VINCENT - Sooner or later, somebody has to actually put the basketball through the hoop.
The Warren Lady Warriors and Gallia Academy Blue Angels combined to shoot 34 percent from the field in a Southeastern Ohio Athletic League matchup at Warren High School Wednesday night.
But in the end the Lady Warriors got a few more chances to put the ball through the basket courtesy of the defense as Warren took a 51-32 win to open SEOAL play.
"It was a good win for us. It was our first league victory," said Warren girls' basketball coach Amy Colgrove. "Anytime we get a win it's good."
Warren forced Gallia Academy into 29 turnovers and held the Blue Angels to just 13-of-44 shooting from the field, and when the Blue Angels turned the ball over the Lady Warriors capitalized at the other end.
"Looking at our stats we had 29 turnovers and we were 28 percent from the field," said Gallia Academy girls' basketball coach Renee Barnes. "It's hard to win when you have 29 turnovers and shoot 28 percent."
Shooting woes plagued both teams throughout the game, particularly early as Gallia Academy was 2-for-12 from the field in the first quarter and Warren was 4-for-14. About the only thing that went right to start the game was the free throw shooting and the defense.
By the time the game ended, even the free throw shooting was gone for the two schools as Warren was 6-of-14 at the line and Gallia Academy was 4-of-10.
"You look at our past two games, this is exactly what's been our nemesis," Colgrove said. "There's no excuse to be missing those."
It was quite simply a tough day for the offenses, which combined for 45 turnovers and didn't have a single girl get into double figures in scoring. Warren's Allie Grace Proctor and Emma Ryan led all scorers with just nine points each.
"We stress defense more than we do the offense. Defense has got to be our constant, especially right now when we're struggling with the offense," Colgrove said.
Despite they're shooting woes, the Lady Warriors never trailed in the contest as they opened the game's scoring when Kendra Lynch converted a layup off an assist from Proctor with 6:44 to play in the first stanza.
Proctor's pair of free throws put Warren ahead 5-0 with 3:57 left in the first. After that point the Lady Warriors never led by fewer than five points in the game.
Gallia Academy didn't get onto the scoreboard until Brittany Lloyd hit a layup off an assist from Mattie Lanham with 2:57 in the opening quarter. Ciara Jackson's putback basket as time expired in the first send the teams into the second quarter with the Lady Warriors leading 11-6.
After shooting a combined 23 percent in the first half, the offenses improved dramatically in the second quarter, but not enough to overcome the sluggish start for both squads.
"We're missing layups. We're missing little two-footers we've got to make," Barnes said.
Warren pulled away from the Blue Angels to start the second as Amy Fleming hit a layup off an assist from Jordanna Rauch, propelling the Lady Warriors on a 13-2 run to start the second quarter.
Warren led 24-8 when Fleming converted another short jumper, this time off an assist from Mackenzie Brooks, with 3:15 to play before half.
Halley Barnes basket with 2:53 before the break helped Gallia Academy close out the first half on a 7-6 run, with her putback basket with 18 seconds left in the half setting the score at the break, 30-15, in favor of Warren.
At the break, Gallia Academy had 14 rebounds with seven of its 15 points coming off putbacks. The Lady Warriors had 17 rebounds at the break with six second chance points.
"In the first half they had like eight second chance points. It was all off of backside rebounds," Colgrove lamented.
Outscoring Gallia Academy 19-9 in the second quarter, the Lady Warriors couldn't keep up the offensive success as the teams each scored 13 in the third.
Gallia Academy scored its first consecutive points midway through the stanza when Mattie Lanham hit a three-pointer off an assist from Heather Ward and then Ward proceeded to hit a jumper off a dish from Kendra Barnes with 3:28 in the period, making the score 36-25.
"We're getting better. That's what counts. That's what you gotta do," coach Barnes said.
Leading 43-28 going into the final stanza, the Lady Warriors began working the ball around and taking time off the clock before pounding it inside to the post, where Warren had a strong advantage.
In the paint, the Lady Warriors had their post players account for 30 of the team's 52 points, with Ryan and Proctor's nine combined with Fleming and Kasey White's six each.
"I thought our inside girls played really well, and we ran our offense more to get it inside," Colgrove said.
White's layup basket off an assist from Lynch with 1:46 to play proved to be the final points scored in the game, as it put the Lady Warriors ahead 51-32.
