BLANCHESTER — Holding Blanchester scoreless for nearly 10 minutes to open the game Thursday night, the Bethel-Tate girls basketball team cruised to a 59-34 victory.

Bethel-Tate (4-2 overall, 4-1 SBC) scored the first 23 points of the game. Elecia Patton scored the first basket for Blanchester with 6:08 left in the first half.

It was a start all too familiar to BHS head coach Bradon Pyle.

“They did that to us last year,” Pyle said. “They kicked us in the teeth right off the bat. We need to keep our composure when we see something that we don’t necessarily game plan.”

After Lana Roy made it two straight baskets for the Lady Wildcats (2-5, 1-4), Bethel-Tate scored the next 12 to take a 35-4 lead with 2:20 remaining in the second quarter.

Blanchester outscored Bethel-Tate in the second half 25-24. Pyle was pleased with his team’s energy in the second half despite the big deficit.

“I told them in the locker room, the energy we brought when we were down 25 was better than the energy we brought in the last three games when it was 0-0,” Pyle said. “We need good energy on the court when the score is 0-0 rather than waiting until the game’s over.”

Hailey Sandker led a balanced Bethel attack with 14 points. Madison Burton added 12 points. Eight different Lady Tiger players scored.

Elecia Patton led Blanchester with 20 points. Olivia Gundler and Daelyn Staehling each had six.

Bethel-Tate forced 29 Blanchester turnovers while committing just 17.

SUMMARY

Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018

@ Blanchester High School

Bethel-Tate 59, Blanchester 34

BT…21.14.11.13…59

B…0.9.8.17…34

(59) BETHEL-TATE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Taylor Bee 1-0-0-2, Abbie Wheeler 3-2-0-8, Sarah Gardner 2-0-2-6, Jenna Carter 3-2-0-8, Hailey Sandker 6-0-2-14, Madison Burton 6-0-0-12, Grace White 2-1-0-5, Alli Stolz 2-0-0-4. TOTALS 25-5-4-59.

(34) BLANCHESTER (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Elecia Patton 6-1-7-20, Olivia Gundler 2-0-2-6, Lana Roy 1-0-0-2, Daelyn Staehling 2-0-2-6. TOTALS 11-1-11-34.