Coach Ashley Chase’s Switzerland County Lady Pacer varsity basketball team put together four solid quarters of basketball on Saturday afternoon against New Washington, but the Lady Pacers couldn’t keep up with a wide open Lady Mustang offense, and New Washington emerged with a 72-59 win.
Both teams played a very even first quarter, with New Washington pulling out to a 15-12 advantage after eight minutes of play.
The real deciding factor in the game came in the second period, when New Washington outscored Switzerland County by a 25-12 mark to take a 40-24 lead into the halftime break.
Switzerland County continued to battle coming out of the break, playing New Washington to a 15-15 third quarter tie, but the Lady Pacers were unable to narrow the lead with a quarter to play.
In the final quarter, the Switzerland County offense got rolling, outscoring New Washington by a 20-17 count, but it was not enough to erase the deficit that was created in the second stanza.
Freshman Eve Galbreath had another outstanding game, finishing with 21 points and seven rebounds. Senior Kelly Kincaid finished in double figures with 17 points, including two three-pointers, and she also had a team-high eight rebounds and six assists.
Tess Stoops finished with seven points; Allie Mathews and Vicky Abbott had four points each; Emily White and Hailee Lay finished with two points each; and Mercedes Parham and Jacqueline Hensley each contributed one point.
Freethrow shooting let the Lady Pacers down in the game, as Switzerland County was just 9-for-20 from the line; and New Washington won the rebound battle by a 36-33 count.
Because of illness and injury, there was no junior varsity game.