Lady Eagles Basketball Split Two Games

Sullivan has been slaying opponents this basketball season. The Lady Eagles have surged past six teams on the road already and have kept up the pace with three being in a row. Sullivan defeated Northwest Cedar Hill on Monday, 61-29. The Lady Eagles came up short at home against Salem, 61-43.

Northwest Cedar Hill

The Lady Eagles collapsed the Lady Lions. Sullivan traveled to Cedar Hill and turned up the heat on the chilly Monday evening. Abby Peterson and Hayli Venable netted enough scores to keep Northwest down. Sullivan defeated Cedar Hill, 61-29.

Peterson led the team in points with 19. Venable closely trailed with 13. Raegan Johnson claimed seven. Dakayla McClain and Olivia Witt each recorded six. Molly Lohden and Delaney George finished with five.

The Lady Eagles were exceptional on defense and forced eight turnovers. Lohden and McClain forced two each. Witt, Venable, DaPhane Polanowski and Kylee McReynolds all forced one. Sullivan finished 31 rebounds and Venable had the most with eight. McReynolds followed with five. George and McClain each had four. Peterson recorded three. Polanowski, Lohden and Johnson finished with two each.

Salem

Sullivan came up short at home on Thursday. The game was back and forth during the first quarter, but the Lady Tigers grabbed the lead late in the second quarter. Salem added to their lead and defeated Sullivan, 61-43.

In the first quarter, Oliva Witt opened up the scoring when she drained a big three point basket with a little over seven and half minutes left. Strange from Salem scored the first basket for the Lady Tigers and McClain answered back with a layup. Salem tied the game with a three point basket and Venable grabbed the lead back. The Lady Tigers tied the game with a free throw and Venable tied the game back with a layup off the glass. Peterson tied the game at the end of the first with a free throw, 13-13.

In the second quarter, the Lady Tigers emerged and held onto the late lead. Salem stretched under the hoop and placed in a layup, but Peterson tied the game back with a free throw. The Lady Tigers claimed the lead and Sullivan’s head coach Jordan Flora took a timeout with a little over seven minutes left. McClain tied the game up and grabbed the lead back from the free throw line. Salem grabbed the lead back and the Lady Eagles didn’t tie the game back up until Polanowski drained a three point basket. Salem grabbed the lead back by five and Coach Flora took a timeout with a little over a minute left. The Lady Tigers added another two free throws and led Sullivan, 30-23.

In the third quarter, the battle continued. McReynolds slammed a much needed three point basket and Coach Flora paused the game to talk with his team with a little under five minutes left. He took another timeout with a little under three minutes left and Salem led, 43-26. Venable dropped in another layup with a little over a minute left and Witt drained another three point shot with fifteen seconds left. The Lady Tigers still led, 45-31.

In the fourth quarter, the home crowd came alive and Sullivan fed off the energy but came up short. McClain drained a layup under the hoop and drew a foul. Venable shot a three, but missed and Sullivan still got the layup from the rebound. Venable redeemed herself when she notched a layup under the basket. The Lady Tigers took a timeout with a little less than four and half minutes left. Witt drained a big three for Sullivan and made the score, 52-41. McReynolds tried to hold Salem with a big block and Peterson added another two points with free throws. Salem finished off Sullivan from the free throw line, 61-43.

There were no official stats at press time.