PDT Sports Writer

LUCASVILLE - Free throws win games.

Valley coach Mark Merritt agreed after seeing his team go 6-of-19 from stripe and seeing Kara Cayton sink two free throws to secure the win for South Webster in a SOC II girls' basketball battle Thursday night. The Lady Jeeps escaped with 62-57 win over the Valley Lady Indians Thursday night in Lucasville.

The new year brought old challengers to the South Webster Lady Jeeps. The Lady Jeeps path to a possible undefeated season went through Lucasville. The Lady Jeeps managed to pull out the win to keep their unblemished record intact.

The win puts South Webster at 13-0 and 9-0 in the SOC II. The loss drops the Lady Indians to 6-3 on the year and to 3-3 in the league.

Leading the way for South Webster were the two C's - Kayla Cook and Kara Cayton.

Cook led the Lady Jeeps with 22 points and pulled down eight boards. Cayton had 21 points including the clinching free throws with six seconds to go. Erin Sherman had 10 points with nine rebounds in the winning cause.

For Valley, Jordan Arbaugh led the way with a double-double. Arbaugh had a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Courtnie Merritt and Michelle Mains each had 10 points in the losing effort.

The Lady Jeeps went 12 of 14 from the free throw line in the game for 83 percent. Valley's performance accounted for 31.5 percent.

The Lady Indians were 1-for-8 from the line in the fourth quarter, while the Lady Jeeps went 4-for-6 in the final stanza.

The Lady Jeeps took the control of the game in the first half shooting an amazing 72 percent from the field and forcing eight Valley turnovers. The Jeeps took a 13-point lead into the locker room.

The lead was eight when Valley's Courtnie Merritt picked up her third foul and had to take a seat with 5:52 left in the third quarter. The Lady Indians kept the lead at eight through the rest of the third period.

In the final quarter the lead started to shrink. The lead stood at six with 3:11 and then grew to eight on a Cayton basket, but was cut back to six on an Arbaugh deuce with 2:49 left in the contest.

With 1:47 left in the game the lead that once stood at 15 had dwindled to three, after another Arbaugh basket.

Kara Cayton pulled down her first rebound with seven seconds remaining, but it was biggest rebound of the contest. Cayton's two game-clinching free throws followed to let South Webster escape with the victory.

BRET BEVENS can be reached at (740)-353-3101 ext. 242

South Webster 19 19 14 10 - 62

Valley 11 14 19 13 - 57

South Webster - Moore 0 0 2, Sherman 5 0 10, Roark 2 0 5, Rawlins 1 0 2, Cook 8 6 22, Cayton 7 4 21; Totals 23 12 62.

Valley - Mains 4 0 10, Chatfield 2 0 4, Merritt 3 3 10, Arbaugh 11 1 23, Cox 2 2 6, Ellis 1 0 2; Totals 24 6 57.

3-pointers - South Webster 4 (Cayton 3, Roark); Valley 3 (Mains 2, Merritt 1)

Record - South Webster 13-0 (9-0); Valley 6-3 (3-3)