By Jeff Richards

GIRLS BASKETBALL

McConnellsburg 30 Southern Fulton 35.  In an Inter-County Conference game on January 15^th at home, the Lady Spartans were up by one (24-23) after three quarters of trading leads with county rival Southern Fulton Lady Indians.  But the Indians outscored the Spartans 12-6 to hold off the last-minute Spartan attempts to erase the Indian’s lead.  The Indians capitalized on Spartan miscues converting with two Bailey Hull fast break buckets and a converted free throw on the foul that added the critical five points to outdistance the host and capture the victory.

During the initial three and a half minutes of play, both teams experienced a period of adjustment marked by missed shots, turnovers, and errant passes.  The first points were recorded with a three-pointer from Spartan Sydney Buterbaugh. The Spartans maintained control throughout the opening quarter, establishing a 6-0 lead and holding the Indians scoreless.  

The Indians found their rhythm on offense and nearly shut out the Spartans, closing the second quarter with a 13-2 run and taking a 13-8 lead into halftime—marking one of the Spartans’ lowest halftime scores this season.  In the third quarter, the Spartans responded with energy, as Journie Jefferson, Serenity Rengifo, and Brookelynn Gelvin combined for four three-pointers. The Spartans tallied 16 points to the Indians’ 10, reclaiming the lead and finishing the quarter ahead by one at 24-23.

The decisive test in the fourth quarter depended on persistence and commitment. Both teams lost possession several times and neither managed to score. The Spartans frequently took shots, but most missed, allowing the Indians to grab rebounds without getting a chance to follow up.  Halfway, the Indians got their break when two back-to-back Spartan turnovers turned opportunities by Hull into points plus a foul converted free throw and a five-point lead 30-25. Gelvin was fouled, converted both, now 27-32, leaving 43.6 seconds to go then an Indian time out.  On the next backcourt inbound play, the Spartans’ full court pressure from Buterbaugh and Kya Washabaugh forced Hull to lose the ball out of play and turn over possession.  Gelvin hit a two and reduced the Indian lead to three, 32-29, that quickly followed with another Indian timeout with 29.3 remaining.  The Spartan’s fouled Schriever but she converted both free throws to increase the lead back to five, 34-29, with 17.8 to go. Jefferson drove on a missed layup, was fouled, converted one of two free throws, but that was the final scoring for the Spartans despite a last second trey attempt by Rengifo.

The Spartans (7-7 1-2 ICC-S) were led by Gelvin, who contributed eight points, while Jefferson and Genesis Clevenger each added seven.  This marks their second loss to the Indians this season, with one game remaining on February 5th. The team is experiencing challenges, having lost three consecutive games, particularly in maintaining scoring consistency, getting the leading scorers to return to previous averages, and turnover reduction remains an area for improvement.

The Indians’ (11-2) Hull led with 18 points with Schriever adding seven. The Indians relied mainly on freshman Hull with up court ball control, point guard duties and scoring as standout junior Claire Harvey is out for the season.   

MCCONNELLSBURG (30)

DeShong 0 0-0 0, Jefferson 2 1-2 7, Rengifo 1 0-2 3, Gelvin 2 3-4 8, Buterbaugh 2 0-0 5, Lowery 0 0-0 0, Clevenger 3 1-4 7, Washabaugh 0 0-0 0, Pistner 0 0-0 0, Newman 0 0-0 0, Totals 10 5-12 30.  3-point goals =  5 (Jefferson 2, Rengifo, Buterbaugh, Gelvin). Totals: 25 (11 o/14 d) rebounds, 9 assists, 8 steals, 21 turnovers, 15 fouls, 2FG% 18%, 3FG% 28%, FTM% 42%.  

SOUTHERN FULTON (35)

Pittman 0 0-4 0, Hoopengardner 2 0-2 4, Schriever 2 4-6 8, Smith 0 0-0 0, Hixon 2 0-0 6, Hull 8 1-1 17, Totals 14 5-13 35.  3-point goals = 2 (Hixon).  Totals: 31 (16 o/15 d) rebounds, 5 assists, 13 steals, 2 blocks, 23 turnovers, 14 fouls, 2FG% 34%, 3FG% 18%, FTM% 38%.

Southern Fulton .…   0   13    10    12  —  35

McConnellsburg ….  6      2    16      6  —  30

No JV.  JH: McC 16 SF 34

Next up: McConnellsburg JV/Varsity visit Northern Bedford County for cross-conference games on January 20^th at 6 p.m.