Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens’ Kaylynn Blackmon, who scored 24 points, drives around a screen against Mildred.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Nevaeh Eastman of Kerens dribbles inside along the baseline in Jan. 14’s home victory.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens’ Alexia Blackmon shoots from just inside the 3-point arc during Jan. 14’s District win.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens’ Karla Orta passes the ball during her team’s Jan. 14 overtime win over Mildred.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Hayden Hawkins of Kerens decides to drive into the interior of the Mildred defense.

Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Lyrik Gunnell, who scored 15 Kerens points, operates while coached by Denise Lincoln (left) during the Jan. 14 game against Mildred.

KERENS–The Kerens Lady Cats, after beating District 18-2A foe Mildred the first time around Dec. 10 in double overtime, outlasted the same opponents Jan. 14 in a single overtime, winning 49-48.
The game went into an extra period when the Mildred Lady Eagles missed a 3-pointer off the front rim at the buzzer to end regulation while tied 45-45. With 1:39 left in the fourth period, Kerens’ Lyrik Gunnell had popped a 3-pointer to give the Lady Cats a 45-42 advantage before Mildred tied the game with 23 seconds remaining in the fourth.
Just before that, with 2:20 left in the fourth, Kaylynn Blackmon had tied the game for Kerens at 42-42 by swishing a 3-pointer at the top of the key. And, while Kerens led 45-43 in the fourth (Mildred had made a free throw), Hayden Hawkins had taken a charge for Kerens, ending a Lady Eagle possession with 45 seconds left in what became the penultimate period.
In overtime, Kaylynn Blackmon made three free throws, and Gunnell added another, totaling 4 Kerens points. Mildred made three of their free throws, and when the dust settled, Kerens had prevailed.
The Navarro County night started with Hawkins giving Kerens the first lead, then Peyton Priddy banked in a Lady Cat 3-pointer to give Kerens an 8-0 early advantage. Mildred first got on the scoreboard with 5:12 left in the first period. After that, Gunnell made another Kerens 3-pointer to increase the Lady Cat lead to 11-3, which Mildred cut to 11-7 before Nevaeh Eastman extended Kerens’ lead to 12-7 followed by Hawkins driving into the paint for a layup to allow the Lady Cats to lead 14-7 entering the second period.
Kerens took a 16-7 second-period lead, which Mildred whittled to 18-17 before Kaylynn Blackmon’s basket with 3:09 left before halftime cushioned the Kerens margin to 20-17. Later, with 27 seconds left in the first half, Mildred tied the contest at 22-22 with a 3-pointer. Then, with 10.23 seconds remaining before halftime, Eastman’s single free throw put Kerens back on top at 23-22 entering intermission.
In the third period, Mildred surged in front, 30-24. That’s when Hawkins scored a Kerens basket, and her Lady Cats teammates (including Kaylynn Blackmon) added four more points to cut Mildred’s advantage at the time to 32-30, which held entering the furious fourth period.
Kaylynn Blackmon led Kerens with 24 points, including her three overtime free throws. Gunnell added 15 points, Hawkins had 4 points while Priddy and Eastman each contributed 3 Lady Cat points.