For the first time in at least five seasons, Pulaski County will not be playing for the women’s River Ridge District Championship. The Lady Cougars traveled to Salem Friday to take on the Spartans in the first round of the RRD tournament, falling by a final score of 40-43 in a game that the Lady Cougars led most of the way.
“We had some opportunities, but two turnovers in the last minute or so really hurt us,” Lady Cougar Head Coach Scott Ratcliff said. “We were in foul trouble most of the game and Salem wasn’t. It’s disappointing in a lot of ways, but not when it comes to our girls. These girls went out there and played their guts out. It was a great effort. We’ll spend the next few days getting ready for the region tournament.”
The Lady Cougars and Spartans ended the first quarter in a 9-9 tie. Pulaski County had a one-point edge at the half, leading 22-21. They expanded their lead to 32-28 by the end of the third quarter.
With every starter having at least three fouls and Morgan Vest fouling out near the end of the fourth, the Lady Cougars were forced to play less aggressively. Salem slowly mounted a comeback, but when Reese Nolan drew her fourth foul, the pressure grew worse. Unable to so much as breath on a Salem offensive player, the Lady Cougars watched as their lead turned into a tie. Salem tied the game with just under a minute remaining in the contest. With 21 seconds remaining, they hit a bucket and added yet another free throw, taking the 43-40 final lead.
Hannah Keefer led the Lady Cougars with 12 points. Morgan Vest, despite fouling out, backed her up with 11 points as she continues to become a more dominant force. Reese Nolan added eight points. Jaden Lawson scored four points. Taylor Goble scored three points and Andi Ratcliff added two.
The Lady Cougars were called for 18 fouls as a team. Meanwhile, Salem was called for 10. Pulaski County hit one-of-three free throw attempts. Salem took advantage of extra time at the charity strip, hitting 11-of-15 free throw attempts. Gabby Crawley led the Spartans with 17 points.
With Pulaski County now a member of Class 3, Region D, they will wipe the slate clean and begin the second season Friday when they host Cave Spring in the opening round of the region tournament. Game time is set for 6 p.m. in the Cougar Den.
“We need to play the way we did the other night, keep our players out of foul trouble, and play good defense,” Coach Ratcliff said. “From this point on, it’s win or go pack your stuff up. We’ve faced a lot of things this season as a team, but so has everybody else. Players get hurt. Players get in foul trouble. You have to keep playing through it all. This team has a lot of basketball left in them, we just need for everybody to show up and step up. We can still get some things done, but it all starts Friday against Cave Spring.”