Lady Vandals beat South Central for 4th win

FARINA – Freshman Emma Meyer scored 14 points, senior Kylie Sellers added 11 and Vandalia recorded 26 steals during a lopsided 69-19 win at South Central.

The Lady Vandals wasted little time establishing a lead over the young Lady Cougars, outscoring them 25-3 in the first period.

Sophomore Leah Francis had a career-high nine points in the game – all of them coming in the second half – and sophomore Makayla Tinker had seven points on her birthday. Her teammates sang “Happy Birthday” to her prior to the opening tip.

Freshman Abby Hahn led the way for South Central (0-13), scoring six points, and sophomore Abby King made the team’s lone 3-pointer.

And though the Lady Cougars didn’t give Vandalia (4-13) much of a challenge, coach Michelle McNary said she can see some talent on their roster.

“South Central has some young kids who will get better,” she said.

Vandalia has its fair share of youthful players, and those in the sophomore and freshmen classes contributed 43 of the team’s points.

With a 12-for-18 effort from the free-throw line, the Lady Vandals shot better than 60 percent from there for the first time since Dec. 12 and for the fifth time this season.

Monday, Jan. 13
Vandalia 69
South Central 19
V: 25-13-20-11—69
S: 3-2-3-11—19
Lady Vandals
Points: Meyer, 14; Sellers, 11; Francis, 9; Madelyn Hosick, 7; Tinker, 7; Karlie Bright, 6; Kelsey Swain, 5; Morgan Cripe, 4; Randi Evans, 3; Kaitlyn Kershaw, 3.
Rebounds: Francis, 6; Hosick, 6; Meyer, 5; Sellers, 4; Tinker, 4; Cripe, 3; Kershaw, 3; Bright, 2; Evans, 1; Swain, 1.
Assists: Cripe, 4; Tinker, 4; Bright, 3; Evans, 1; Brandy Protz, 1; Sellers, 1.
Steals: Cripe, 4; Hosick, 4; Meyer, 4; Bright, 3; Sellers, 3; Francis, 2; Kershaw, 2; Swain, 2; Evans, 1; Tinker, 1.
Record: 4-13
Lady Cougars
Points: Hahn, 6; King, 3; Gwen Lewis, 2; Autumn McCoy, 2; Bailey Ritter, 2; Jenna Rose, 2; Alannah Sigrist, 2.
Rebounds: Ritter, 7; McCoy, 5; Hahn, 4; Sydney Wilkins, 4; King, 1.
Assists: Rose, 1; Wilkins, 1.
Steals: Lewis, 3; Sigrist, 3; King, 1; Ritter, 1.
Blocks: King, 1; McCoy, 1.
Record: 0-13
JV: Vandalia won, 47-15.

***

The Lady Vandals took a lead into the final eight minutes of last Saturday’s game at Pinckneyville, but then played the worst fourth quarter of the season to lose, 52-44.

Vandalia surrendered a season-worst 22 points in that period to lose its seven-point lead and drop its 13th game of the season.

“It was a game that I thought we had in hand in the third quarter,” said coach Michelle McNary. “Then we got pretty laid back and complacent because we thought we had it won.

“We need more of a killer instinct to play hard and finish a game,” she said. “You can’t let up just because a team doesn’t seem as good as you.”

The Lady Vandals (3-13) scored just seven points in the fourth quarter after scoring 32 through the middle two periods. A sluggish start left Vandalia behind, 10-5, after the first quarter.

Senior Morgan Cripe led the team with 13 points, and sophomore Karlie Bright added 11.

Saturday, Jan. 11
Pinckneyville 52
Vandalia 44
V: 5-13-19-7—44
P: 10-6-14-22—52
Points: Cripe, 13; Bright, 11; Randi Evans, 5; Kaitlyn Kershaw, 5; Emma Meyer, 4; Madelyn Hosick, 2; Kylie Sellers, 2; Makayla Tinker, 2.
Record: 3-13