LONDON — Eddie Mahan’s North Laurel Lady Jaguars showed why they’re ranked No. 11 in the state with an easy 56-26 win over Jackson County on Friday.
The 30-point rout improved the Lady Jaguars to 12-4 overall and 2-0 against 49th District opponents while extending their win streak against district opponents to an astounding 56 games.
“We never really hit on all cylinders tonight,” Mahan said. “However, it’s always good to get a district win. Bella Mahan and Laylee Phillips set the tone early with some big shots which was a huge reason for the early lead. The disappointing part for me is how we let up even more after we got our 22-point lead in the first quarter. Basketball is about creating the appropriate habits to win and we did not always do that today.
“Overall, we didn’t play to our full potential for four quarters, and we know there’s another level we need to reach moving forward,” he added. “That said, it’s still a good win, and learning how to win games when you’re not at your best is important. Jackson County is a young team, and you can see the foundation they’re building, they’re going to be much improved in the future. For us, the focus now is tightening up the details, sustaining our intensity beyond the first quarter, and continuing to grow as we head into the next stretch of games starting with another top 10 team in the state in the road tomorrow. Ashland will be a great test for us and I look forward to it.”
The game was never in doubt with North Laurel building a 25-3 lead in the first quarter while jumping out to a 35-3 advantage in the second quarter.
The loss dropped the Lady Generals to 5-10, and 0-2 against district opponents.
Bella Mahan knocked down four 3-pointers and turned in a 14-point effort while Laylee Phillips added 13 points, and Mariella Claybrook added 11 points.
Baylee Berry led Jackson County with nine points while Hannah Jackson added seven points.
