Bluegrassrivals

Henderson Co. (13-13)

Langley 1 0-1 2; Armstead 2 0-0 5; Duckworth 8 1-2 18; Cooper 1 2-4 4; Simmons 6 2-4 16; Grimes 1 0-0 2; Washington 1 0-0 2; McDonald 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20 5-11 49. 3-point goals: 4 (Simmons 2, Armstead 1, Duckworth 1). Rebounds: 27 (Cooper 6, Simmons 5). Turnovers: 7. Fouls: 17. Fouled out: None.

Webster Co. (15-9)

Scott 4 4-4 14; Turner 3 2-2 8; Putman 3 6-8 13; Boswell 1 0-0 2; Major 0 0-0 0; Baxter 0 2-2 2; Harting 0 0-0 0; Hook 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 14-16 39. 3-point goals: 3 (Scott 2, Putman 1). Rebounds: 24 (Turner 12). Turnovers: 8. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.

Henderson Co. 12 6 8 23 — 49

Webster Co. 9 6 9 15 — 39

DIXON — Behind clutch offensive plays down the stretch, Henderson County became the first team to claim a berth in the Second Region Tournament with a 49-39 win over Webster County on Friday night.

“We played well considering everything that was on the line,” said Henderson County coach Mark Starns, whose team claimed the top seed in the three-team Sixth District Tournament. With the top seed comes a free pass into the district championship game as well as an automatic spot in the regional tournament.

Henderson County jumped out to an 8-2 lead and trailed only twice briefly in the third quarter.

“I never had the feeling that we were in the control of the game at all,” Webster County coach Jon Newton said.

Even after scoring seven straight points to quickly cut a 38-30 Colonel lead to one with 2:01 to go, Newton didn’t feel any different about the direction of the game. “With the way the game was going, I didn’t see us making a big shot at the end,” he said.

Kaleb Duckworth answered the Trojans’ run with a 3-pointer from the corner. “That’s not my game,” said Duckworth, who was 3-of-16 from 3-point range on the season before making his only attempt of the night, “but I was open.”

After the state’s leading free throw shooter Jacob Scott hit two free throws with 1:34 to go, Jermain Langley drove to the basket for his only points and started an 8-0 run by the Colonels to end the game.

Duckworth stole a Webster pass at the top of the key and drove the floor for a layup, which he missed, but was put back in by Cain Cooper to increase the lead to 45-39.

“The coaches tell me that the weakest part of my game is my defense so I’ve been working on that,” said Duckworth, who scored 10 of his team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter. “We had a good trap on him in the corner, and he just threw it up.”

David Simmons, who missed most of Monday’s game at Owensboro Catholic with a knee injury, returned to score 16 points. He frequently drove to the basket against Webster’s zone defense. “We told him that should be there for him tonight because he did that in the first game,” Starns said.

Henderson County led by as many as nine points early in the second quarter after consecutive 3-pointers by Rick Armstead and Simmons. Simmons scored seven points in the first half and Duckworth added six.

The teams scored just six points apiece in the second quarter. Webster County scored the last six to cut the halftime lead to 18-15 and held the Colonels scoreless for the final 3:59 of the half. Clay Putman had nine of the Trojans’ 15 first-half points.

Webster’s Scott scored nine of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter. Putman finished with 13 points and Taylor Turner grabbed a team-high 12 rebounds.

The Trojans now must beat Union County for a third time to get a rematch with the Colonels in the district finals in less than two weeks.

Both teams are back in action today. Henderson County visits Calloway County beginning with the junior varsity game at 3 p.m., while Webster County hosts McLean County at 7:30 p.m.