Lady Cards return for 61-point victory
PARK HILLS – Freshman forward Claire Busse compiled 13 points and 10 rebounds – both season highs – off the bench as the Mineral Area women routed Malcolm X 83-22 on Tuesday.
Holly Forbes finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, and the Lady Cardinals committed only six turnovers while resting their starting five over the last 16 minutes of the game.
Masyn McWilliams knocked down three 3-pointers, including a pair within an opening 12-2 run, and MAC ended the first quarter with a 23-6 advantage.
Caitlyn Holmes followed her own miss for a 3-point play in the second quarter, and totaled 10 points with seven rebounds after sitting out her previous game with an injured foot.
Mineral Area gathered 39 rebounds by intermission, and soared to a 47-10 advantage after Georgia Sideri beat the halftime buzzer with a 22-footer from straight away.
Forbes added nine quick points out of the break on entry passes to the post, and departed the action with a massive test against Division II unbeaten Highland awaiting on Wednesday.
Busse sank her first 3-pointer of the season among five second-half field goals. Kinsley Payne and RIonne Papa chipped in eight points each, and Lainey Bell had seven points with eight rebounds as reserves.
Starting point guard Kianna Williams brought in six rebounds while dishing out three assists on early jumpers, and Natalia Lalic made five assists for the Lady Cardinals.
Damaris Green scored nine points for short-handed Malcolm X (4-7), which shot 10 percent for the game and 0-of-14 from the perimeter before halftime.
Mineral Area (11-3) created a 67-10 scoring gap with a 20-0 run over the first 6:55 of the third quarter, capped by a catch by Payne and immediate bounce pass across to Busse.
Sophomore Lainey Bell (24), pictured during a road game earlier this season, and the Mineral Area women’s basketball team notched a fourth consecutive win on Tuesday.
