MCKEE—What do you try to get from a game that’s not really a game?

The answer to that riddle for North Laurel coach Roy Bowling is 32 minutes with no injuries.

“My biggest concern was somebody getting hurt. You get an ankle injury this time of year and you’re done,” he said.

That was about all the Lady Jaguars had to worry about against Red Bird. The Lady Jaguars’ 96-25 win secured a spot in the 49th District championship Thursday night against Clay County. The win also secured a spot in the 13th Region Tournament. But both of those things were almost secured when the drawing was held for the district.

Few scenarios other than the North Laurel bus sliding into a ditch gave Red Bird any chance of making this a game. North Laurel led 24-4 after one quarter and 48-9 at halftime. By halftime, Red Bird had committed 20 turnovers and taken fewer shots than North Laurel made.

“We talked about making ourselves mentally ready to play. Just play basketball,” Bowling said.

They did play and played well.

North Laurel scored the first 10 points. Red Bird didn’t get on the scoreboard until a North Laurel defender fell, leaving an open lane. The Lady Jaguars then scored the next 14 points. Cheyenne Madden already had eight points on her way to a team-high 21. Madden won Player of the Game honors for the second straight night.

“She’s really found herself. Position. Rebounding. Defense. Everything,” Bowling said.

The biggest decision for the North Laurel coaching staff in the second quarter was how long to play the starters. That point came with four minutes left in the half. The starters returned to play about four minutes in the third quarter.

Bowling did call a timeout early in the second quarter and huddled with his starters briefly. It was a chance to put in a defense he wanted his players to work on, but not necessarily for the championship game against Clay County.

“We need to work on everything,” Bowling said.

The championship game will be much different. The Lady Jaguars have already lost at Clay County this season, 45-38, and will be an underdog.

“According to the ratings, they’re the best team in the 13th Region. We feel like we can play with them if we play our game,” Bowling said. “They are a lot more experienced than we are, but things happen.”

North Laurel placed five players in double figures, including Madden. Tamara Crawford with 14 and Rachel Seidel with 10 among the starters were also in double figures. Katie Elkins and Samantha Proffitt had 12 and 10 off the bench, as 12 players scored for North Laurel.

“That’s some good experience for these younger players,” Bowling said.

Mitch Howard can be reached at mhoward@sentinel-echo.com.



49th District Tournament

at Jackson County

North Laurel 96, Red Bird 25

North Laurel 24 24 29 19—96

Red Bird 4 5 9 7—25

NORTH LAUREL (96)—Crawford 14, Smith 8, Boggs 2, Seidel 10, Woolum 4, Bryant 6, Madden 21, Proffitt 10, Ellington 4, Prince 3, Hartney 2, Elkins 12.

RED BIRD (25)—Asher 3, Fogleman 20, Kreitzer 2.