HENDERSON – As good as Whitaker Buchanan has been for Bowling Green, the Lady Purples defense has perhaps been better when it mattered the most.

Buchanan brought the offense with the only two goals, but the Bowling Green back line and goalkeeper Bailey Cross completely shut down Henderson County on Tuesday night in a 2-0 victory in the Girls’ Semi-State 2 game at Henderson County High School.

The senior keeper had 15 saves and Bowling Green (14-3-1) eliminated the threat of one of the state’s best scorers in Lady Colonels forward Madison Griggs, who entered the night with 55 goals for the Region 2 champions.

Bowling Green will play West Jessamine in the KHSAA state tournament quarterfinals Saturday in Lexington for the first time since 2013. Game time is 11 a.m. CT at Lafayette High School.

“I’m a senior and this is the first time we’ve been past the Sweet 16, so this is awesome,” Cross said. “This win feels amazing, especially with a shutout. The defense played amazing. They were lights out. I’ve played on this team for four years and this defense is one of the best, maybe the best I’ve played with.”

Bowling Green’s shutout was its fourth in the last five games and its 10th overall this season. Since giving up a season-high three goals in a loss against Daviess County in the regular-season finale, the Lady Purples have given up just one goal.

Senior Madison Carby played a big role in shutting down Griggs. Henderson County (16-6-2) went the whole first half without a shot, but put three solid – but long – looks on net in the second half.

“Madison Carby helped out with that,” BGHS coach Lisa Correa said. “She’s been our shutdown defender. She does whatever we ask of her. She had the assignment tonight. She, with the back line and Bailey Cross, kept them out of the goal tonight. They had a couple of good looks, but other than that they did a great job on (Griggs).”

Cross made difficult saves on one-hoppers and two corner kicks, the last one being a save where she reached over a Henderson County player’s head to grab the ball.

“When it hits her hands, it doesn’t come out very often,” Correa said.

Whitaker Buchanan kept her hot streak going with a laser shot into the right corner of the net in the 17th minute to put Bowling Green up 1-0.

Bowling Green doubled the score in the 22nd minute when Caroline Buchanan placed a corner kick perfectly for her sister to put a header by goalkeeper Ashby Greenwell.

Bowling Green got off six shots in the first half, but just two on net.

“We brought the intensity and we knew we’d have to get on them quick if we want to win,” Buchanan said. “We put the two goals in quick and I feel like it set a rhythm for the entire rest of the game.”

Just as Bowling Green man marked Griggs, Henderson County took the same approach to eliminate Buchanan in the second half. The plan worked, with Bowling Green getting just three shots on goal in the second half while holding on to a two-goal lead.

With Carby continuing to mark Griggs, the Lady Purples at times had five players on the back line with Ashley Ward, Bailee Sowell, Katie Moore and Kate Mason forming a Purple wall.

“We knew (Griggs) was a big goal scorer,” Cross said. “We had someone man marking her and we wanted to take her out of the equation for this game and it worked.”

Bowling Green’s start time and location in Lexington is still to be determined. After missing the state tournament last year, Bowling Green didn’t make it out of the first round in 2014 and 2015.

“Our entire team has never made it past the Sweet 16,” Buchanan said. “Getting to the Elite 8 tonight was just a big deal for us because we’ve been working so hard and it was real exciting.”