NICHOLASVILLE — North Laurel captured its second straight win over a top 15 opponent in the state by working overtime.
The No. 3 ranked Lady Jaguars did just enough to improve to 15-0 thanks to a 70-65 road win over No. 12 West Jessamine.
Senior Brooke Nichelson stepped up when needed, scoring a game-high 27 points, including a team-best five points in overtime. Mariella Claybrook scored 15 points while Haley Combs added eight points.
“I didn’t have us ready the way we needed to be today,” North Laurel coach Eddie Mahan said. “Mentally, we were not good in our shoot-around, warmups, and for sure not early in the game. The mental or discipline part of the game has to get better for us though.
“It’s always good to still get a win but the wins are not what’s most important right now,” he added. “Each game is an opportunity for improvement.”
The Lady Jaguars fell behind 23-15 at the end of the first quarter, but rallied in the second quarter to lead 34-33 at halftime. North Laurel held a 51-47 advantage entering the fourth quarter, but West Jessamine outscored the Lady Jaguars, 12-8, to force overtime.
Nichelson got hot and scored five points in the extra period while Bella Sizemore hit a key 3-pointer while scoring all four of her points in the final four minutes. Combs added two free throws as the Lady Jaguars held on to the win.
