MANCHESTER — North Laurel continued its dominance in 49th District play Tuesday night, defeating Clay County 74–55 to extend its district winning streak to 57 games.
The Lady Jaguars improved to 13–5 overall and 3–0 against district opponents while Clay County fell to 10–10 on the season and 0–2 in district play.
Things weren’t perfect, and they rarely are when you walk into Clay County, but our kids stayed composed and found ways to impose ourselves as the game unfolded,” North Laurel coach Eddie Mahan said. “We did a great job early establishing an inside presence through Mariella, which gave us some stability and allowed us to control stretches of the game. As the night went on and our defense began to settle in, we were able to speed things up, create opportunities in transition, and that really helped get our guards more involved offensively.
“It was also a special night for Haley Combs, who reached an incredible milestone, and I couldn’t be prouder of her,” he added. “Haley is the definition of a true point guard, pass-first, team-oriented, and always focused on making those around her better. When you play the game that way, reaching 1,000 career points says a lot about the talent and consistency she brings to the floor. Her senior leadership, poise, and unselfishness are going to be vital as we continue to grow and make a push as the season moves forward.”
North Laurel built steady separation throughout the game, leading 13–11 after the first quarter before opening things up with a 20-point second quarter to take a 33–19 lead into halftime.
The Lady Jaguars kept their foot on the gas in the second half, outscoring Clay County 23–20 in the third quarter and 18–16 in the fourth to secure the win.
Mariella Claybrook led North Laurel with another dominant all-around performance, scoring 33 points while pulling down 16 rebounds and blocking a shots while recording three steals. Laylee Phillips added nine points while Bella Lewis chipped in five. Paisley Kilburn scored 10 points, and Haley Combs added nine points.
A special moment came for Combs, who scored four points in the win to reach the 1,000-point milestone for her career, becoming the latest Lady Jaguar to join the program’s 1,000-point club.
North Laurel shot 28-of-56 from the floor, and controlled the paint, outscoring Clay County 46–20 inside while also holding a 37–21 advantage on the glass.
Clay County was led by Maci White with 17 points. Madison Pendland scored 15 points while Lauryn Sizemore added 11 points.
“Even though we came up short,I’m still very proud of our effort — 50/50 balls didn’t go our way and we had some mental lapses, but overall, I am proud of our girls,” Clay County coach Gemma Parks said. “The second quarter killed us. We could’ve gave up at halftime, but our girls kept fighting and we kept it close but still lost the second half by five. Many things to still clean up but I had faith our girls will get there.”
