By Jeff Richards
GIRLS BASKETBALL
McConnellsburg 61, Southern Fulton 42.  The Lady Spartans traveled to Southern Fulton to face the Lady Indians for a conference game Thursday, January 16^th and held the lead throughout each quarter to grab a second straight win this season.

The first matchup on December 29^th saw the Spartans walk away with a 25-point decisive win.  This time, two Indian starters not in play then were certainly suited for a collective team rematch with their home crew to cheer.  The Spartans won the first quarter, holding to a four-point lead, with the second quarter a draw at 11 points each squad.

A few minutes into the third quarter, more chips fell as the Spartans’ defense forced Indian’s Claire Harvey to get her fourth personal foul.  She sat the bench a good while as the Spartan offense put 19 points on the board throughout the frame to increase their lead by 12 by quarter end to 46-34.  The last quarter was also a Spartan win at nearly double the scoring (15 to 8), as foul trouble hurt the Indians’ chances to regain the lead.  The win snapped a Spartan two-game losing streak and gained their eighth double-digit win and fifth win of 19 or more points.

The Spartans (10-4 overall, 2-1 ICC South) put three players in double figures; Serenity Rengifo (27), Maggie Mellott (15) and Janiah Jefferson (11).  Junior guard Rengifo led all scorers and unofficially set these basketball records: most female player points scored in a single game this season, her season-high single-game scoring record, and her career-high single-game scoring record.  Mellott had another double-double night of 15 points and 16 rebounds.

Coach Jeff Gelvin noted, “Our girls showed good hustle and battle for the ball tonight. Like the first time we met, we again got the Indians in foul trouble. Tonight in the third quarter this let us increase our lead. When the buzzer hit, we were ahead by nearly 20 and back in the win column.”