[Stardust]

Number 1 and Number 1 clashed Wednesday when the Princeton girls' basketball team visited Boone County for a contest pitting the top-ranked squads in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

Princeton, ranked first in the Enquirer Division I Ohio area coaches' poll, and Boone County, ranked first by Northern Kentucky coaches, met for the third year in a row following a pair of wins by the Vikings


Round three also went to Princeton, which remained unbeaten with a 75-66 come-from-behind win over the previously unbeaten Rebels.

The Vikings, who improved to 4-0, scored 45 second-half points to pull away. Boone County, which led by eight after one quarter, fell to 2-1, despite a game-high 38 points and 16 rebounds from Sydney Moss, who scored 24 points after the break.

"Out shot selection was much better in the second half. In the first half, it was horrible," Princeton coach Jill Phillips said.

Leading the way for the Vikings were sophomore twins Kelsey Mitchell, who hit five 3-pointers and scored 31 points, and Chelsea Mitchell, who added 15 points.

"Kelsey took 14 shots in the first half; she took 16 the whole game on Saturday," Phillips said. "She finished with 23 shots, but her shot selection was a lot better in the second half."

The Vikings pulled it out in the fourth quarter as both sisters played with four fouls. Chelsea Mitchell eventually fouled out.

"What I thought Kelsey Mitchell did well in the second half was draw three and four defenders to her and then find open players," Boone County coach Nell Fookes said. "And those open players hit shots."

Following eight second-half tie scores and lead changes, Jada Ballew gave the Vikings the lead for good, 63-61, on a baseline drive with 2:43 to play in the game. Kelsey Mitchell, who provided the feed, finished with six assists.


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