Many Harlan County middle school basketball championships through the years have been won by teams with one star surrounded by role players, or sometimes even players who learned to get out of the way when the star was working.
The 2024 Rosspoint Lady Cats bear no resemblance to that kind of team as they captured a county title Thursday at Harlan County High School with the same kind of balance that helped them roll to a 15-0 record, capped by a 65-35 win over Wallins in the championship game.
The Lady Cats placed four in double figures, led by Kenadee Sturgill with 16 points, Taylynn Napier and Sasha Brackett with 14 points each and Jaycee Simpson with 10. Aiselynn Sexton chipped in with nine.
Raegan Landa paced the Lady Devils with 17 points. Mahalah Hall scored 10.
Hall’s early 3 put the Lady Devils ahead to start the game, and Wallins stayed close as Landa found success muscling her way to the basket. Five straight points by Sturgill helped Rosspoint go on top 15-13 after one quarter.
“Jaycee got some quick fouls off the bat, and we had to step off the aggression a little bit. Wallins came at us the first half, but we toughed it out and played through it,” Rosspoint coach Rob McHargue said. “I’m proud of them. This is a great group.”
Two more baske by Landa kept Wallins within two midway through the second period before Simpson found success working inside, leading to baskets for Brackett and Sturgill. The Lady Cats closed with a seven straight points to build a 26-17 halftime advantage.
Sexton scored on the outside and Brackett took over inside as Rosspoint stretched its lead to 44-29 after three quarters.
“I give credit to Wallins for coming out and playing a good first half,” McHargue said. “Shasta got into a little foul trouble, but Aiselynn hitting those corner 3s kind of pulled us out.
Napier took over in the fourth quarter, along with Simpson and Sturgill, as the Lady Cats outscored Wallins 19-6 to pull away for the 30-point victory.
It was the third straight county title for Rosspoint on the seventh- and eighth-grade level and the fifth straight for the players going back to their fourth-grade year. McHargue said success required a year-round commitment.
“You have to do summer ball. You have to do AAU. You have to travel ball,” he said.
Rosspoint plans to test itself on a bigger stage later in the month in the middle school state tournament in Lexington.
“After we beat Bell’s county team by about 30, nobody would play us. We couldn’t get a game against anybody (out of the county),” McHargue said. “That’s kind of why we’re going to the state tournament to see what we’re made of and find out where we stand.”
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Kelsie Middleton and Vanessa Griffith ended their middle school careers with identical 15-point nights to lead Black Mountain past James A. Cawood 40-24 for third place.
Natalie Moore led the Trojanettes with 13 points.
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Rosspoint (65) —Jaycee Simpson 10, Taylynn Napier 14, Kenadee Sturgill 16, Sasha Brackett 14, Aiselynn Sexton 9, Crissalyn Jones 2.
Wallins (35) — Raegan Landa 17, Mahalah Hall 10, Brooke Haywood 8.
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Black Mountain (40) — Kelsie Middleton 15, Vanessa Griffith 15, Gracie Youngs 5, Bailey Burkhart 4, Miley Botts 1.
James A. Cawood (24) — Addy Creech 5, Natalie Moore 13, Madison Woods 6.