By Mike Scott
The Clark County Lady Indians advanced to the Elite Eight with Wednesday’s win over Duschene, setting up another showdown on the road-this time at Tipton.
Tipton came into the contest with a 24-4 record, and the Lady Indians were on a nine game winning streak, with a 16-7 record.
The host Cardinals had a distinct height advantage over Clark County, but the Lady Indian had an edge in speed, so it was bound to be a good contest.
Kiara Brunk broke the ice, getting the first points of the game. Clark County set the pace early leading most of the back and forth quarter. Brooklyn Howe worked the inside, effectively and Darian Harper hit a pair of three pointers. After eight minutes, Clark County held a 14-12 lead.
Missed shots and turnover hurt the Lady Indians offensively in the second period, but their quickness on defense held the high-scoring Cardinals in check. At the half, Tipton had edged ahead 27-25.
Whatever adjustment the Cardinals made in the locker room worked, and they came out fast, with an exhibition of sharp passing and scoring, flustering the Lady Indian defense. Clark County’s offense struggled to put six point on the board. After three quarters, Clark County trailed 46-31.
After trailing by as much as 19 points, the Lady Indians fought their way back into contention, cutting the Cardinal lead down to nine points with just over a minute remaining. Time ran out for Clark County, and Tipton advanced to JQH Arena in Springfield with a 60-46 win.
Brooklyn Howe scored 17 points in her final game as a Clark County Lady Indian. Alexis Ellison added 13, and senior Darian Harper scored a dozen points. Seniors Kiara Brunk and Bre Chamley scored two points each.
