Rough shooting night dooms Lady Pioneers
Less than a week ago, the WCHS varsity girls learned it’s hard to win a basketball game when your shots won’t fall.
The Lady Pioneer freshman team had that lesson hammered home Monday night, as they connected on just 25 percent of their efforts and fell to visiting Riverdale, 47-32.
Trailing by double digits early, the Lady Pioneers fought their way within six points by the end of the third quarter. But their old nemesis — the turnover — came back to rear its ugly head in the game’s final stanza as the Lady Warriors pulled away for the win.
Warren County connected on 11 of its 44 attempts from the field, including two of 15 from 3-point range. A 2-for-12 clip in the first half proved costly, as Savannah Rutledge and Kelah Walker provided their teams only field goals. Riverdale started strong, posting 14 points to take a 14-5 lead by the quarter’s end.
The Lady Pioneers played tough defense early in Monday’s game, forcing 10 Riverdale turnovers in the first half, and stayed within sight of the Lady Warrior lead, which benefited from back-to-back Alex Bivens 3-pointers to swell to 28-15 by halftime.
WCHS chipped away at Riverdale’s advantage in the third, with Elizabeth Lavoie scoring six points and Walker adding a 3-pointer to help the Lady Pioneers amass 13 points in the quarter. Riverdale, which hit just one field goal on 11 tries in the period, managed six points to hold a 34-28 lead heading into the fourth.
The final period was all Lady Warriors, however, as WCHS was held without a point until the 4:09 mark, when Elizabeth Kennamer hit two free throws. Jessica Ford had her team’s only field goal of the final quarter when she scored with 1:25 left to play.
Lavoie finished with eight points and six rebounds for the Lady Pioneers, while Kennamer and Walker had seven each. Rutledge chipped in five, while Ford had four and Ashlin Martin added a free throw.
Riverdale was led by Jessica Whitens, who posted a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Bivens had 16 points, while Chelsey Butrum had five, Nikki Talley scored four, Kelsey Woodruff had three and Rachel Frazee had two. The Lady Warriors out-rebounded the Lady Pioneers 33-15, and forced 24 WCHS turnovers.
The Lady Pioneers are scheduled to travel to White County Thursday night, for a 6 p.m. tipoff.