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For the second straight Tuesday, the George Rogers Clark Cardinals and Lady Cardinals hosted a team from Paris, and the second straight Tuesday, they swept both games.

The Lady Cards and Cards each improved to 15-1 following victories against Bourbon County on January 9th.

During the first matchup, a new starting lineup emerged for the Lady Cards, with junior forward Ciara Byars – out for the season with an ACL injury – on the bench to support the team.

While it might have taken the Lady Cards a moment longer to gel, as new lineups mean adjustments to team chemistry, the results didn’t change.

The team scored the first 15 points of the game against the Lady Colonels (1-14), and went on to a convincing 74-26 victory.

“It was difficult after the news we’ve gotten this week, but we just had to play together, and we did,” said senior Makili Tabor. “We [have] got to keep doing that as a team.”

After the Lady Cards ended the first quarter with a 15-5 advantage, they looked to extend the lead to begin the second quarter.

Sophomore Annette Miller, who gained some attention last season for her play in the Lady Cards’ Final Four matchup against defending state champion Sacred Heart, helped make a statement.

She scored all 12 of her points in the second quarter, six coming on a pair of 3-point shots in consecutive possessions.

“I am just trying to prove to Coach Graham and all the coaching staff that I can do what I believe I can do,” Miller said. “I did feel comfortable. It was a little odd at first because I wasn’t in my normal spot, but I just had to adjust…how I was going to play.”

Well-known for their defense, the Lady Cards also increased their offensive output as the game continued.

Miller, Kennedy Stamper, Teigh Yeast, Anaya Chestnut and Jailenn Green all scored in double figures.

Green was the Lady Cards’ leading scorer with 14 points.

“We share the ball a lot, and we just look for the open player every time,” Tabor added.

Immediately following the Lady Cards’ victory, the Cards took to the floor against the Colonels (7-7).

While jumping out to a twenty-point halftime lead, the Cards were aided by Reshaun Hampton, who tied for the team lead with 16 points and delivered on a 3-point shot with seconds left before halftime.

However, led by 14 points from junior Kaden Hilander, an improved Bourbon County team cut into the lead and challenged the Cards through the second half.

Yet they were ultimately no match for the Cards and Montez Gay, who also scored 16 points – including seven in the third quarter and three on the final play of the opening quarter – as the Cards moved on to a 68-46 win.

“Our goal is just to win, and everything else falls into place,” said Gay.

Assistant coach Bryce Gomes spoke about the team’s offensive and defensive prowess.

“They changed their defenses up quite a bit on us tonight, and we adjusted well,” Gomes said. “Getting up in their passing lanes, putting ball pressure [on], [and] changing our defenses up threw them off. When we’re playing good defense is when everyone is doing their job.”

The Lady Cards and Cards play a doubleheader in Montgomery County on Friday night.

Both teams also play Saturday in the Martin Luther King Jr. Classic at GRC Arena, with the Lady Cards taking on Holy Cross of Covington (11-4) at 5:15 p.m. and the Cards playing Johnson Central (7-5) at 7:00 p.m.