The North Lamar Pantherettes turned up the defensive pressure to hold the Paris Ladycats to 15 points over the final three periods and race to a 49-25 District 15-4A win Monday night in the Panther Gym.
For the second straight game, the Ladycats got off to a strong start but inconsistent play sabotaged any chance of breaking their losing skid that now has reached 11 games over 44 days. They get perhaps their best chance to break the streak and pick up their first district win on Friday when they host Pittsburg in the Wildcat Gym.
The Lady Pirates, like the Ladycats, are also winless in district heading into their Tuesday game vs. Pleasant Grove. Paris is now 4-22 for the season and 0-4 in district.
The Pantherettes (2-2 in district) took an 11-10 lead on a 3-pointer by McKayla Figueroa at the first-quarter horn, but the Ladycats stayed competitive as NL settled for mostly unsuccessful outside shots which Paris rebounded to prevent second chances.
Excessive turnovers and fouls plagued Paris in the second quarter although NL could only hit 5 of 14 free throws to stretch the lead to 22-16 at halftime. The Pantherettes finished 11 of 25 at the line.
The Ladycats had their own foul shooting woes. They made 8 of 24 for the game. During a key stretch in the middle two quarters, Paris was 4 of 17 at the line, which helped NL grow the lead to 36-21 before a Ladycat timeout with 2:10 left in the third period.
Paris made just one shot from the field in the second half, a 3-pointer by Serenity Sanders. Coupled with the poor foul shooting, any hope of a comeback was doomed.
Cap Johnson and Kiaunsha Jackson each scored 6 to top the Ladycats. Madison Morrison and Machaela Smith led the Pantherettes with 11 each.
NL also won the JV preliminary, 37-33. Irone Franklin led Paris with 12 points