Lady Tigers defeat Piketon, get back on winning track

The McClain varsity girls basketball team picked up a big non-conference victory, 47-33 over Piketon Wednesday night in Greenfield to improve their overall record to 5-4 and 3-1 in the Frontier Athletic Conference.

It was much-needed and a big morale booster, after McClain had dropped their previous three games by a total of eight points.

“I’m glad my girls came out tonight and played like they know how to play,” McClain head coach Shania Massie said. “It was also good to see them finish, which made this a much better feeling for us in the locker room after losing the last three by a total of just eight points.”

Freshman Paisley Pryor led the Lady Tigers in scoring with 12 points and got a lot of offensive support from several of her teammates.  

McClain held a slim 14-12 advantage after the first period and still led 23-19 at the half over the quick and very scrappy Lady Redstreaks.

Pryor and Kaitlyn Jett both scored five points each in the opening quarter, and senior post player Lily Barnes added the other four, with most coming from inside the paint.

The third period was the difference maker in the ballgame when the Lady Tigers came out with an aggressive full-court press that resulted in several Piketon turnovers. McClain outscored the Lady Redstreaks, 14-4 in the frame, and took a more comfortable 37-23 lead into the fourth.

“We went in at halftime and talked about what adjustments we needed to make and decided to go to the press in the third quarter, and I thought our pressure forced them into a lot of turnovers,” said Massie. “So I was really happy with that.”

Another big factor and offensive spark in the period was the play of Lindsey Hutchinson, who scored the last six points and also was solid on the defensive end.

“Hutch (Lindsay Hutchinson) came out on fire in that third quarter, and when you have the green light, keep shooting them,” Massie said. “She really impressed me tonight on both offense and defense, and she keeps getting better every game.”

Hutchinson finished the game with nine points, all coming in the second half, which included three 3-pointers.

Sophomore Leah Lovett also had a fine all-around game, scoring six points along with some excellent defense, and she controlled the boards, grabbing several offensive rebounds.

Both teams scored 10 points in the fourth period after both coaches let everyone on the bench get some valuable playing time.

The Lady Tigers now turn their sights to Saturday, when they host FAC and county rival Hillsboro in the annual all-day event.

“It’s going to be a big game Saturday against Hillsboro,” Massie said. “The FAC is never easy, and I think this one will be close. We need to come out and play hard, wanting it more than they do.”

Individual scoring for McClain: Paisley Pryor 12, Lindsey Hutchinson 9, Lily Barnes 8, Leah Lovett 6, Kaitlyn Jett 6, Luca Matesic 4, Haylee Havens 2, Anna Eikenberry 1. The Lady Tigers converted 12-of-19 free-throws for 63 percent.

The Lady Redstreaks were led in scoring by freshman point guard Laila Kelley, who had 11 points.