Lady Cardinals win home opener for 3-0 start to season
PARK HILLS – The Mineral Area Cardinals used early bursts in both halves of their home opener to set their dominance over the Lindenwood U.-Belleville Lady Lynx J.V. team for a 90-53 win. The win marks a 3-0 start to the Lady Cardinals season with their next game at home on Wednesday against SE Illinois.
After a few exchanges to start the game. Lindenwood’s Brittany Finley connected for three from the left corner to start the scoring, but Kasia Kiejdrowska answered in like manner to tie the score, and she followed with a two inside the paint that gave the Lady Cardinals the lead for good.
Alayah Cooper-Johnston made a putback and Mineral Area was off on a 19-point run over the next eight minutes of play.
Kiejdrowska made her presence known during the run, hitting her second three and then driving coast-to-coast for a lay-in to score 10 of her game’s 12 points before taking a seat for a short rest.
Robneisha Lee made a steal of a Lynx pass for a fast break run to the hoop for two, and on the next MAC possession, she added a free throw. Precious Harvey banked in a shot to make the score 21-5, and Kaylee Biddell scored a putback with one for a three-point play, and Harvey completed the run with a running shot at the free-throw line to make the score 26-5.
Lindenwood’s Zandra Campbell stopped the run with back-to-back baskets and the Lynx put together their own run 17-4 to eventually pull to within 10 points at 25-35. The Lynx extinguished their own run by making five turnovers in the last three minutes, finishing with 12 in the half.
Biddell scored four of her first-half nine points in the final minutes of the half, and Harvey drove the lane to collect a trip to the free-throw line where she nailed both to give Mineral Area a 43-27 lead at the half.
The Lady Cardinals ruled the paint to start the second half. Center Janekia Mason gathered in her own shot for a putback and one, and followed on the next possession with a lay-in. Mason scored all 11 of her points in the second half, and when taking the bench she was well-replaced by Biddell who scored three times in the half to lead the Lady Cardinals in scoring with 15.
Mineral Area continued to build upon their lead as they reached a 30-point advantage midway through the half, 68-38, as the Lady Cardinals pressure defense prevented the Lynx from a second large run. Weronika Dabrowska hit twice from the perimeter for all six of her points.
Campbell scored nine of her game’s 12 points for the Lynx in the second half. Alana Warren led the Lynx with 15 points.
Kasia Kiejdrowska (1) drives on Lindenwood’s Mackenzie Neeley (11) during first half. Kiejdrowska scored 12 points in the game for Mineral Area including a pair of three-pointers.
Mineral Area’s Precious Harvey drives into the lane to score a basket in the second half. Harvey finished with eight points and four assists in the game.
Mineral Area’s Josie Long (4) battles with Lindenwood’s Ashlyn Davis (1) and Brittany Finley (24) for the basketball late in the second half.
