Seymour defeats Rushville after 10-day break

0

For The Tribune

Having 10 days since their last game, the Seymour girls basketball team entered Saturday night’s contest against Rushville with fresh legs.

That showed as the Owls took a quick 5-0 lead in the first 45 seconds and wound up with 21 points in the first quarter.

Despite a one-point deficit at halftime, Seymour finished strong and won 63-54.

[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery

The Owls had 12 turnovers in the game, but Owls coach Jason Longmeier said, “We shot 57 percent, and we outrebounded them by a decent margin. When you do those two things, it kind of takes care of all that.”

Seymour’s Ashton Chase took over the first quarter, leading all scorers with 12 points. She made two 3-pointers and added three 2-point baskets.

Grace Schrader made a layup and Alyssa Perry hit a jumper right at the buzzer to give Seymour a 21-15 lead.

With under 4:30 remaining in the half, Seymour led 28-19 thanks to a Megan Ritz 3-pointer and two baskets from Makenna Fee.

Then Rushville went on a 12-0 run until 6.1 seconds remaining when Fee hit a jump shot from the free throw line. Seymour trailed 31-30 at halftime.

At the break, Chase led the Owls with 12 points, Fee had nine and Ritz had five.

Coming out of the locker room, Seymour attempted to regain the lead and was successful.

With just more than five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Chase and Aidan Hiester both made 3-pointers, giving the Owls a 40-35 lead.

After allowing two easy buckets but adding a free throw of their own, the Owls only led by two. Schrader and Fee both added two points, but the Owls couldn’t hold the Lions, as they ended the third quarter tied at 45.

The Owls then held the lead for a majority of the fourth quarter with five different players scoring.

With a minute remaining in the game and the Owls leading 55-51, they were able to break easily through the press to get two free throws for Fee, who made both.

Ritz came up big with a steal on the next possession, forcing Rushville to foul. Chase was the one fouled, and she hit both of her free throws.

On the next possession, with 41.8 seconds remaining, Rushville’s Jaeda Miller hit a 3-pointer to pull her team within 59-54.

Following the inbound, Chase was fouled and made both free throws again, giving the Owls a seven-point lead.

Rushville then turned it over and fouled Chase again, and she made both free throws to finish the game with 23 points, including 8 for 8 from the line.

Makenna Fee was next for the Owls (7-6) with 15 points.

Rushville (8-5) was led by Taylor Browning with 15 points, and Isabella Runnebohm had 12. Browning scored her 1,000th career point in the third quarter.

The Owls’ next game is Friday against Monroe Central in the East Central Holiday Tournament.

No posts to display