LADY BEARCATS TAKE OVER IN SECOND HALF

Layla Byrum and Carah Miller led a 13-0 run that opened the second half and the Booneville Lady Bearcats drummed Paris 63-30 Friday night.

The Lady Bearcats (6-4, 2-0 Conference 3A-1) scored 40 second half points to extend their regular season conference game winning streak to 19.

The decisive run — it was 23-17 at the half — started with back-to-back assists from Byrum to Miller on successive possessions.

Miller, who had earlier in the day been named the 2023 Basketball Homecoming Queen, had been on the bench after picking up two fouls within seconds midway through the opening quarter.

Miller would score 10 in the quarter and finish with 18 points and nine rebounds.

Byrum had a third assist on a 3 by Leigh Swint and it was 30-17. A Swint assist to Miller made it a 15-point lead and when Linley Garrett hit Swint for a score it was 34-17.

Byrum’s fourth assist of the run was on a 3 by Lexi Franklin and the lead was 20.

Franklin had 12 at that point but went on to a game-high 23 to go with six steals.

Paris got within 16 with 1:16 left in the third quarter but a Miller basket closed the scoring for the quarter and a Franklin 3 — on Byrum’s fifth assist of the half — started the final quarter and made it 45-24.

Franklin and Miller pushed the lead to 50-26 and Swint hit a pair of free throws on a technical foul for a 26-point cushion.

Franklin, who scored 10 in the quarter, and Miller scored the next eight Lady Bearcat points to start the running clock with 2:17 to play and a JJ Keatts 3 set the final.

The Lady Bearcats had scored the first five points of the game, their first since December 19, but Paris scored the next seven.

A 3 by Franklin started a 7-0 Lady Bearcat run and, though Paris was once within 12-11, the Lady Bearcats led the rest of the way.

A conventional three-point play by Garrett gave the Lady Bearcats a six point lead with 3:23 left in the first half and Franklin pushed it to eight before the Lady Bearcats settled for a 23-17 halftime advantage.

The Lady Bearcats will be after a 20th straight conference win win they visit Two Rivers Tuesday. Tip-off is at 6 p.m.