Eddie Mahan’s North Laurel Lady Jaguars advantaged to their ninth straight 13th Region Girls’ Tournament Final Four on Monday after upending 52nd District champion Harlan County, 62-38.
The Lady Jaguars jumped out to an early double-digit lead against the Lady Black Bears, and never looked back.
Brooke Nichelson, who is known for her stellar defensive play, dominated throughout the contest, scoring a game-high 23 points while finishing with seven rebounds, five steals, and four assists.
Senior Emily Sizemore added a 16-point scoring effort while turning in three assists, and three steals. Chloe McKnight added 14 points on 7-of-7 shooting while finishing with two rebounds, two blocked shots, a steal, and an assist.
“As Jimmy Valvano said, ‘survive and advance’, Mahan said. “I seen multiple things we should have done better in the second half on, but at this point in the year it doesn’t matter about those things, it’s just about the win. I thought that it was good in the first half but Harlan County was hitting some tough shots.
“That’s what you have from a team led by seniors and juniors,” he added. “You could tell that Harlan County was going to fight hard to stay alive and that is what they did. It was our ability in transition and attacking the basket that made the difference. Emily Sizemore’s leadership could be seen on all parts of our game. Her passes to Brooke in transition and Chloe in the half court sparked our offense.
“I know many will talk about the scoring by Brooke Nichelson and she can score in multiple ways, but it is her rebounding and defense that makes the biggest impact on our games,” Mahan continued. “We limited Chloe McKnight some as she was coming off of a minor injury but during her 2 and a half quarters she was impressive on both sides of the ball. Now we must refocus and get ready for the next challenge.”
The Lady Jaguars finished the game hitting 25-of-51 shot attempts while outrebounding the Lady Black Bears, 24-22. North Laurel only turned the ball over six times compared to Harlan County’s 14 turnovers.
The Lady Black Bears were 16-of-44 from the floor, including a 2-of-10 effort from 3-point range.
Ella Karst led Harlan County with 18 points Taytum Griffin added eight points.
North Laurel built an early 10-0 lead before Harlan County finally scored its first basket with 4:32 remaining in the first quarter.
The Lady Jaguars (27-6) continued to lead throughout the opening period before the Lady Black Bears managed to cut their deficit to, 17-10, entering the second quarter.
North Laurel’s lead grew back into double digits in the second half while outscoring the Lady Black Bears (22-10) 11-4 to take a 28-14 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Lady Jaguars connected on 11-of-26 shot attempts in the first half, including a 3-of-14 effort from 3-point range. North Laurel forced Harlan County into eight turnovers while the Lady Black Bears shot 7-of-24 from the floor, including an 0-for-3 effort behind the 3-point line.
Nichelson’s 11 points led the Lady Jaguars in the first half while Chloe McKnight added six points.
Harlan County remained in the game thanks to winning the battle of boards, 14-13, in the first half.
Ella Karst scored eight first-half points for the Lady Black Bears.
North Laurel out the game away in the third quarter with a 25-13 run. The Lady Jaguars took a commanding 53-27 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Nichelson added 12 points in the second half while North Laurel connected on 14-of-25 shot attempts during the final 16 minutes while limiting Harlan County to 9-of-20 shooting.
The Lady Black Bears managed to outscore Mahan’s squad, 11-9, in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Jaguars are now 16-14 all-time during 13th Region Tournament play while Harlan County falls to 17-11.
