Lexie Holland

Lexie Holland calls for the ball during Lyon County’s 48-42 loss against Livingston Central.

 JENNIFER HAINES | Herald Ledger

The Lyon County Lady Lyons faced a tough loss to their Fifth District rivals, the Livingston Central Lady Cardinals, on Friday, Jan. 6 in Smithland. The 48-42 loss was the first for the Lady Lyons against the Lady Cardinals since 2018. Livingston had control of the game from the opening whistle, using an early lead and fending off a fourth quarter Lady Lyon rally to earn the victory.

The Lady Cardinals were led by a standout performance from sophomore Victoria Joiner, who scored 16 points in the first quarter, including three 3-pointers, to put the Lady Cardinals ahead 16-8 after the first eight minutes. The Lady Lyons struggled to get their offense going in the first half, only managing to score two baskets in the second quarter, while Joiner and her teammates put up 11 more points to go into halftime with a 27-12 lead.

By the end of the third quarter, a 3-pointer from Emersyn Ramage pushed the lead to 15 points, 39-24. With just over four minutes left in the game, the Lady Lyons began to mount a comeback effort. Ella DeFew’s 10-foot runner and a drive to the lane by Trinity Taylor cut the deficit to 10, 42-32. Joiner’s basket and free throw extended the lead to 44-36, but Taylor’s foul shot put the margin to six, 44-38.

In the final seconds, a Livingston turnover gave the Lady Lyons the ball with an opportunity to trim the lead to one possession, but Aubrey Leahy came up with a steal and hit two free throws to seal the win for the Lady Cardinals. Joiner led the scoring for the Lady Cardinals with 23 points, as well as pulling down 16 of the team’s 34 rebounds. Ramage also hit double digits for Livingston with 12 points.

Taylor was the lone Lady Lyon in double figures with 17 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. She also finished the night with eight rebounds, behind Courtney Collins who had 10. Taylor also shot 7-for-10 from the free throw line. Lexi Holland added nine points, while Lilly Perry and Piper Cotham each had five.

Overall, Lyon County netted three more rebounds, 37-34, than the Lady Cardinals. However, Lyon County’s shots just weren’t falling, as the Lyons were only 1-for-14 from three-point range and shot 23% from the field compared to Livingston’s 40%. The Cardinals also outperformed the Lady Lyons from the free throw line, shooting 13-for-26, while Lyon County missed several attempts, shooting 11-for-20.

The Lady Lyons will get a shot at redemption on Thursday in the semi-final round of the All “A” Classic when they meet again at University Heights Academy.