MINFORD — The Valley Lady Indians, although in makeup fashion, indeed got the better of their Lucasville-Minford Road rivals on Wednesday.
That’s because visiting Valley, in a Southern Ohio Conference Division II makeup matchup, rallied from a slim third-quarter deficit —and outscored the Minford Lady Falcons 16-11 in the final frame for a 63-58 victory.
The Lady Indians amounted a 23-9 advantage at first quarter’s end —only to see the Lady Falcons storm back with a 22-10 second-stanza outburst.
Minford then won the third period 16-14 for a 47-47 tie entering the decisive fourth.
With the win, Valley —with one more makeup meeting in the SOC II at Waverly remaining next week —raised its record to 8-14, and to 4-11 in the division.
The young Lady Falcons, with just one graduating senior in Bella Reffit, finished their season at 9-14 —and at 6-10 in the SOC II.
Five Lady Indians scored at least seven points —including four in double figures.
Emilie Johnson —on three threes, three twos and 3-of-4 third-quarter free throws —led the winners with 18 points, as Lexie Morrow muscled for 14, Haley Whitt with 13 and Madison Montgomery with a first-half 11.
Morrow scored eight of her 14 in the fourth quarter, including a 4-of-6 free-throw performance in the period.
Whitt was 5-of-6 at the stripe, and Montgomery made a pair in the second salvo.
Montgomery made a first-quarter three-pointer, while McKenna Dunham’s seven first-period points — which included the Indians’ only other three — rounded out the Valley scoring.
Minford’s Lindsee Williams with 20 points, which included a second-stanza old-fashioned three-point play, paced the Lady Falcons for a game-high.
Lexi Conkel connected for three triples and three deuces towards 15 points, as Reffit recorded an opening-half 11.
Savannah Cantrell in the first quarter, and Kynedi Davis in the third, each scored five — while Ava Cronin chipped in a second-quarter bucket.
The Lady Falcons’ biggest bugaboo on Wednesday was misfired free throws, while Valley converted its —as Minford made just four foul shots and missed nine.
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