ORLANDO, Fla. — North Laurel saved its best for last on Tuesday, getting a dramatic game-winning three-pointer from Paisley Kilburn to edge Auburn 61–60 and advance to Wednesday’s championship game of the Florida Prospects Classic.
With the win, the Lady Jaguars improved to 2–0 in tournament play and moved to 9–1 overall.
Trailing 60–58 in the closing moments, Kilburn knocked down the clutch three-pointer at the horn to complete the comeback and lift North Laurel to the victory.
The Lady Jaguars trailed for much of the game and battled foul trouble throughout, but refused to fold.
North Laurel fell behind early, trailing 24–15 after the first quarter and 36–31 at halftime. Auburn maintained its edge entering the fourth quarter, leading 53–51 before the Lady Jaguars mounted their final push.
After being limited to just three points and no field goals in the first half, Mariella Claybrook took control in the second half, finishing with a team-high 18 points. Seven of those came in the fourth quarter as she helped fuel the rally. Bella Mahan knocked down four three-pointers and scored 12 points while Haley Combs also finished with 12. Kilburn added nine points, and Bella Lewis chipped in seven.
North Laurel coach Eddie Mahan said tournament play continues to test his team in meaningful ways.
“Tournament basketball has a way of exposing you,” he said. “It shows exactly who you are, in your strengths, your weaknesses, and the areas where you still have work to do. I thought today was another step forward for us, especially against a high-level opponent from another state. These are the kinds of games you travel for.
“We faced plenty of adversity with foul trouble and a really good team on the other side, which makes it extremely difficult to come out with a win, but our team found a way,” Mahan added. “Early on, Haley Combs’ leadership was huge in keeping us steady. Bella Mahan’s shooting gave us a spark and helped pull us back into the game. Coming out in the second half, I thought our overall competitiveness and focus were much better, and that’s when you really saw us start to look like ourselves. Mariella asserted her dominance in the second half, and as a group we executed our offense at a much higher level.
“And then there’s Paisley Kilburn,” he continued. “She stepped up and hit a tremendous shot in a big moment, and I couldn’t be more proud of her for having the confidence to knock that down right off the bench. That alone makes the degree to difficulty higher.”
