True to his word, Evarts coach Alan Ford has his Lady Cats turning up their defensive intensity.

Now, they just have to figure out how to score.

The Lady Cats shot a woeful 22 percent (16-for-72) from the floor Thursday as they fell to visiting Bell County 65-42.

“We've got to score,” Ford said. “Our good shooters are pressing. They feel like if they don't make the shots they've made the last few years, they're going to die or something.

“They're not getting set on two feet and following through. They're rushing the ball. Until we learn to shoot, it's going to be a dismal road.”

On the upside, the Lady Cats committed just four turnovers in the second half while forcing Bell County into 11.

“We got a little sloppy with the basketball,” Bell County coach Richard Gambrel said. “Plus, I used a lot of substitutes who haven't had a lot of varsity experience.”

With a pair of 5-foot-10 players starting in the frontcourt, the Lady Bobcats had a clear height advantage over Evarts, which doesn't have a starter over 5-5. Bell used the advantage to dominate the boards, outrebounding the Lady Cats 64-44.

“That was a major factor,” Gambrel said. “I didn't realize how big of a size advantage we had. That was a huge advantage for us - no pun intended.”

Ford said part of the battle was lost before the game even began.

“It was mental and physical. Our girls walked out on the floor and looked up at those girls, and they were intimidated,” he said. “They can't be intimidated.”

The Lady Bobcats scored the first six points of the game on a pair of free throws by Katie Dixon and baskets by forward Brooke Smith and center Teagan Brock. Evarts countered with a runner by Tiffany Jones and a putback by Beth Cochran.

But Bell closed the period with eight straight points, including another basket and a free throw by Brock, to take a 14-4 lead into the second quarter.

The Lady Cats picked up their scoring in the second quarter, pouring in 15 points and using several small spurts to stay close. But the Lady Bobcats answered every challenge with baskets of their own and held a 34-19 lead at the half.

Bell forward Katelyn King scored all nine of her points in the period to lead the Lady Bobcats.

Any doubt about the game's outcome was erased when Bell outscored the Lady Cats 17-9 in the third period. Smith, a senior forward, led the way with eight of her game-high 12 points.

With the game wrapped up, both teams substituted liberally in the fourth quarter. The Lady Cats' intense defensive effort led to numerous fouls, allowing Bell to shoot 18 free throws in the final period. For the game, the Lady Bobcats hit 23 of 38 attempts from the line, compared to just five of 18 for Evarts.

The win gave the Lady Bobcats their second district victory in four days. Bell County (2-0 overall, 2-0 district) will play host to Lee, Va., in the first game of a girls-boys doubleheader tonight.

Evarts (0-2 overall, 0-1 district) will play host to Oneida Baptist on Saturday.

Ford is hopeful that the Lady Cats can fix their shooting woes.

“For our seniors, it's mental,” he said. “For our younger kids, they just have to shoot, shoot, shoot. We've got good shooters on the floor. It's just like playing darts: If you try to make a shot, you'll miss it, but if you shoot and follow through, you'll make it. We're trying too hard to make a shot.

“The margin was wider tonight than against Barbourville (in a 48-43 loss Tuesday), but I think we improved tonight.”