(by Don Meador, Allen County Schools, January 15, 2020)
The Allen County-Scottsville Lady Patriot basketball team recorded a second consecutive win Tuesday night with a 59-34 win at Franklin-Simpson due in part to a personal milestone. Junior Allison Meador scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds, the first double-double of her high school career.
The Lady Patriots struggled with shooting in the first eight minutes, missing seven of their first 10 shots. However, five of six free throw shooting helped AC-S open a 12-10 lead after the first period.
The tide turned in the second period behind the play of Meador and junior Chloe Cook. Early in the frame, Cook buried a 3-point jumper to stretch the AC-S lead to five. A minute later, Meador scored on a put back and followed in the next minute with a 3-pointer to give the Lady Patriots a 20-10 lead at the 5:56 mark of the first. After a Lady Cat 3-pointer cut into the AC-S lead, Kaylee Bullington’s second basket of the game and Meador’s second 3-point shot enabled AC-S to open a 25-13 lead midway through the second. A late first half 3-pointer from Franklin-Simpson’s Kate Norwood brought the hosts to within six before Meador sank one of two free throws to give the Lady Patriots a 29-22 lead at halftime.
AC-S began to pull away in the third period. Buckets from Jae McReynolds, Taylor Carter, and Jayleigh Steenbergen enabled the Lady Patriots to open a 12-point lead once again. Late free throws from Meador and a jumper off the hands of Grace Tuttle lifted AC-S to a 42-26 lead after the third.
A 17-8 fourth quarter carried the Lady Patriots to the win. A pair of buckets from Meador, a lay-in by Bullington, and a jumper from carter staked AC-S to a 50-28 advantage with 4:39 remaining. In the final minutes, McReynolds, Steenbergen and bailey Ausbrooks scored as the Lady Patriots recorded the 25-point win.
AC-S finished the game 22-49 (44.9%) ---their best shooting percentage of the season. The Lady Patriots also recorded four 3-point baskets and went 11-15 (73.3%) at the foul line. Franklin-Simpson was 12-43 (44.9%) from the floor and five of nine at the line. The Lady Cats canned five 3-point buckets. AC-S owned the glass, outrebounding Franklin-Simpson 38-23.
Bullington finished with 10 points and six rebounds. McReynolds added nine points, Carter scored eight points, and Steenbergen matched a career-high with seven points.
The Lady Patriots (4-11, 1-2) travel to Westmoreland (16-3) Friday night for a 6 p.m. contest with the Lady Eagles.