"We can take this game and learn from what we need to work on," Colgrove said.
Warren 51,
Gallia Academy 32
Gallia 6 9 13 4 - 32
Warren 11 19 13 8 - 51
GALLIA ACADEMY (1-5)
Heather Ward 2-13 0-3 4; Ciara Jackson 3-8 2-5 8; Brittany Lloyd 1-2 0-0 2; Halley Barnes 3-6 0-0 6; Mattie Lanham 2-5 2-2 8; Abby Wiseman 1-3 0-0 2; Kendra Barnes 0-2 0-0 0; Chelsy Slone 1-2 0-0 2; Jessica Dotson 0-1 0-0 0. Team 13-44 4-10 32. 3pt goals 2 (Lanham 2).
WARREN (2-1)
Kendra Lynch 3-7 0-1 6; Allie Grace Proctor 2-4 5-6 9; Amy Fleming 3-4 0-0 6; Jordanna Rauch 3-14 0-2 6; Emma Ryan 4-11 1-2 9; Mackenzie Brooks 3-7 0-0 7; Kasey White 3-4 0-0 6; Mackenzie Ullman 0-3 0-0 0; Josie Riffle 1-2 0-3 2; Kenzie Harris 0-1 0-0 0. Team 22-57 6-14 51. 3pt goals 1 (Brooks 1).
Team stats
Shooting: G 13-44 (29 percent); W 22-57 (39 percent); Rebounds: G 30 (Jackson 8, Ward 6); W 30 (Ryan 8, Rauch 7); Assists G 6 (Ward 2, K. Barnes 2); W 13 (Rauch 4, Lynch 3); Steals G 9 (H. Barnes 3); W 12 (Proctor 3); Turnovers G 29; W 16; Blocks G 0; W 3; Fouls G 13; W 13
JV score:
Warren 32, Gallia Academy 28
Gallia Academy: Micah Curfman 8; Kacie Grate 6; Kendra Barnes 3; Megan Cochran 3; Violet Pelphrey 2; Chelsey Slone 6
Warren: Raelyn Gardner 2; Victoria Buzzard 20; Sarah Proctor 2; Taylor Foy 4; Josie Riffle 4
Next game: Warren at Portsmouth, 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Elsewhere Wednesday night
Maysville 60,
Morgan 35
SOUTH ZANESVILLE - A big fourth quarter lifted the Maysville Lady Panthers to a 60-35 Muskingum Valley League win over Morgan on Wednesday night.
The host Lady Panthers went 13-of-16 at the line in the fourth quarter as they outscored Morgan 25-6 in the final eight minutes of the game.
Darian Apperson had a double-double of 10 points and 12 boards for Morgan. Baylee Smith added 10 points, four assists and two steals.
Maysville Karen Sidwell scored nine of her game high 21 points in the fourth quarter
Maysville 60, Morgan 35
Morgan 12 2 5 6 - 35
Maysville 14 8 13 25 - 60
Morgan (1-2, 0-2) McKayla Kangas, 1, 0-0, 3; Christina Campbell 0, 0-0, 0; Sierra Mayle 1, 0-0, 2; Kristie Marcum 0, 0-0, 0; Laura Davis 1, 1-1, 3; Tianna Allen 3, 0-0, 7; Darian Apperson 5, 0-0, 10; Baylee Smith 2, 6-8, 10; Chani Hopkins 0, 0-0, 0. Totals 12-47, 7-10, 35 Three Pointers (2-14): Kangas, Allen
Maysville: Bailee Creeks 0, 2-2, 2; Kayla Russell 0, 2-2, 2; Taylor Tatman 3, 1-1, 7; Brook Smith 2, 2-4, 7; Kelsie Kirkbride 2, 3-6, 7; Karen Sidwell 6, 7-9, 21; Kortney Gibson 1, 0-0, 2; Madison Smith 2, 0-0, 5; Morgan Swauger 3, 1-3, 7 Totals 19, 18-27, 60 Three Pointers (4): Sidwell (2), B. Smith, M. Smith
Morgan stats
Rebounds 32 (Apperson 12, Allen 4) Assists 9 (Smith 4); Steals 8 (Apperson 2, Davis 2, Smith 2). Turnovers 30.
