Coming off of a tough loss on Thursday night to Providence, the Switzerland County Lady Pacers bounced back on Saturday afternoon, taking control early and cruising to a 62-32 win over New Washington.
The Lady Pacers jumped out early and hard, scoring the first 12 points of the game and never looking back.
Makenzie Mathews got things started with a basket, and Kelsi Konkle followed that with a steal and converted that to a layup for a score. Brooke Todd then wove her way inside for a score; and Whitley Schirmer, in her first action since spraining her ankle in the Rivertown Classic, made it four straight scores from four different players. Todd followed that with a pair of freethrows; and when Hope Tankersley scored, it was 12-0 with 3:24 to go.
The Lady Mustangs got on the board with a basket by Macie McCarty; but Mathews immediately erased any thought of a comeback with a three-pointer for Switzerland County. New Washington’s Gracie Krouse answered that with a three-pointer; but a hot-shooting Mathews got free and drilled her second trey of the quarter, and the period came to a close with Switzerland County in front by a score of 18-5.
Schirmer opened the second quarter with a jumper in the lane; and after Haley Tye answered that for New Washington with a pair of freethrows; Todd again found a way through the lane for a basket; and followed that with a freethrow to expand the advantage to 23-7.
McCarty made a freethrow for New Washington; but Todd answered that with two charities to keep the lead at 17. Madison Fields scored inside for New Washington to stop a run, but Switzerland County answered that with baskets by Todd and Schirmer, and the first half came to a close with the Lady Pacers well in control, 29-10.
The third quarter opened with Schirmer scoring; and after Samantha Crace scored; the Lady Pacers went on a mini run, getting a three-point play by Todd, another basket by Todd, and a jumper from Mathews to extend the lead to 38-12. Krouse made two freethrows to temporarily stop the onslaught, but the Lady Pacers would end the quarter with a run of nine straight: a basket by Mathews, a basket by Tankersley, a three-point play by Mathews, and a jumper from Konkle; and with eight minutes to play, Switzerland County led by a score of 47-14.
The final stanza opened with Tye hitting two freethrows for New Washington; and after Todd scored for the Lady Pacers, Krouse converted a pair of charities for the Lady Mustangs. Kinley Morton scored inside for Switzerland County; and Tye scored for New Washington. The Lady Pacers then got a three-point play from Schirmer, a basket by Konkle and another bucket by Schirmer to push the lead to near 40; and the game ended with New Washington spending a lot of time at the freethrow line as Coach Ashley Kitts cleared her bench and got her reserves some playing time. Taylar Jordan had two freethrows before she left the contest; and Caitlynn Morris also scored in her first varsity action.
At the final horn, Switzerland County had earned its 13th win of the season by a 30-point margin, 62-32.
Todd led the Lady Pacers in scoring with 18 points; and also had four rebounds and four assists. Mathews finished with 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals; and Schirmer was also in double figures with 11 points, and tacked on five rebounds.
Konkle had eight pints, a rebound, five steals, and a blocked shot; Tankersley had four points, two rebounds and three steals; and Jordan had two points and five rebounds. Morton had two points and five rebounds; and Morris had two points.
Krouse led New Washington with 13 points; and Tye was also in double figures with 10.
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In the junior varsity game, Switzerland County defeated New Washington by a score of 48-32.
Emerson Schroer was the leading scorer for the Lady Pacers with 14 points; while Jody Breeck and Kinley Morton were each in double figures with 10. Lexie Lay had five points; Rylee Hankins had four points; Haley Gerster added three points; and Sierra Hamilton contributed two points.