It took overtime but the Russell County Lady Lakers defeated the Lady Panthers of Cumberland County, 64-58, in Burkesville on Friday night.

A career night by senior Lady Laker Lindsay Ramage helped propel Russell County to 10-4 on the season. Ramage scored 29 points on 11 of 15 shooting and grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds. Ramage also hit seven out of eight free throws, many of those coming on "and one" plays throughout the ballgame.

Despite the district win on the road, Lady Laker coach Craig Pippen said he sees plenty of room for improvement for his squad.

"I wasn't particularly happy with our energy level," he said. "However, a district win on the road is huge."  

Pippen said Cumberland County had improved and his team was very fortunate to be able to score a victory when they leave 14 points on the free throw line

"I am proud of Lindsay Ramage and her ability to score inside," Pippen said. "She also did a nice job rebounding the ball. LeeAnn Grider did a nice job considering the fact she hasn't played in three weeks (due to a severely sprained ankle)."  

The Lady Lakers shot 46 percent from the field and outscored Cumberland County 11-5 in overtime to secure the road victory.

"We need to play with more energy and create more turnovers with our press," Pippen said. "In order for us to improve, we must understand that it takes five players at a time to play with 100 percent intensity and energy. If we start doing that, we can reach our goals."

Grider finished with 15 points and seven assists while Julie Wethington tallied nine points and six rebounds. Blair Hoover finished with seven points while Madison Loy totaled two points.  Both Ally Harris and Amanda Cooper had one point each.

"We have a tough week ahead of us," Pippen said. "We hit the road and travel to Clinton County Friday night and Campbellsville on Saturday.  For us to be successful this week, we must play with more energy and do a better job on the defensive side of the ball."

Cumberland County was led in scoring by Kayla Waid and Eliza Smith with 13 points each. Taylor Watson and Allie Davidson each scored 12 points for the Lady Panthers, who shot 44 percent from the field on the night.