Thursday, January 19, 2017

Tiger Girls Use Balanced Attack to Break Losing Skid

Worth County's girls finally broke a long tailspin as they beat Albany 52-37 Tuesday night. It looked for all the world like it would be an easy game as they raced out to an early 13-3 lead. Anna Gladstone scored off a pair of drives and two free throws, Kristin New hit a baseline triple off a Gladstone kickout, Kaylee McElvain posted up inside and got a layup, and Payton Adwell hit from the right wing off a Kristin New kickout. But then Albany countered with a baseline shot from Paige Brown and another from Lauryn Shoush to make it 13-7.

Lulu Brown then got the hot hand in the second quarter as she scored eight in the frame to keep Albany close. They got as close as 18-17 at one point. But then, with Worth County leading 23-19, Jessi Badell grabbed an offensive board and her prayer went in; Kristin New followed with another triple late off a pass from Anna Gladstone to put Worth County back up 28-19.

Anna Gladstone's coast to coast move with 4:57 left in the third made it 32-22 for the visiting Tigers, but then Albany kept hanging around as Taylor Bain and Maryeah Martin connected for Brooke Crawford's squad. But then Kaylee McElvain got going in the post after having battled foul trouble in the first half as she scored six in the last four minutes as Worth County pushed back into double digits at 40-28 after three.

Anna Gladstone picked up her fourth foul right off the bat trying to take a charge on defense and Heidi Fish's jumped pass and layup made it 40-31 again, but Regan Allee, who had missed the Stanberry Tournament (ankle), came off to spark Worth County with a 3-pointer after Kaylee McElvain kicked it out to her. Jessi Badell scored from inside off a pass from Allee, Kristin New converted a 3-point play off a pass from Sidney Troutwine, and Kaylee McElvain scored from inside off a pass from Regan Allee as Worth County took its biggest lead of the night at 50-31 with 3:47 left.

Anna Gladstone had 14 points to pace the Tigers. Kristin New had 13 to match a career high; Kaylee McElvain also had 13. Regan Allee had 6, Jessi Badell had 4, and Payton Adwell had 2.

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