CORBIN — Round three between crosstown rivals North Laurel and South Laurel is set to take place on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Corbin Arena. However, this third meeting carries even greater significance — a trip to Rupp Arena and a berth in the KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 are on the line.
This matchup will mark the 24th anniversary of the first meeting between the two schools in a regional title game.
In a packed house at Pulaski County High School, South Laurel secured its first 12th Region title by defeating North Laurel, 78-51.
The two schools faced off again in 2003 and 2005, with the 12th Region titles at stake.
The Cardinals were victorious in both encounters, winning 76-61 in 2003 and 68-36 in 2005.
Twenty years later since their last meeting in a region title game, the two teams face-off again on Monday with the 13th Region championship on the line.
They’ve met eight times overall in regional tournament play with the Cardinals leading the way with five wins while the Jaguars have three.
South Laurel has also defeated North Laurel twice this season, winning 49-41, and 53-38.
The Cardinals built a 25-22 halftime edge in the first meeting before pulling off the win.
Jordan Mabe turned in solid efforts on both ends of the court, finishing with a game-high 19 points while Kaiden McQueen finished with 12 points. Josh Steele and Colton Rawlings added eight points apiece. Rawlings scored five points in the final eight minutes which included a big 3-pointer.
Kole Jervis led North Laurel with 14 points while Reece Davidson added 11 points.
In the second meeting, the Cardinals collected 16 more rebounds than their rival while holding the Jaguars to their lowest point total in 311 games dating back to North Laurel’s 28-22 win over Bell County on February 3, 2015.
South Laurel limited the Jaguars to only two points in the first quarter, building a 14-2 lead.
The Cardinals had offensive struggles in the second quarter, getting outscored 11-4 while holding a slim 18-13 edge at halftime.
Both teams scored 15 points apiece in the third quarter while North Laurel cut its deficit to 34-30 with four minutes remaining before South Laurel wrapped up the win with a 19-8 run.
Josh Steele led the Cardinals with 18 points while Jordan Mabe had 15 points, and Colton Rawlings scored 10 points.
After being limited to only two points in the first half, Reece Davidson finished with a team-best 12 points for the Jaguars while Kole Jervis added 10 points.
