RICHMOND — It wasn’t a win, but the battle, and experience of Monday’s game against Madison Central is something that South Laurel Jeff Davis said will make his team better in the long run.
The Cardinals saw their six-game win streak come to an end, but Davis liked what he saw out of his team during their 66-57 loss to the Indians.
“I’m proud of our guys,” South Laurel coach Jeff Davis said. “We really played hard. Our guys battled — we just came up a little short tonight. They hit the big shots when they needed it.
“We played a team that is very well-coached,” they really guarded us well. This will prepare us for the tournament. I don’t like losing, but I’m proud of our mindset in this game. We kept fighting and battling. You want to play good teams, and these are the type of games you want to play in going into tournament.”
The trio of Jalen Davis, Jaden West, and Robby Todd did most of the damage for Madison Central.
Davis scored 26 points while West added 19 points, and Todd finished with 16 points.
The Indians led 13-9 at the end of the first quarter before taking a 30-25 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
A nine-point scoring effort by Davis combined with West’s seven points allowed the Indians to build a 51-34 cushion entering the fourth quarter.
South Laurel continued to battle during the final eight minutes, outscoring Madison Central, 23-15, but the damage had already been done.
Parker Payne led the Cardinals with 17 points while Jordan Mabe added 16 points. Caden Jones scored eight points while Eli Gover, and Ashton Garland each scored seven points apiece.
South Laurel will finish regular season play Thursday at home against Lexington Christian. The game is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start.
