Loogootee Jr-Sr High School

On Saturday morning, the Lady Lions shook off over a week of inactivity due to last Sunday’s snowstorm, welcoming the 2A #5-ranked North Knox Lady Warriors for a tough matchup. The game opened with back-and-forth action, as junior Ava Jeffers and the Lady Warriors traded early baskets. Freshman Lydia Hawkins followed with a pair of mid-range jumpers, keeping things close at 8–9 North Knox. Jeffers later found Alexis Heckard up the floor against the press, and junior Alaina Diamond got going midway through the second quarter, scoring to tie the game at 13–13. Diamond added a putback to give the Lady Lions the lead, which North Knox quickly answered. Diamond then attacked the rim and stepped out to knock down a three, making it 20–21. North Knox responded with a second-chance three of their own, but a Jeffers bucket sent the teams into halftime with the Lady Lions trailing 22–24. North Knox opened the third quarter with a basket, but Diamond drew contact and converted from the free-throw line. Hawkins followed with a quick pull-up three to reclaim the lead at 27–26, but North Knox answered immediately with a three and went on a 6–0 run. Diamond responded with an and-one finish at the rim, and both Jeffers and Diamond continued to attack downhill before a Coach Smith timeout with Loogootee trailing 33–35. Out of the timeout, North Knox extended the run to 10–2, with the lone Lady Lion bucket coming from Heckard. Diamond stopped the momentum at the line, but the Lady Lions entered the fourth quarter down 37–45. Loogootee opened the final stanza with a push of their own, as Diamond found Jeffers for a mid-range jumper before scoring herself to cut the deficit to 41–45. A 5–0 North Knox run followed, but Diamond answered with two three-pointers, bringing the score to 47–51. After a pair of North Knox free throws, Diamond completed an and-one to make it 50–53. Heckard and Sophia Toy both had chances to tie the game, but the shots would not fall. Late-game pressure couldn’t close the gap, and the Lady Lions fell 55–65. The loss moves Loogootee’s regular season record to 14–6, their best mark since 2021. The Lady Lions now turn their attention to tournament play, opening sectional action against Vincennes Rivet at 6:00 PM Wednesday night at North Daviess. Alaina Diamond led all scorers with 30 points on 10/18 shooting, including 3/4 from three and 7/10 from the line. Ava Jeffers followed with a season-high 12 points on 6/9 shooting, along with 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Lydia Hawkins finished with 7 points on 3/4 shooting, and Alexis Heckard added 6 points on 3/5 from the field. Program Notes: With her performance, Diamond moved into 10th all-time for single-season scoring, now totaling 376 points, surpassing Ashley Fraley’s junior season (365 points). Her three rebounds also moved her into 10th on the single-season rebounding list, passing Jennifer Bullock’s 189 rebounds from 1986. We would also like to extend our thoughts and prayers to junior Alaina Diamond and her family following the passing of her mother, Julie Diamond, last Sunday. Julie was an avid Lady Lions supporter and a constant presence at games. Our hearts are with Alaina and her family during this difficult time.