SOUTH COMES UP JUST SHORT IN OVERTIME

Despite an early lead, South Laurel comes up short against district foe Whitley County.

South Laurel entered the game coming off a huge district win over Corbin. The Cardinals and Redhounds would split their series at 1-1 a piece in district play. South would enter the game at 2-1 in district play, while Whitley held a 1-1 record.

It didn’t take long for the Cardinals to use their fast break offense to light up the scoreboard. South put up an 8-0 run to start off the contest. The Cards would lead 16-6 by the end of the first quarter. A 3-point basket by Steele as time expired in the second quarter would help South Laurel maintain a lead going into the half. While the lead did not expand, Davis and his team kept a 37-32 lead going into the final quarter of play. A scrappy effort by Whitley County would lead to a 50-50 tie at the end of regulation, forcing overtime. The Colonels managed to pull out the win, 57-56.

“Give Whitley all the credit, they kept scrapping back and made plays down the stretch they needed to make to win the ballgame”, said Davis. “We didn’t take care of the ball in the second half, forced shots, and fouled way too much. You can’t defend the free-throw line, and we didn’t defend well enough to take advantage of it. When you take bad shots, they are just like turnovers and that led to giving them several transition points”.

Caden Jones remained to be a leader for his squad throughout the contest. Jones thought the difference in the contest was in the second half of play. “I think we allowed them to score 38 points in the second half, versus 19 in the first. We stopped defending and started standing and watching. We need to learn to play the whole game, not just the first half”.

“I believe we need to work on moving without the ball and executing our plays”, said Gover. “We need to carry out our designed plays as well as have a better shot selection. Shot selection is crucial when the offense is slow. We need to make every offensive possession count”.

The Cardinals will look to rebound against rival North Laurel this Friday. South will enter the contest with a 14-6 record, while North sits at 13-9. Tipoff is set for 7:30 pm at South Laurel High School.

-Dylan Wilson, SL Basketball Media