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Fort Frye girls claim victory over Parkersburg South

Photo by Kerry Patrick Parkersburg South’s Skylar Bosley, right, handles the ball as Fort Frye’s Kenzie Dalton defends during a high school girls basketball game Wednesday in Beverly. Fort Frye won, 57-50.

BEVERLY — For Fort Frye point guard Mackenzie Dalton and teammate Hannah Archer, the history of playing basketball together dates back to middle school.

During that span, they have created a sixth sense on the court that opponents struggle to defend. Wednesday night at Fort Frye High School, the duo worked their magic in a second quarter that enabled the Cadets to create breathing room in a 57-50 win over Parkersburg South and complete the season series against the Patriots.

Dalton, who scored nine of her 22 points in the opening period, created ideal looks for Archer and the senior sharpshooter responded with the Cadets’ first 18 points of the second quarter behind four 3-pointers. Archer, who had her only shot attempt of the first quarter blocked, finished with a game-high 27 points as Fort Frye improved to 12-3.

“Hannah and I have a good connection — she is definitely my shooter,” Dalton said. “She knows how to get open and I know how to get her open. She knows how I pass and she knows how to get there.”

South, which lost the first meeting with Fort Frye by 28 points, trailed 33-18 at halftime then applied intense pressure in the opening 3 1/2 minutes of the third quarter — forcing four Fort Frye turnovers and scoring seven unanswered points.

Archer and Kianna O’Brien stemmed the tide with back-to-back 3-pointers as Fort Frye responded with an 8-0 run and a 43-25 cushion.

“We lost Archer a couple of times, but she is such a great player,” South coach Ed Davis said. “I’m not going to fault our kids. We’re not the only team that has lost her from time to time. I thought our kids played with great discipline tonight, and were able to recognize where she was.”

With the margin still at its peak at 45-27 for the start of the fourth quarter, Fort Frye managed to secure the win without making another shot from the floor and playing a majority of the final eight minutes with three starters having four fouls.

Fort Frye made 12 of 19 attempts from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and attempted 27 free throws for the game compared to 23 attempts for South. Having the responsibility of breaking South’s full-court pressure and constantly hounded by travel ball teammate Skylar Bosley throughout the night, Dalton’s tank was completely empty for her postgame chat.

“It was really a physical game tonight, — not having any practices this week probably had a bearing on everybody and not having their bodies prepared and how brutal it was out there,” Dalton said. “Playing South has been our most physical games, but we still have tough teams down the road.”

Unlike the first meeting, Parkersburg South made a late charge and climbed within single digits at 51-43 with just under two minutes remaining in regulation. Grace Sandy, who contributed 11 points off the bench, knocked down a 3-pointer to close the gap even further at 52-46 and 40 seconds showing. The clock, however, worked against South’s comeback attempt.

Bosley scored a team-high 13 points before fouling out at the 1:27 mark of the fourth quarter.

“I’m thrilled to death with the effort of the girls,” Davis said. “The last three games we have been getting better.”

JV: Fort Frye 33,

South 31 (OT)

Denay Layton made two free throws with 17.6 seconds remaining in regulation as Fort Frye held off a valiant effort from a South unit which fell behind 17-3 in a first half where the Patriots did not make a shot from the floor.

Trailing 28-25 in the fourth quarter, South’s Anna Yost made a 3-pointer with seconds remaining to send the game into overtime.

Contact Kerry Patrick at kpatrick@newsandsentinel.com

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