With everyone back for the Livingston Central Lady Cardinals, they will set their sights on Crittenden County – the team that beat them in the championship game of both the All A Classic region and 5th District tournament last season.
Lisa Corley’s team struggled down the stretch last year, losing 13 of its final 17 games. That coincided with a season-ending injury to Hadley Hargrove who played multiple positions as a starter.
If the sophomore is able to give the Lady Cardinals a full season, they should be able to again compete for both the All A region and district titles in 2023-24.
Junior Victoria Joiner is the straw that stirs the Lady Cardinal drink. She scored 15.5 points and grabbed 10 rebounds a game last year and passed the 1,000-point mark.
Joiner’s ability to get into the paint and finish is the biggest factor in her ability to fill a stat sheet. She also accounted for 41 percent of Livingston Central’s free throw attempts – shooting 60 percent from the line.
Joiner’s ability to play inside or outside makes junior Emersyn Ramage a valuable cog in the Lady Cardinal offense. The All-District performer scored seven points and pulled down nearly 10 boards while shooting 48 percent from the floor. Ramage is a physical player who needs to stay out of foul trouble for the Lady Cardinals to excel each night.
Junior Maggie Downey returns to run the point for the Lady Cardinals after scoring eight points a game. She tied Joiner for the most 3-pointers made (35).
Sophomore Aubrey Leahy can also run the point and gives the Lady Cardinals an extra guard against teams who like to press. The junior scored six points a game and was third on the team in rebounding.
Her little sister Taylor saw considerable playing time as a seventh grader last year when Hargrove missed time with injury.
Corley’s rotation is pretty much the same as last year and the nucleus is the same as two years ago. With no seniors on the roster, Livingston Central should be set up for success in the next two seasons.
They would love getting return shots at Crittenden County but also must contend with Lyon County in what should be a hotly contested district and All A Region race.
Keeping starters on the floor and improving a 52 percent free throw shooting clip will be the key things to watch from Livingston Central in 2023-24. The Lady Cardinals open the season on Nov. 28 at Graves County.
