DEFENSIVE DOMINATION- CARDS LIMIT JACKETS TO 25 POINTS IN DISTRICT MATCHUP
South Laurel hosted the Williamsburg Yellow Jackets for their second district game of the season. The Cards came out strong and put the Jackets away early. Davis and his team would come out on top 69-25, evening their district record to 1-1.
Gover, Parker, and Garland would start the first quarter off with several buckets from long range to put South ahead early. Foul trouble would bring Josh Steele into the contest early. Steele didn’t miss a beat, helping his team with a fast-break offense, and stellar defensive performance. Bundy would also provide relief, taking a momentum-swinging charge when Williamsburg was starting to get rolling. The Jacket offense was held to only 9 points in the first quarter, and 11 in the half. The Cardinals took a commanding 39-11 lead into the half.
South Laurel remained dominant in the second half. The score at the end of the quarter tallied up to 55-15. The Jackets were no match for the speed and size of the Cardinal roster. Several steals and blocks would help the squad extend their lead while limiting the Williamsburg offense. Even with starters being pulled, the South Laurel defense would hold Williamsburg to only 25 points in the entire contest.
Senior Ashton Garland talked about the defensive performance on the night from his team, and their fast-break offensive success. “We really sat down on defense, which led to them making several turnovers. We did really well pushing the ball up the court, which ultimately led to several easy layups. We really emphasized keeping our guards out wide to help outrun their bigs”.
Foul trouble hit early, which brought Josh Steele into the contest in the first quarter. Steele would knock down a three, force several turnovers, and help push the ball up the court during the district win. “When I come into the game, I plan to play as hard as I can. I really focus on sitting down and guarding the ball”.
“Tonight, I thought we played hard and rebounded the ball well,” said Davis. “We were able to create some turnovers and knock down some shots once we settled down”. 25 points are the lowest number of allowed points for the Cardinal defense on the season. “We just need to keep grinding on the defensive end and finishing possessions. Offensively, we moved the ball a lot better and weren’t as stagnant as we were the other night”.
Next up, South Laurel will host the Barbourville Tigers and Coach Taylor Monday, January 17th at 7:30 pm. South improves to 12-5 on the season and 1-1 in district play.
12 South players scored in the win.
Scoring: Garland 11, Jones 10, Payne 9, Gover 7, Mabe 6, Josh Steele 5, Brown 5, Fullmer 4, Helton 3, Jordan Steele 3, Bundy 2, Whicker 2
-Dylan Wilson, SL Basketball Media
