LEES CREEK — A big second half defensive effort led the Miami Trace Panthers to a 66-40 win against the East Clinton Lady Astros Saturday at the EC gym in South Central Ohio League play.
“They’re tied for first in the league and we knew coming in that we had to play hard and outwork them,” said East Clinton head coach Steven Gerber.
The loss brings the Astro record to 7-14 overall and 2-11 in SCOL play.
The Panthers are 16-4 overall and 12-1 in the league. Miami Trace is tied for first with Chillicothe.
Lacey Peterman led the Astros with 13 points. Bre Davis and Kaitlin Durbin both had 8 points.
Victoria Fliehman led the Panthers with 20 points, which included 5 three-pointers. Tanner Bryant had 14 points and Cassidy Lovett had 8.
“It was really good to see Victoria Fliehman and Hannah Reisinger come back and score the ball like they did today,” said Miami Trace head coach Ben Ackley.
The Panthers started the game with a 7-0 run and maintained the lead to the end of the first 18-12. The Astros managed to pull within 15-12 with a minute left in the quarter but a 3-pointer by Fliehman gave the Panthers a 6-point advantage heading into the second quarter.
The Astros played exceptional in the second quarter and had the lead at one point. Both teams battled and kept the score close. A buzzer beater by Bryant gave the Panthers a 2-point lead at the end of the half.
“We played really well in the first half, we shared the ball and we moved the ball,” said Gerber.
Ackley, on the other hand, was not pleased with his squad’s first half play.
“We didn’t play a very good first half,” said coach Ackley, “East Clinton shot the ball very well and I thought attacked the middle well on us.”
Miami Trace exploded for 19 points in the third with Fliehman netting 7 as the lead grew to 50-33 at the quarter break.
The Lady Panthers continued their defensive mode in the fourth quarter, holding East Clinton to 7 in the fourth and 11 for the second half.
“We were very proud of the last 16 minutes today,” said Ben Ackley.
The Panthers will play Unioto Tuesday.
The Astros will play Saturday at Clinton-Massie.
SUMMARY
February 4, 2017
@East Clinton High School
Miami Trace 66 East Clinton 40
EC 12.17.04.07…..40
MT 18.13.19.17…..66
(40) EAST CLINTON (fg-3fg-ft-tp) La. Peterman 3-0-4/5-13 Campbell 1-0-0/2-2 Lilly 2-1-2/2-7 Beener 0-0-0-0 Durbin 3-0-2/2-8 Davis 4-0-0-8 Christian 0-0-0-0 Luttrell 0-0-0-0 Hall 1-0-0/2-2. TOTALS 14-4-8-40
(66) MIAMI TRACE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Wolffe 0-0-2/2-2 Lovett 2-1-4/6-9 Ratliff 0-0-0-0 Reisinger 2-1-2/2-7 McDonald 1-0-4/4-6 Miller 1-0-0-2 Fliehman 5-5-5/6-20 Bryant 6-0-2/2-14 Evans 0-0-0-0 Rittenour 3-0-1/1-7 Riley 0-0-0-0. TOTALS
