Cardinals remain on attack for fifth consecutive victory
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Mineral Area guard Kinley Norris shoots a 3-pointer in front of the SW Illinois bench during first quarter women’s basketball action on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Park Hills. (Matt King, Daily Journal)
PARK HILLS – The Mineral Area women kept the basketball moving quickly on Saturday, achieving an ideal balance of production from the paint and perimeter.
P.J. Reutzel amassed 15 points during a sizzling first half, and all 13 Cardinals in uniform dented the scoring column to defeat Olney Central 84-55 at home.
Kinley Norris shared the game high of 15 after draining five 3-pointers, and Karma Jones finished with 13 in the second victory this season over the Blue Knights.
Mineral Area (9-3) pushed its win streak to five games after striking 11 times from long range. Lydia Kemnitzer matched Reutzel with three 3-pointers.
Lanie Lipps tallied 12 of her 14 points before intermission, and Jenna Roth had 13 for Olney Central, which grabbed an early 13-8 lead in the sometimes contentious contest.
Reutzel answered with an open triple, then battled for a third-chance putback on the glass. Lamiya Gooden added a nifty reverse putback after Norris put the Cardinals ahead to stay.
Lipps made a steal and layup to close the first quarter at 23-20, but Olney Central (7-7) was eventually conquered by the pace and efficiency of the Cardinals.
Presley Holweg rebounded a perimeter miss to score, and Reutzel buried a step-back 22-footer as MAC gained separation to 35-26. Reutzel later rebounded a miss and drilled a deep baseline jumper.
Casey Teague netted the first of her three field goals on a baseline drive and reverse finish, and the Cardinals cruised into halftime leading 47-32.
Karma Jones drove with authority to connect twice in the early moments of the third quarter, drawing a foul on the second basket for a 56-36 margin.
Reutzel delivered an excellent diagonal pass to Amia Moore for a transition basket. Roth answered with two jumpers for the Blue Knights, but Gooden posted up to restore a 64-42 lead.
Norris hit from the right corner, and sank her fifth 3-pointer at 72-43 after Alayna Lagemann corralled an offensive rebound and Ivet Calaza fired an instant swing pass.
Mariah Dallas matched Holweg with seven points each after missing seven straight shots for Mineral Area, which will travel to Vincennes on Wednesday.
Dallas verbally and physically tangled with center Amiya Ray on muliple occasions, and thrived along with Gooden in guarding the defensive low post.
Samantha Secrest chipped in nine points, and Shelby Seay added eight for Olney Central.
