One day after the 2023 season ended for the Cawood Lady Comets, work and focus shifted to 2024.
With more of their kay players back, Cawood rolled through the season without a loss, including a pair of hard-fought victories over defending champ Rosspoint. The Lady Comets capped the perfect season with a third win over Rosspoint, this time in the county finals on Tuesday at Harlan County High School. The game was tied after both the second and third quarters before guard Addy Cochran took over down the stretch with six of her team’s eight points in the third quarter in a 28-26 victory.
“After losing in the championship game last year, these girls knew they had a purpose and that was to win a county championship. They put in the work they needed to, and it paid off for them tonight,” said Cawood coach Emily Ford, who led the boys seventh- and eighth-grade team to a county championship last February.
Pressure defense had been the key to the Lady Comets’ success all season and it paid off again Tuesday as both teams struggled to score much of the night.
“Our pressure and intensity held up on this big floor,” Ford said.
Campbell Thompson scored 10 points to lead the 14-0 Lady Comets. Addy Cochran and Bella Ford each added seven points with Cochran scoring six of her team’s eight points in the final period, including a free throw with 12 seconds left to put Cawood up by two after a basket by Rosspoint’s Andrea Napier. Rosspoint got the ball back in the closing seconds before Cochran sealed the win with a steal.
Napier and Crissalyn Jones each scored six points for the 12-3 Lady Cats.
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Macy Middleton broke a tie by hitting two free throws with 9.9 seconds left to give Evarts a 39-37 win over James A. Cawood to capture third place.
Sadie Clark scored 21 points and Middleton added 14 to lead the Lady Cats. Clark and Middleton are both fourth graders
Addy Creech poured in 18 points to lead the Trojanettes.
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Cawood (28) — Addy Cochran 7, Bella Ford 7, Campbell Thompson 10, Katie Napier 4.
Rosspoint (26) — Andrea Napier 6, Lillie Carver 5, Annie Burton 5, Crissalyn Jones 6, Blakley Snelling 4.
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Evarts (39) — Macy Middleton 14, Sadie Clark 21, Bailey Haynes 4.
James A. Cawood (37) — Addy Creech 18, Cidda Middleton 4, Embrey Engle 10, Madison Barrett 3, Lily Dean 2.
