The Chillicothe High School Girls Basketball team fell in a hard-fought battle against Benton 50-39 in the Class 4 District 16 Championship on Saturday night. The Lady Hornets conclude the 2022-2023 season with a 23-5 record.
Chillicothe got out to a 10-6 lead late in the first quarter when Benton went on an 11-0 run to take a 17-10 lead in the mid-second quarter. The Lady Hornets responded with an 8-0 run of their own to go up 18-17 late in the first half, and an Andrea Simmons layup gave Benton the 19-18 halftime lead.
The Lady Cardinals came out of the gates quickly in the third quarter, winning the frame 18-13 to take a six-point lead into the fourth where they solidified the District Championship victory.
Jessica Reeter battled foul trouble all game long for Chillicothe after picking up three fouls with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half. She finished with seven points for the Lady Hornets. Kayanna Cranmer led CHS with 15 points, Jolie Bonderer added eight, and Delanie Kieffer posted six.
Andrea Simmons led Benton with 16 points, Peyton Anderson notched 15, and Avery Morlock had 10. The Lady Cardinals move on to face St. Pius X in the State Sectional round on Tuesday night at 7:45 pm.
