Lady Cougars open with big win over Milan
Nov. 1—South Decatur opened the girls basketball season in a big way, cruising to a 58-30 victory over visiting Milan Tuesday.
Two minutes went off the clock before a score was recorded, but once South got rolling, the Lady Cougars were in control until the final horn. Molly Eden hit a pair of free throws to start the scoring. Kiley Best followed with a lay-up. Best then found Brayley Sundal on the fast break for an early 6-0 South lead.
A steal and score by Best started a 9-0 South run, all scored by Best. Her two free throws with 1:47 left in the opening quarter made it 15-0.
Milan got on the board with a pair of free throws from Kaiya Rinear. The Lady Cougars broke the Milan press for a Sundal bucket to close the first quarter with South in control 17-2.
Milan's Kendall Budd opened the scoring in the second quarter, but Makayla Somers had the answer on the other end for South. The lead stayed at 13 and 15 as the teams traded scores until it was 23-8 on the Eden assist to Makayla Somers. Milan's Emma Voss drained a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 12 points.
Makayla Somers returned the favor to Eden late in the quarter to make it 25-11 with less than two minutes to play in the half. Eden's next bucket closed the scoring in the first half with the Lady Cougars leading 27-11.
Milan opened the third quarter on a 6-1 run. Autumn Rohrig opened the scoring and Rinear's steal and bucket capped the run to cut the deficit to 28-17. South responded with a 7-2 spurt. Eden and Paige McQueen had two each to start the run and Best's 3-pointer ended it with South leading 34-19.
After the Lady Indians cut the deficit to 15 points, five straight points from McQueen, including a traditional three point play, extended the South lead to 20 points, 41-21. A Makayla Puckett bucket and McQueen free throw ended the third quarter with South on top 44-23.
South's Taylor Somers hit a short jumper to open the fourth quarter. After a Milan free throw from Budd, Best and Taylor Somers scored to increase South's lead to 26 points. Milan's final six points came from Rinear.
The Lady Cougars closed out the 58-30 win with a bucket by Kennedy Sundal.
For the Lady Cougars, Best scored 18 points. Eden had a big game with 10 points, seven rebounds and five steals. McQueen finished with nine points. Makayla Somers added seven points, nine rebounds and three assists. Makayla Puckett, Taylor Somers and Brayley Sundal (five rebounds, four assists) all scored four points. Kennedy Sundal added two points.
Milan was led by Rinear with 16 points followed by Voss and Budd with five each and Rohrig and Anna Herzog with two each.
South returns to action at Southwestern (Shelby) Saturday. The junior varsity game is set for noon.
Contact Aaron Kirchoff at aaron.kirchoff@greensburgdailynews.com
