Henderson County girls basketball: Here's five must-see games during the 2021-22 season

Kevin Patton, Henderson Gleaner

December 1, 2021 at 7:30 AM·4 min read

Henderson County’s Kaytlan Kemp (22) and Graci Risley (21) pressure Union County’s Katelyn Reese Hagan (20) during their Second Region Tournament championship game at Hopkins County Central High School Monday, March 29, 2021.

Henderson County returns three starters from its Final Four team that finished last season with a 20-5 record.

Jarie Thomas, Kaytlan Kemp and Graci Risley will be back in the Lady Colonels’ lineup as they tackle a competitive schedule against most of the best teams in a 100-mile radius.

Here’s a look at five games that Lady Colonel fans will not want to miss this season.

More: Girls basketball: Five players to watch in the Sixth District during the 2021-22 season

First, a few guidelines regarding how these games were chosen.

The district games with Webster County and Union County weren’t included. Those are games that should immediately be circled on the calendar every year. The Lady Colonels host Union County on Jan. 28 and Webster County on Feb. 8, while visiting the Lady Trojans on Jan. 25 and the Bravettes on Feb. 11.

Preference is given to home games, followed by road games within a short driving distance.

McCracken County at Henderson Co., Dec. 3

McCracken County is expected to be among the contenders in the First Region. The Mustangs were 15-8 last season but played without 6-foot guard Destiny Thomas, who missed her entire sophomore season with a knee injury but has already scored more than 1,200 points in her career at Paducah Tilghman as a middle schooler and at McCracken as a freshman.

The Mustangs also return their top three scorers from last season – Claire Johnson, Caroline Sivills and Mikee Buchanan.

More: Union County girls basketball: Here's five must-see games during the 2021-22 season

Henderson County vs. Butler, Dec. 4 at Owensboro Sportscenter

Less than 16 hours after facing McCracken County in the season opener, the Lady Colonels will tangle with Sixth Region contender Butler in the Independence Bank Tipoff Classic.

The Bearettes were 13-3 last season and the runners-up to Bullitt East in the Sixth Region. Butler did graduate its top three scorers and have a new coach in LaKesha Perry, who had previously been an assistant coach at Indiana University Southeast. Perry replaced Wyatt Foust, who resigned to become an assistant at Murray State University.

Mater Dei at Henderson County, Dec. 14

Mater Dei graduated six seniors from a team that finished 15-4 last season but lost in Indiana’s 2-A sectional final -- the first time in four years the Wildcats had not advanced past the sectional.

The Wildcats, who allowed just 36 points a game last season, will again rely on defense behind its size. They are led by 6-1 junior Kennedy Wenger, who averaged 8.8 points and 5.6 rebounds a game last season.

Castle’s Natalie Niehaus (32) makes a pass during the first round of the Class 4A sectionals against the Reitz Panthers at Harrison High School in Evansville, Ind., Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021. The Knights defeated the Panthers 66-19.

Henderson County at Castle, Dec. 16

Castle has everyone back from a team that went 14-5 and won the 4-A sectional championship.

Senior guard Natalie Niehaus, a four-year starter, led the Lady Knights in scoring (14.6), rebounds (5.4), steals (3.6) and blocks (0.9) last season. Jordan Coon (9.2 ppg), Keira Moore (8.2 ppg) and Ky Hay Swope (8.3 ppg) give Castle a balanced scoring attack.

More: Webster County girls basketball: Here's five must-see games during the 2021-22 season

Henderson County at Marshall County, Jan. 7

A rematch of last year’s state semifinal won by the Lady Marshals 50-33, the teams meet in early January in Draffenville. The Lady Marshals, who finished 25-3 last season, pulled out a 46-45 victory when the teams met last year during the regular season at Colonel Gym.

This is hardly the same team that came within three points of winning the state championship as Marshall County graduated six seniors.

The Lady Marshals do bring back 6-2 senior Halle Langhi, who averaged 12.8 points and 8.1 rebounds last season, and 5-11 senior Jada Driver, who averaged 9.4 points a game.

Henderson County's Jarie Thomas (3) shoots against Marshall County's Halle Langhi (42) during their KHSAA semifinal game at the Rupp Arena Saturday afternoon, April 10, 2021.

Henderson County 2021-22 Girls Basketball Schedule

Dec. 3, McCracken Co., 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 4, vs. Butler at Owensboro Catholic, 1 p.m.; Dec. 9, Central, 7 p.m.; Dec. 11, Mount Vernon, Ill., at McCracken Co.; Dec. 14, Mater Dei, 7 p.m.; Dec. 16, at Castle, 7 p.m.; Dec. 20-22, Hub City Holiday Hoop-a-Rama at Elizabethtown; Dec. 26, vs. Biggersville, Miss., at Caldwell Co., 3:30 p.m.

Jan. 3, at Apollo, 7 p.m.; Jan. 7, at Marshall Co., 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 8, Ensworth, Tenn., at Crittenden Co., 6:30 p.m.; Jan. 13, Hopkins Central, 7 p.m.; Jan. 15, at Christian Co., 3:30 p.m.; Jan. 17, at Madisonville, 7 p.m.; Jan. 21, at Daviess Co., 7 p.m.; Jan. 25, at Webster Co., 6 p.m.; Jan. 28, Union Co., 6 p.m.; Jan. 29, at Owensboro, 1:30 p.m.; Jan. 31, at Muhlenberg Co., 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 1, Hopkinsville, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 5, Frankfort at Owensboro Sportscenter, 2:45 p.m.; Feb. 8, Webster Co., 6 p.m.; Feb. 11, at Union Co., 6 p.m.; Feb. 12, at McCracken Co., 12:30 p.m.; Feb. 14, Owensboro Catholic, 7 p.m.; Feb. 15, McLean Co., 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Henderson Gleaner: Henderson County girls basketball: Five games to watch

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