PINEVILLE — The Bell County Lady Bobcats walked out with a gritty win Thursday, slipping past Knox Central 57-56 to move to 16-5 on the season while exacting some revenge as well.
The Lady Bobcats dropped a 64-36 decision to the Lady Panthers on Jan. 8.
“Good win for our team,” Bell County coach David Teague said. “Knox got us pretty good last time, proud of the way our kids battled. Thought our effort defensively was good tonight. We’ll keep working and pushing to get better. Go Lady Cats.”
The game had runs, momentum swings, and just flat-out toughness, and Kairi Lamb was an absolute force.
The senior poured in 22 points, pulled down 14 rebounds, and controlled the paint like a veteran.
When Bell County needed a bucket or a stop, Lamb was right in the middle of it.
Knox Central made the first push after Bell jumped out 8-1, answering with an 11-1 run to flip the script early. Later, with Bell down 28-22, the Lady Bobcats fired back with a 9-0 run of their own to grab control.
Knox carried (16-5) a 34-32 edge into halftime, but Bell County never blinked.
The fourth quarter is where the Lady Bobcats took control.
Bell County outscored the Lady Panthers 23-15 in the final period, making plays on both ends and finishing strong when it mattered most.
Bell County did damage at the free-throw line, where Lamb went 10-of-14, and the Lady Bobcats got to the stripe 24 times. They also controlled the glass with 27 rebounds, another area where Lamb set the tone.
Nevaeh Allen gave Bell County a huge lift from deep, knocking down four 3-pointers and finishing with 16 points.
The defense showed up too, with the Lady Bobcats blocking six shots, including five by Lamb.
Other key contributors included Brylee Redmond (eight points), Aubree Miracle (six points), Bristal Jordan (three points) and Lyla Scearce (two points).
