MANCHESTER — The Minford Lady Falcons’ fast start, in the early-bird lidlifting game of the annual Manchester Girls Basketball Tipoff Classic on Saturday, spearheaded them to a 57-42 victory over the Whiteoak Wildcats.
The Lady Falcons did not graduate a single senior from last season’s squad, which won a Division III sectional championship over Peebles.
In fact, the only Minford senior this season is Kynedi Davis, who unfortunately missed all of her junior season with a torn ACL.
In her return on Saturday, she scored a second-quarter two-point field goal —around 7-of-8 free throws for nine points.
Lexi Conkel paced the Lady Falcons with a game-high 16 points —on five field goals and 3-of-4 free throws, as she pumped in a three-pointer apiece in periods one, two and four.
By the way, those were all three of Minford’s made threes, as the Lady Falcons finished with 16 deuces and 16 good free throws.
Marlee Pendleton posted a dozen counters on five field goals and two first-quarter foul shots, as six-foot and four-inch center Lindsee Williams went for nine points as well.
Williams, with an old-fashioned first-quarter three-point play, scored two more baskets and meshed 2-of-2 fourth-quarter free throws.
Maggie Risner scored seven points on three field goals and a split of first-quarter freebies, as Baylee Hammonds in the second stanza and Ava Cronin in the third made a field goal apiece.
Kylee Hamm had 14 points to lead the Lady Wildcats, which included five field goals and 3-of-4 free throws.
Lydia Carr collected 11 —on one deuce, one trey and 6-of-6 charity tosses.
Hamm, Carr and Jaylie Parr pocketed a three-pointer apiece.
Minford made good with its first-half play, outscoring the Lady Wildcats 13-4 in the opening quarter and 17-9 in the second to lead 30-13 at halftime.
The Lady Wildcats won the final two periods (13-12 in third and 16-15 in fourth) by one point apiece.
The Lady Falcons return to the road, and play another non-league tilt, at Athens on Thursday night.
West 51, Lynchburg-Clay 31
MANCHESTER —By all accounts, the West Lady Senators executed a three-pronged plan on Saturday — en route to their 51-31 victory over Lynchburg-Clay in the penultimate game of the annual Manchester Girls Basketball Tipoff Classic.
After trailing 8-7 following the opening canto, the Lady Senators got defensive in the second — allowing only a single basket while scoring 11 points themselves.
They then turned 21 in the third frame, building a 39-23 advantage entering the final quarter.
Emily Moore, a Lady Senator senior, and Macey Whisman, a West freshman, both tallied 10 points apiece to pace the winners.
In fact, both made four field goals and went 2-of-4 from the charity stripe.
The Lady Senator senior standout Emma Sayre scored nine points —on three twos and a fourth-quarter three-pointer —while Adi Stephens sank three three-balls for nine points of her own.
West’s balance continued down the line —as Hailey Carver canned a third-quarter deuce and trey, senior Kate Rollins registered two second-period twos, Allyson Buckner bucketed a basket in first frame, and Myla Mead made one for good measure in the fourth.
The Lady Senators, which vanquished visiting Vinton County 58-34 on Monday night, return to non-league action —on Saturday against Jackson in the storied Hoosier Gym in Knightstown, Ind.
West will participate as part of a girls-boys doubleheader with Jackson —with the girls game getting underway in the Hoosier Gym at 2 p.m.
Manchester 45, East 26
MANCHESTER — The youthful East Lady Tartans, in the closing contest on Saturday in the annual Manchester Girls Basketball Tipoff Classic, trailed 10-0 after the opening quarter —and ultimately lost to the host Lady Greyhounds 45-26.
East attempted four first-quarter free throws, but didn’t make any —as Manchester scored 10 points apiece in quarters one and two.
With a 20-10 lead at halftime, the Lady Greyhounds made it 38-20 following three frames.
Mahayla Brown, with 10 points on five field goals, scored all of her points through the first three periods.
In all, nine Lady Greyhounds reached the scoring column.
For the Lady Tartans, Maddie Fitzgerald poured in 16 points to lead all scorers —including two of her three triples for all six of East’s points in the fourth.
Her other three came in the second stanza —along with two twos, one of which was an and-one.
Shey Johnson scored a basket for East’s only other second-period points.
In the third, Lanie Lewis scored all five of her markers on two baskets and a foul shot, as Fitzgerald added a two and Taylor Thomas a trey.
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