The Switzerland County Lady Pacer basketball team has been pummeled by injuries lately, but even playing Tuesday night without starter Bre Ricketts, the Lady Pacers battled to the end before falling to Jac-Cen-Del by a final score of 40-30.
The game was close throughout the first half, as Emily White opened the game with a basket; but the Lady Eagles responded with a run of seven straight points, capped by a three-pointer from Morgan Young.
Switzerland County didn’t falter, getting another bucket from Emily White and a basket by Kelly Kincaid to slice the lead to one; but again Jac-Cen-Del tried to pull away, getting a bucket from Sydney Keene; a three-pointer by Crista Roberts; a freethrow from Megan Obermeyer; and another three-pointer by Crista Roberts to make the score 16-6 with a minute to play.
An inside basket by Eve Galbreath closed the quarter, but Switzerland County had dug itself a hole, trailing 16-8.
Kelly Kincaid opened the second quarter with a basket; and after Jac-Cen-Del scored, the Lady Pacers went on a run of six points, getting two buckets from Tess Stoops and a basket by Kelly Kincaid to cut the lead down to two.
Sydney Keene scored again for the Lady Eagles; but the Lady Pacers closed the quarter with baskets by Kelly Kincaid and Emily White, and after 16 minutes of play, the teams went to the halftime break knotted at 20-20.
Switzerland County then suffered an offensive misstep in the third period, as Jac-Cen-Del came out connecting on its shots while the Lady Pacers searched for something positive.
The Lady Eagles would score the quarter’s first 10 points; and Switzerland County wouldn’t score until Tess Stoops connected with 2:20 to play in the period. After Jac-Cen-Del scored again, Emily White scored with 36-seconds to play in the quarter, but falling 12-4 in the quarter was nearly fatal, and Jac-Cen-Del went to the final period holding a 32-24 lead.
Kelsey Pilz made a freethrow for Jac-Cen-Del to open the quarter, but the Lady Pacers continued to fight to stay in the game with baskets by Eve Galbreath and Tess Stoops to climb back to within five.
Meagan Hughes then hit a huge three-pointer for the Lady Eagles; but Switzerland County wouldn’t go quietly, getting a basket from Mercedes Parham to keep the deficit at six.
Jac-Cen-Del began to play a very slow, methodical offense in the game’s final four minutes, preferring to run time off of the clock and take only sure baskets, and again Switzerland County went into the freezer offensively, not scoring over the game’s final 4:23 to fall by 10, 40-30.
Switzerland County had balanced scoring, with Kelly Kincaid, Emily White, and Tess Stoop all finishing with eight points each. Eve Galbreath had four points; and Mercedes Parham finished with two.
Kelsey Pilz led Jac-Cen-Del with 10 points.
In an unusual line score, all 30 of Switzerland County’s points came from field goals. The Lady Pacers made no three-pointers, and did not even attempt a freethrow in the game, as Jac-Cen-Del was whistled for only four fouls during the entire contest – and all of those were in the first half.
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In the junior varsity game, Switzerland County fell to Jac-Cen-Del by a 36-24 count.
Carleigh Hughes led the way for the Lady Pacers, finishing with 16 points, including four three-pointers.
Jacqueline Hensley finished with four points; and Hailee Lay and Susie Reyes had two points each.
The Lady Pacers now stand at 2-15 on the year, and have a week off before hosting Rising Sun in a battle for the “Ruler of the River” trophy next Tuesday night.