CORBIN — North Laurel punched its ticket into Saturday’s 13th Region Girls’ Tournament title game for the sixth time during the past seven years after cruising past South Laurel during Friday’s semifinals with a 48-27 victory.
The Lady Jaguars (28-5) limited the Lady Cardinals to a 9-of-46 shooting effort while outrebounding South Laurel, 33-18, and will now try to repeat as regional champion Saturday at 7 p.m.
Brooke Nichelson and Chloe McKnight led North Laurel with 16 points apiece. Nichelson also had 11 rebounds and three assists while McKnight finished with five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. Mariella Claybrook chipped in seven points, seven rebounds, four blocks, and one steal.
Skeeter Mabe finished with 13 points, one assist, and two blocks. Shelbie Mills added 10 points, two rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
It wasn’t prettiest of first halves for either team, but North Laurel did enough on defense to disrupt the Lady Cardinals during the first 16 minutes, limiting them to only 3-of-18 shooting from the floor, including a 2-of-7 effort from 3-point range.
The game was tied at eight apiece after the first quarter, but an 11-2 run by the Lady Jaguars gave North Laurel a 19-10 advantage at halftime.
The Lady Jaguars shot 9-of-20 from the floor, but was 0-for-3 from behind the arc.
Chloe McKnight led North Laurel with eight points while Mariella Claybrook had five points.
Shelbie Mills had six points for South Laurel while Maci Messer and Aubrey Bundy scored two points apiece.
Both teams pick things up in the third quarter, but the Lady Jaguars were able to extend their lead to double digits as Nicholson scored six consecutive points while a basket by Claybrook and a 3-pointer by Hailey Combs pushed North Laurel’s advantage to 36-18.
South Laurel’s Skeeter Mabe hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut her team’s deficit to 36-21 entering the fourth quarter.
Nicholson scored the Lady Jaguars’ first six points of the fourth quarter to help her team wrap up the win.
