Lady Cats rally after slow start to win district opener
STE. GENEVIEVE – The Fredericktown Lady Cats managed only three points in the first seven minutes of their game Class 4, District 2 opening game with the host team, Ste. Genevieve Dragons, on Tuesday. The slow start did not have any negative effect as the Dragons also only scored three. With 90 seconds left in the quarter, senior Ellie Jensen made a free-throw to break the only tie, and the Lady Cats never trailed as they rolled to a 47-29 win.
Jensen tacked on a 10-footer to give Fredericktown a 6-3 lead at the end of the quarter. The Dragons struggled to keep possession of the ball as they turned it over seven times in the first quarter, but the Lady Cats could not take quick advantage as they had their troubles at the hoop, making only one of nine shots.
Fredericktown made two steals early in the second quarter and converted both in transition for lay-ups to go up 12-5 just 90 seconds into the quarter. Paige Godsey drove the floor to lay in the ball after making her steal, and Annabeth Phillips laid in another after a steal by Callista Francis. The Lady Cats went to the line three times, making all six free throws in the quarter, and they would finish as a team 15-18.
Ste. Genevieve continued to have cold hands as they also managed only one basket in the second quarter. Fredericktown’s pressure-defense was partly to blame, but mostly the Dragons could just not get their shots to fall as several rimmed out in the quarter.
The Lady Cats did not wait around for the Dragons to heat up as they pushed out to an 18-6 half-time lead. After coming up empty on their first six tries, the Lady Cats finally hit from the circle with Phillips making their first, four minutes into the third, and she added a second one just one minute later.
The threes came just in time as the Dragons’ offense came alive in quarter three. Madison Reynolds went the floor after a defensive rebound for a lay-in and she followed with the Dragons’ first three to spark a 7-0 run. Late in the quarter, Reynolds struck again from the circle and she would lead the Dragons in scoring with 13.
The Lady Cats answered back with an 8-0 run of their own to close out the quarter. Jensen tacked on six of her 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lady Cats keep their distance. Godsey and Phillips finished off their scoring at the line in the fourth to score 10 and nine points respectively.
Fredericktown (17-10) advances to play De Soto on Thursday, and Ste. Genevieve closes out its season at 13-14.
Ste. Genevieve 3 3 15 8 – 29
Fredericktown 6 12 18 11 – 47
Ste. Genevieve – Madison Reynolds 13, Regan Zerwig 5, Riley Meyer 5, Courtney Donze 4, Maggie Flieg 1, Natalie Engel 1. 3-point FG – Reynolds 3. (FT 11-20).
Fredericktown – Ellie Jensen 13, Paige Godsey 10, Callista Francis 6, Abby Clark 5, Raylyn Dodd 4. 3-point FG – Phillips 2. (FT 15-18).
Fredericktown senior Ellie Jensen (24) lines up a shot in the third quarter. Jensen led the Lady Cats in scoring with 13 points.
Callista Francis (42) puts one in for the Lady Cats in the third quarter to give her six points, matching her six rebounds in the game.
