North Laurel, and Southwestern have a nice little rivalry going since going head-to-head during second round action of the 2019 Sweet Sixteen.
The two teams have played seven times, counting Tuesday’s matchup, with North Laurel capturing its second win against the Lady Warriors during the time span by cruising to an easy, 78-56 victory.
“I have the utmost respect for Coach (Junior) Molden and his team,” North Laurel coach Eddie Mahan said. “If you look at consistently dominate programs over the last few years, you have to look at his teams. We have had some great battles. He will always have his teams ready to guard and play with intensity.
“I thought we matched that intensity tonight,” he added. “Our defense has been the difference for us the last few weeks. It is becoming our anchor that we can depend on every game. I hope that continues into the postseason.”
North Laurel (23-6) was relentless on the defensive end throughout the contest.
The Lady Jaguars built an 18-9 advantage in the first quarter, and never looked back. They held a comfortable, 35-20, advantage at halftime before outscoring the Lady Warriors, 43-36, in the second half.
Senior Emily Sizemore turned in another solid effort, scoring 26 points while finishing with seven rebounds, and seven assists. Chloe McKnight added 16 points while Brooke Nichelson scored 14 points, and Jaelyn Black finished with nine points.
“Emily Sizemore had another dominant game on both sides of the ball,” Mahan said. “Not only did she have 26 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists she also did a great job on the defensive end.
“Brooke Nichelson was extremely efficient getting 14 points off of 5-of-6 shooting,” he added. “Chloe McKnight had a good game, too. You know you have a great post player when you feel like she had an off night and she still got 16 points off of 70 percent shooting. She gives us such an advantage over almost every team we play because of her.”
North Laurel will finish regular season play Thursday on the road against Owsley County. The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
