just six.
“You could tell they were wearing down in the second quarter,” Male coach Champ Ligon Jr. said of Henderson County. “We didn’t play particularly well in the first half, but we were still in the lead and they were getting tired. We just had to keep going at them.”
Emma Lander’s basket pulled Henderson County within 42-40 with 3:44 left in the third quarter, but Male responded with a 12-3 run to take control. Cameron Browning’s basket capped the run that gave the Bulldogs a 54-43 lead at the 7:37 mark of the fourth quarter.
Browning finished with 14 points and 12 rebounds for Male, which shot 58.3 percent (14 of 24) in the second half. Male finished 0 for 6 from 3-point range but dominated the rebounding battle (40-27) and scored 17 second-chance points.
Alisha Owens led the Colonels with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Lander added 17 points and six rebounds.
MALE 67, HENDERSON COUNTY 52
Henderson County (17-3) – Alyssa Dickson 6p; Emma Lander 17p, 6r; Breanna Chester 2p, 6r, 4a; Emilee Hope 2p; Alisha Owens 25p, 10r.
Male (19-1) – Ciaja Harbison 17p, 4a; Joelle Johnson 2p, 6r; Emilia Sexton 13p; Jada Owens 2p; India Green 2p; Kyra Hogan 11p, 6r; Cameron Browning 14p, 12r; Logan Calvert 6p.