MONTICELLO – Lawrence County and North Pike split a Region 7-4A basketball doubleheader Friday night. In girls’ action, Lance Golmon’s Lady Jaguars, buoyed by a strong third quarter, defeated the Lady Cougars, 60-55.

The varsity boys game saw Lawrence County pull away in the fourth quarter to beat North Pike 66-49.

North Pike 60, LCHS 55

The girls’ game was tied 23-23 at halftime, but North Pike came out and dominated the third quarter, as Lawrence County suffered one turnover after another against the Lady Jaguars’ full-court pressure.

North Pike stretched its lead to as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter, though LCHS cut into that insurmountable margin in the final moments.

Zana McCray led North Pike with 27 points and Rickera Martin had 16. They combined for 43 of North Pike’s 60 points, as only five Lady Jaguars scored in the game.

North Pike improved to 11-6 overall, and 4-0 in Region 7-4A play.

Lawrence County got 15 points and 10 rebounds from junior center DaKendra Collins. Shayla Kees added 15 points and 7 rebounds. North Pike held Brittany McDuffey, Lawrence County’s leading scorer, to just 6 points. Vicki Rutland’s girls fell to 9-9 overall, and 2-2 in the division.

“The girls played hard,” Rutland said. “We just turned the ball over too much. That’s been the big issue for us this season. We’ll keep working at it, trying to get better. We’ll have to, if we want to have the type season we’ve become accustomed to.”

LCHS 66, North Pike 49

The boys game was fast-paced and rough, with the two teams combining to shoot 53 free throws. It was competitive throughout, with Lawrence County pulling away only in the final 4 minutes.

Brandon Daniels led the Cougars with 22 points. Freshman Gabriel Lewis hit three 3-pointers en route to a 13-point night. Lawrence County improved to 10-8 overall, and 2-2 in the division.

“The effort was very good,” said LCHS mentor Pat Bridges. “We defended pretty well, though their guards are so quick they’re not easy to defend. We shot the ball pretty well.

“We had a freshman to step up and hit some outside shots, and that was big for us.”

Xavius Turner led North Pike with 19 points. Devin Abram added 13, and D’Hendrick Wells had 11. That trio scored 43 of the Jaguars’ 49 points.

Coach Keith Russ’ team fell to 8-9 overall, and 1-3 in region play.

Region play resumes on Tuesday. Lawrence County hosts Purvis, and North Pike will host South Pike.