Out-sized Lady Pioneers out-score Riverdale 57-48

By DALE STUBBLEFIELD / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

Lady Pioneers’ Alysa Lankford finds herself going up against a triple-team during Monday night’s freshman basketball matchup against the Riverdale Lady Warriors at the Charlie Dalton Gym. (Dale Stubblefield photo)

Monday night the freshman Lady Pioneers played their last home game of the season and closed out at home with a 57-48 win over the Lady Warriors of Riverdale. Warren County improved to 6-3 in the district and 8-7 overall.

Out-sized in the matchup, the Lady Pioneers fell behind early in the first half. Riverdale used its height advantage in the first period as it hit for 10 points, with six of those coming after offensive rebounds. Warren County scored seven points and seemed to struggle at times working the ball downcourt, but only trailed by three by the end of the quarter.

In the second period the Lady Pioneers still had trouble rebounding and found themselves trailing 20-15 with four seconds left in the half. Lauren Patterson took the ball and launched a 3-pointer as the buzzer sounded, to pull Warren County within two at the break, 20-18.

The Lady Pioneers used their speed on defense in the third period as Warren County applied backcourt pressure which resulted in several turnovers by the Lady Warriors.

Warren County put six unanswered points on the board with just under four minutes to play to take a 29 -26 lead. Riverdale’s Kendra Sanders hit from behind the arc to pull the Lady Warriors even at 29-all, but McKenna Rhea answered for Warren County as she hit the bottom of the net for three and was fouled for the four-point play.

Rhea had 14 points in the period as the Lady Pioneers closed out the third leading 35-33.

In the final period Warren County scored 14 of its 22 points in the quarter from the foul line. Brittany Steen tried to keep Riverdale in the game with six points in the period, but solid defense kept the Lady Warriors at bay. Rhea, Kara Youngblood and Patterson put the game out of reach from the foul line hitting 14-of-22 for the Lady Pioneers and securing their nine- point win.

Rhea led all scores with 27 points. Youngblood hit for 10 and Patterson had eight points. Krista Dillard and Alysa Lankford had six points each for the Lady Pioneers. Warren County was 18-of-33 from the line.

Riverdale hit 10-of-24 from the stripe. For the Lady Warriors, Autumn Haynes had 15 followed by Devin Thompson with eight. Sanders and Brittany Steen had seven points each to lead Riverdale.