PITSBURG – TheVersailles girls basketball team was too much for the Franklin Monroe girls, defeating the Jets 67-28 and upping their early season record to 7-0. The game was a game of unanswered scoring streaks for the Tigers.
“I liked how we got our post players working in the inside,” Versailles coach Jacki Stonebraker said. “Then we tried to find the outside shots. The defensive pressure I think took them out of their game.”
Franklin Monroe got on the board first on two free throws from Claire Neiswander. Versailles answered with 10 unanswered points as four Tigers cracked the scoring column in the run.
“Our shots just didn’t fall tonight. It wasn’t a lack for good looks; we just didn’t hit them,” Franklin Monroe girls basketball coach Gavin Spitler said.
Both teams played even the final 2:36 of the first quarter, giving Versailles an 11-6 lead closing out the quarter.
Versailles outscored FM 17-7 in the second quarter with a balanced scoring attack. Seven Tigers put points on the board highlighted by Courtney Prenger’s 3-pointer.
“I really enjoy watching a game where you get the ball into the post and they stop the post game. Then you get it out to your shooting guards and they can knock down shots,” Stonebraker said.
Trailing 26-9, Neiswander hit a trey and a free throw for the Jets, closing the gap to 26-13. Emily Harman hit a bucket for the Tigers to close out the half with Versailles leading 28-13.
Franklin Monroe stepped up its play starting the second half. Neiswander scored first for FM on a lay-up off a Jet steal. Katie Heckman answered with two for Versailles only to have Neiswander hit another bucket for the Jets. Heckman made good on two free throws as both teams stepped up the scoring pace.
Franklin Monroe cut the lead to nine at 33-24 on a fast break lay-up from Haley Gray. Stonebraker called a timely time out with 5:00 showing on the clock.
“We made a good run there at the beginning of the third quarter, got it under 10, put a little worry in them, and then they started pressing us,” Spitler said.
A Tiger 10-point lead at 26-36 and 10 unanswered Versailles points brought an end to the third quarter with the Tigers holding a 20-point lead at 46-26.
A strong forth quarter press paid dividends as the Tigers held FM to just two fourth period points. Versailles scored the first six points of the quarter, extending the third period quarter-ending 10-point run into 16 unanswered points.
“We got beat a couple times (on the press),” Stonebraker said. “Sometime we take our chances at it, too. Then when they can find their players down court we get burnt so we played a little bit safer press towards the end of the game and it worked well for us.”
With the score 52-28, Versailles ran off 15 unanswered points to bring the game to an end with the Tigers winning 67-28.