The Mountain Eagle
WHITESBURG WEATHER

Girls hope players return





Kentucky players, including Kyle Wiltjer (33) and Terrence Jones (3), celebrated a play against Vanderbilt in the second half of their game in Nashville. Kentucky won 69-63. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Kentucky players, including Kyle Wiltjer (33) and Terrence Jones (3), celebrated a play against Vanderbilt in the second half of their game in Nashville. Kentucky won 69-63. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

The 25th ranked Letcher County Central Lady Cougars, 22-4, hope to have starters Julie Cornett and Vannah Breeding back in uniform by next week’s district tournament. Breeding has been out of action since early January, while Cornett has been sidelined for the past week.

Beginning next Monday evening, the Jenkins High School Lady Cavaliers will host this season’s 53rd District Tournament. The Lady Cougars, the top seed, will take on fourth seed Cordia on Monday at 6 p.m.

On Tuesday (Feb. 21) second seed Knott County Central will play third seed Jenkins at 7:30 p.m.

The girls’ district championship will be on Friday evening (Feb. 24) with the tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m.

Letcher Central 68

Jenkins 45

The Lady Cougars, minus the services of junior forward Julie Cornett, the team’s second leading scorer and leading rebounder, defeated host Jenkins Friday night to end the regular season unbeaten in district play (6-0).

LCC, which has been without junior forward Vannah Breeding for nearly five weeks, used a very effective perimeter game to de- feat the Lady Cavs. Guards Kelah Eldridge, Haley Whitaker and Cheyanne Stidham combined to score 54 of the team’s 68 points.

LCC led 21-6 by the end of the opening quarter, 39-21 by the break and 49-32 entering the final period.

The Lady Cavs refused to quit and stayed competitive behind the scoring of eighth-grader Whitney Creech and senior Kayla Stambaugh. Creech finished with a game-high tying 21 points and Stambaugh wound up with 13 points.

Kelah Eldridge also had 21 points to lead LCC, which improved to 21-4. Haley Whitaker scored 17 points and Cheyanne Stidham finished with 16. Kelly Adams added six points and Erica Meade five. Keisha Collins scored two points and Kelli Quillen one point.

Sophomore Sydney Yonts added five points for 9-16 Jenkins. Se- niors Blake Caudill scored four points and Lauren Barnett finished with two.

Letcher Central 70

Hazard 27

The visiting Lady Cougars’ defensive pressure forced numerous turnovers as LCC easily won at Hazard on Feb. 6.

With senior guard Erica Meade leading both the defensive and offensive charge, the Lady Cougars ran out to a commanding 22-2 lead by the end of the first quarter. LCCHS, 20-4, expanded their margin to 38-17 at the half and led 56- 20 after three quarters.

Meade finished with a game-high 20 points with Julie Cornett chipping in with 17 points. Kelah Eldridge wound up with 15 points and Cheyanne Stidhan added nine points. Haley Whitaker finished with four points and Kristina Bentley wound up with one point.

Keisha Collins and Kelly Adams wound up with two points each.

Junior Brooke Sharpey led 5- 18 Hazard with 19 points.


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