PINEVILLE — Bell County got a 52nd District win Tuesday behind a dominant all-around performance from Kairi Lamb, as the Lady Bobcats pulled away in the second half to defeat Harlan County, 52-41.
Lamb controlled the game on both ends of the floor, finishing with 21 points and a monster 17-rebound effort to lead Bell County, which improved to 18-5 on the season, and 5-0 against 52nd District opponents while Harlan County falls to 11-11, and 2-3.
“Good district win for our team on senior night,” Bell County coach David Teague said. “Proud of our three seniors for battling and leading our team in a very back and forth game. The game prolly wasn’t the prettiest for either team but thought our girls made enough solid plays down the stretch.”
The game was tight early.
The Lady Black Bears came out aggressive and took a 17-14 lead after the first quarter. The Lady Black Bears continued to battle in the second period, and the teams went into halftime with the game tied at 28 apiece.
The third quarter proved to be the turning point.
Bell County’s defense locked in and held Harlan County to just two points in the period while slowly creating separation. Nevaeh Allen helped spark the run with perimeter shooting, and Lamb continued to do her work inside as the Lady Bobcats built a 38-30 lead heading into the fourth.
Allen finished with 20 points, knocking down five 3-pointers to give Bell a major boost from the outside.
Bell County kept its foot on the gas in the fourth quarter, outscoring Harlan 14-11 to seal the win. The Lady Bobcats controlled the glass all night, finishing with a 33-11 rebounding advantage, with Lamb leading the charge on the boards.
