LOUISVILLE — Sixth-ranked North Laurel continued its strong early-season play Friday with a dominant 67-31 victory over No. 23 Lyon County in the 2025 Gardner Law King of the Bluegrass at Fairdale High School.
The Jaguars improved to 6-1 on the season by setting the tone early and never letting up, forcing turnovers, controlling the glass, and overwhelming the Lyons on both ends of the court.
North Laurel turned defense into offense the entire game, converting 15 Lyon County turnovers into 16 points.
“I loved the energy our guys played with tonight,” North Laurel coach Nate Valentine said. “They had a great week of practice and it carried over tonight. We got in a good flow offensively early and our defense and rebounding allowed us to get some separation. Im really proud of our team tonight.”
The Jaguars also held the Lyons to 11 field goals while building a 23-13 lead after the first quarter and a commanding 36-19 advantage at halftime.
Reece Davidson captured Central Bank Player of the Game honors, leading all scorers with 22 points. He knocked down four 3-pointers and finished 9-of-12 from the field, helping North Laurel increase its lead with a 20-point third quarter.
Jordan Rawlings added 12 points while Cooper Elza finished with nine points, eight assists, and five rebounds. Corey Cunagin chipped in seven points and five rebounds as the Jaguars finished with 17 assists.
North Laurel shot 46.2 percent from the floor and connected on 12 three-pointers, while also winning the rebounding battle 37-32.
Lyon County, now 3-2, struggled to find offensive rhythm against North Laurel’s pressure defense.
Nolan Coffman led the Lyons with nine points while Isaac Defrew added eight. Lyon County shot just 22.9 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc.
The Jaguars put the game out of reach in the third quarter, outscoring Lyon County 20-9, and closed the game with an 11-point fourth quarter to cap the 36-point win.
