Estill County knocks out Perry County Central, 51-36, advances to semifinals

Callee Snowden poured in a team-high 20 points to lift Irvine’s Estill County Lady Engineers past Hazard’s Perry County Central Lady Commodores, 51-36, in the opening contest of the 2026 KHSAA Girls 14th Region Tournament.

The game, played in Hindman on Monday, March 2, began as a defensive duel and was tied 19-19 at halftime. Estill opened the third quarter with a go-ahead layup from Kynlee Brown, and both teams converted some free throws over the remainder of the period. Perry County Central answered late in the third when Havyn Hoskins drilled a 3-pointer with about a minute remaining to make it 26-24, but Estill still carried a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter.

Estill’s defense and second-half offense then separated the teams. The Lady Engineers steadily extended the margin in the final period until Perry’s comeback chances became insurmountable, sealing the 51-36 victory. Callee Snowden finished as Estill’s top scorer with 20 points; Ryleigh Feltner paced Perry County Central with nine points. Kynlee Brown’s third-quarter layup and Havyn Hoskins’ late third-quarter triple were key single-play moments that shaped the momentum.

With the win Estill County improved to 15-16 and advanced to the 14th Region semifinals. The Lady Engineers will face Letcher County Central in the first semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday. Perry County Central’s season ended at 12-20.

The result sends the Irvine squad deeper into regional play and closes a tough year for Hazard’s squad. Estill’s next test against Letcher County Central will determine who moves on toward the region final, while Perry County Central will turn to offseason evaluations after the 12-20 finish. Additional box score details and postgame comments were not available at press time.