FSHS girls rock Dragons, 58-22

Sunday, December 18, 2005
Fort Scott's Afton Gray has some trouble getting around Pittsburg's Allie Coulter (30) during the first half of play Friday night at Fort Scott, Kan. Gray, who led the Tigers with 15 points, her teammates usually had it much easier in a 58-22 victory.

By Scott Nuzum

Herald-Tribune

FORT SCOTT, Kan. -- A 23-3 run made an already wide margin insurmountable as Fort Scott High's girls took a 58-22 victory over Pittsburg in a non-league game Friday night at the FSHS gymnasium.

The Tigers, 4-1, were already ahead 14-6 with just a little over three minutes to go when Afton Gray's three-point shot from the right wing ignited the barrage that lasted until the end of the first half. Fort Scott made four three-pointers during this run, which was interrupted only by Theola Kinnard's three-point play with 3:56 to go in the second quarter.

With the Tigers also scoring the first nine points of the second half, you ended up with a 32-3 run that lasted 14 1/2 minutes. By the time it was over, it was 46-9.

"When you get easy baskets off steals and defensive pressure and thing like that, it makes the night go a lot smoother, that's for sure," Fort Scott head coach Jeff Armstrong said.

Fort Scott forced 31 turnovers, recording 15 steals, while making just 20 themselves. The Tigers' press was hampering Pittsburg badly while the Purple Dragons' press was ineffective.

"That's what we need to do," Armstrong said. "We need to use our speed and our knowledge of the game to pressure other teams and get the easy buckets. At the same time, on the offensive end, be calm and collected and be able to execute."

Pittsburg, 2-3, made just three of 13 shots from the field in the first half on its way to finishing nine of 31 on the night for 29 percent.

Fort Scott, by contrast, made 20 of 43 fielders for 47 percent. The Tigers had 15 assists with Krista Goltra dealing five and Joce Allen another four.

"That is unselfishness," Armstrong said. "And we had talked about how our turnovers had been high but our assists were low, even in our victories. I told the girls, 'We have to start looking for the open person -- the right person to get the ball to.' And tonight we did a great job."

Afton Gray led the Tigers with 15 points. She only made two field goals -- both of them three-pointers -- but got the ball where she could draw some fouls and went nine of 10 at the charity stripe. Goltra finished with 12 points.

No one from Pittsburg got into double figures. Meghan Edwards was the closest with just six points.

Jayci McKenney helped Fort Scott to a 28-25 rebounding advantage by grabbing six boards. Allen picked up four steals.


JUNIOR VARSITY -- Fort Scott's JV defeated Pittsburg, 39-18. The Tigers led 17-8 after one period and allowed only one point in the second.

Elizabeth Meech led Fort Scott, 4-1, with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Katelyn Simpson had 13 points.

FRESHMEN -- The Tiger freshmen led Pittsburg 20-0 after one period and went on to win 48-11. Whitney Nickelson scored 12 points for Fort Scott, 3-0, while Amanda Bowles added eight. Jordyn Butler hauled down six rebounds.

Fort Scott's varsity and JV teams host Webb City, Mo. Tuesday night. The JV will play at Buck Run Community Center at 7:30. Tiger freshmen are off until Jan. 3.

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