13th Region Girls Pairings

The Corbin Lady Redhounds and Whitley County Lady Colonels participated in the 13^th Region Basketball draw at the Arena Saturday morning. Whitley County will play North Laurel in the first-round of the tournament Monday night at 6:30 p.m., while Corbin will take on lower bracket favorite, Clay County Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m.

This year’s draw saw the host district go first with Knox Central landing in the bottom bracket, Harlan County then drew into the third slot with Clay County drawing out the number five pill. That left the Lady Colonels with the number one position on the bracket.

In filling the top bracket, Barbourville got to draw and landed opposite Harlan County. North Laurel was placed against Whitley County.

In the bottom bracket Corbin landed against Clay County with Bell County meeting Knox Central in the final slot.

Corbin Coach Jennifer Parsons said. “We’ve been in this situation before where we have had to pick the top team and your goal at this point is to make it through three games.”

“You’re going to have to play that top team sometime whether it be the first game or the last game and that is how we are going to approach it,” she said. “We did not play well against them the last time, I thought we came out of the gate strong and ready, but we just kind of stopped. Knowing that we played one quarter out of four is not indication how the game can be for us.”

The Lady Colonels are the top team in the upper bracket, but got a tough draw having to play against North Laurel. Whitley County beat the Lady Jaguars twice this season, 75-58 at North Laurel and 50-38 in the Cumberland Falls Invitational.

The Lady Colonels are the hottest team in the region, winning 13 games in a row and 17 out of their last 18. They are 18-1 against 13^th region foes with the only loss coming against the defending champion, Clay County Lady Tigers.

“I like opening up the tournament, we did in the district and if you’re going to play it might as well be that first game,” Whitley County Coach Larry Anderson said. “When you get to this point there is no easy draws. You have to come in ready to play or you will go to the house.”

“It’s survive and advance at this point,” he added. “Everybody knows each other and if you come in an execute well then you are going to be OK.”

“North Laurel is a very athletic team,” Anderson said. “They are a hard match up for us because their bigs like to come out on the floor. They go to the boards well. We are going to have to match their intensity level.”
“Eddie (Mahan) has done a great job keeping them focused and playing hard,” Anderson said. North Laurel lost in the district finals to Clay County, 59-43. The Lady Jaguars are 8-24 on the season.