PINEVILLE — Bell County continued its recent reign over the 52nd District on Friday night, holding off Middlesboro 44–40 to capture its sixth district championship in the past seven seasons.
The Lady Bobcats leaned on senior center Kairi Lamb, who delivered a dominant performance in the title game.
Lamb finished with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds, repeatedly drawing contact in the paint and converting at the free-throw line, where Bell County made 15-of-18 attempts as a team.
“Very proud of our basketball team for winning a 52nd district championship,” Bell County coach David Teague said. “It was a battle, and hats off to Middlesboro for playing well. We didn’t play very well at times on the offensive end but made plays when we needed to. Our thought our defensive intensity was good the entire game.”
Bell County led 27–21 at halftime after building momentum late in the second quarter, then weathered a strong Middlesboro push in the second half.
The Lady Yellow Jackets stayed within striking distance throughout the fourth quarter, trimming the deficit to four points late, but Bell County answered from the foul line to seal the win.
Nevah Allen added nine points for the Lady Bobcats, while Lyla Scearse chipped in six, including a pair of timely three-pointers.
Middlesboro, which was seeking its first district title since 2009, showed resilience after trailing by six entering the final period. The Lady Yellow Jackets knocked down six three-pointers and finished with 28 rebounds, but struggled at the line, converting just 8-of-10 free throws compared to Bell County’s frequent trips.
With the victory, Bell County improves to 22-7 on the season while Middlesboro falls to 14-12.
Members of the Lady Bobcats 52nd District All-Tournament team were Kairi Lamb, Nevaeh Allen, Lyla Scearse, Brylee Redmond, Aubree Miracle, and Jaelynn Reeder.
