By Fletcher Keel:
The Lady Spartans cruised past the young and inexperienced Lady Panthers of Russellville tonight, as three double-figure scorers helped propel South Warren to a 70-18 victory for their 18th of the season.
The first quarter was an odd one. It saw South Warren lead 17-3 after it, but it felt like a much closer affair, with Russellville simply unable to make easy-look shots from inside. However, the Lady Panthers took it to the Lady Spartans on the defensive side of things, creating opportunities for themselves with steals and rebounds, but couldn’t cash them in.
In the second quarter, however, the Spartan flood gates opened up, as Colby Downing got hot from beyond the arc – something no opposing team ever wants to happen – and they didn’t take things for granted – the passes were better, they were more alert and they out-hustled the Panthers – to extend their first quarter lead to a 40-8 halftime advantage.
As you’d expect, the third and fourth quarters were more of the same and South Warren got their 18th win of the season in the 70-18 win. Three Lady Spartans tallied double figures, lead by Downing with 17 points, Caroline Cowles contributed 16 and Deanna Taylor had herself 10.
The Lady Spartans are off until Tuesday when they head to Bowling Green to face the Lady Purples. You’ll be able to catch all the action right here at GoSpartanNation.com
The South Warren Spartans couldn’t replicate great first half play into the second half, and left Russellville with a 70-60 defeat to fall to 10-12 on the season.
Dayton Gumm had 10 points when the first quarter was all said and done with, as the Spartans and Panthers wasted no time getting up and down the court to put points on the board. The Spartans took smarter offensive possessions, made passes when necessary and took shots when necessary as opposed to waiting for the shots to come to them. After the first quarter it was a 17-12 Spartan lead.
The second quarter belonged more so to the Panthers as they got bounces to go their way, but South never quit, and got a three ball from the aforementioned Gumm with 10 seconds left in the half to tie the game at 25, which is where the teams found themselves in the halftime locker room.
The second half was all Panthers at times, but the Spartans hung in the whole way, always cutting into the Russellville lead until the closing moments, when there just wasn’t enough left in the tank to get the win. There’s always a silver lining, and tonight, it came in the form of Gumm, Brandon Stacker and Michael Hicks, who all scored in double figures after no one was able to do so on Tuesday against Warren Central. Gumm lead the way with 18, Hicks used the three ball to propell him to 16 and Stacker put together a key 14 points.
The Spartans will regroup and close out a four game road swing as they face the Purples at Bowling Green on Tuesday. We’ll have all the action – both the boys and girls – right here at GoSpartanNation.com.
