The Patrick County High Lady Cougars got off to a good start against the visiting James River Lady Knights on January 21. The Lady Cougars played the 12-1 Lady Knights tough, but the shots wouldn’t fall in the second half, allowing the visitors to leave with the 28-42 win.
The Lady Cougars started strong, taking an early 4-0 lead off two Journey Moore steals and layups. Both teams played tough defense throughout the first quarter, with neither team able to get any real momentum.
Going into the second quarter tied at 12, the tough defense continued, denying either offense quality looks at the basket. After falling behind by four points at the midpoint of the quarter, 14-18, the Lady Cougars held the Lady Knights to just 1 point in the last four minutes. A Kendra Worley three-point shot with :15 to go in the half gave the Lady Cougars a 21-19 lead at the break.
“Great first half,” said Lady Cougar head coach, of his team’s performance in the first half, holding the Lady Knights to under 20 points with solid team defense.
An early James River three-point shot gave them a one point lead in the first minute, only to have the Lady Cougars battled back for a 26-22 lead two minutes in. James River would finish the quarter on an 11-0 run, finishing the third with a 26-33 lead.
In the second half, the Lady Cougars were able to get some good shots off in spite of the James River defense, but couldn’t catch a break with many of the shots rattling around the rim before falling out. The Lady Cougars held the Lady Knights to 7 points in the fourth, but it was enough for James River to take the 28-42 win.
“It was one of those nights where the basket was really tiny, and they didn’t fall for us,” said Mosely. Defensively, he liked what he saw from the Lady Cougars, particularly, how they played against the Lady Knights senior Caitlin Canada. “We did a great job on Canada. She’s a good player and she makes that team go. I thought we played her well.
It’s that defensive effort that Mosely sees as the foundation for the remainder of the season. “That’s how we’re going to build on our future. We’re just a tick away from being in that top level of teams in this district.”
Kendra Worley led the Lady Cougars with 10 points. Lilly Hazelwood added 8 points and 4 rebounds.
