HAZARD — Eddie Mahan’s North Laurel Lady Jaguars completed the trifecta on Tuesday, defeating Hazard for the third time this season.
The Lady Jaguars (19-6) are finishing regular season play strong, handing the Lady Bulldogs a 70-62 overtime loss.
“It’s always tough to go on the road and play at Hazard High School,” Mahan said. @They have a good team, they’re well-coached, and Hazard Memorial Gym is one of the best atmospheres around. It’s a great place to play high school basketball, and you have to be locked in from the opening tip.
“Tonight, we simply didn’t play well,” he added. “We weren’t focused, and it showed in all aspects of the game. The biggest difference was at the free throw line. In tight games, those points matter and we left too many there. Details win games, especially on the road, and we didn’t handle the details the way we’re capable of.
“That said, adversity is part of the journey. Winning in the postseason is about responding when things aren’t going your way,” Mahan continued. “Tonight was an opportunity to experience that, to learn from it, and to grow. We’ll regroup, refocus, and get back to work.”
The game was close throughout with North Laurel hold an 8-5 lead after the first quarter and a 25-13 edge at halftime,
Hazard cut its deficit to 40-39 entering the fourth quarter and forced overtime by outscoring the Lady Jaguars, 20-19, in the final eight minutes.
North Laurel secured the win, outscoring the Lady Bulldogs, 11-3, in overtime.
The Lady Jaguars were 7-of-8 from the charity stripe during the extra period while Emma Carl came up with two huge baskets while scoring four points.
Mariella Claybrook led all scorers with 36 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Bella Lewis added 11 points while Laylee Phillips finished with 10 points. Haley Collins scored eight points, Carl finished with four points, and Molly Morgan scored one point.
