RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
Sydney Patterson scored 19 points to lead Monroe Central to a 47-36 win over the South Adams girls’ basketball team Monday night at the Stardome.
The Starfires (4-8), behind a pair of three-pointers by Emmerson Smith, took a 12-11 lead after one quarter, but the Golden Bears (9-2) dominated the second quarter by a 17-7 count to lead 28-19 at the half.
Patterson, a junior, spearheaded the Monroe Central attack in that pivotal quarter with nine points. She had 14 for the half. Teammate Kimber Abshear scored 10 of her 14 points in the first half, the pair combining for all but four of the Golden Bears’ first-half points.
South Adams held Patterson to five points and Abshear to four in the rest of the game, but Addy Puckett scored all eight of her points in the second half to take up some of the slack and keep the Starfires at bay. A 10-6 Monroe Central edge in the third quarter made it 38-25 going into the final period.
The Starfires closed the gap a bit in the fourth quarter with an 11-9 advantage but never seriously threatened. They didn’t help their cause any with a 1-for-7 performance on free throws in the period.
Emmerson Smith continued her hot three-point shooting, hitting 5-of-11 from long range to lead South Adams with 15 points. Macy Pries had an excellent all-around game, scoring 10 points, grabbing seven rebounds, and leading the team in assists with six and steals with five. Lanie Trausch scored six points and led the Starfires in rebounds with eight. Addie Baker added four points, Bekah Patterson one.
The Starfires will travel to Jay County Saturday for an ACAC matchup.