The Jackson County Lady Generals took the 13th Region Defending Champions, South Laurel, to the ropes. Still, the Lady Cardinals came out on top 42-37 to advance to the title game on Saturday.
South Laurel took an 11-8 lead at the end of the first quarter and pulled ahead 25-19 at the half. Rachel Presley led the Lady Cardinals with nine points in the first half of play. Ciara Collins led South Laurel with 12 points and recorded two blocked shots.
The Lady Generals stepped up in the third quarter and outscored South Laurel 10-6 to close the gap at 31-29 with one quarter remaining to play. Peyton Mabe and Presley finished with nine points for the Lady Cardinals, while Gracie Turner chipped in eight points on the night.
The difference in the game turned out to be South Laurel's defensive pressure. The defending champions forced the Lady Generals to turn the ball over 18 times. South Laurel will face Corbin in the 13th Region Championship game on Saturday at 7 pm.
Tim Branstetter, Sports Writer for The Kentucky Daily