Mackenzie Peggs
LEWISVILLE, Ind. – A big run to start in the second half on Friday proved to be the difference as Tri’s girls basketball team was able to hold off Winchester as the Titans posted a 53-41 victory over the Falcons.
“We probably played about as well as we could in the first three or four minutes of the third quarter,” Tri Head Coach Jeff Miller said. “We moved the ball well and we hit some jumpers.”
When Payton Moore scored with 5:22 left in the third period, she gave the Titans a 34-12 advantage in the Tri-Eastern Conference affair.
At that point, the Falcons (3-2, 0-1) began the long road back into the contest against the Titans (4-1, 1-0).
“They changed defenses on us and we didn’t adjust real well,” Miller said.
Mariah Roberts
Mariah Roberts, who had a game-high 25 points for the Falcons, scored 11 in the third stanza.
“We just fouled her too many times,” Miller said of Roberts, who hit 14-of-17 free three for the game.
Tri led 38-24 at the third stop, but the Falcons kept the pressure on the Titans.
“I just wanted to get it to the two-minute mark, so we could do lay-up and free throw to spread the floor,” Miller said of his late game offensive strategy. “We finally got it there.”
For the Falcons, the comeback trail proved to be too long due to a difficult first half that had them down 22-11.
“That was the worst half we’ve played all year,” Winchester Head Coach Holly Gutierrez said. “We couldn’t recover.”
“We did comeback and try to get back in it, but it was just too late,” she added. “This is a tough place to play at they had a great atmosphere.”
Payton Moore
Mackenzie Peggs led the Titans with 14 points as teammates Moore and Addy Edwards tossed in 11 each. Moore also pulled down 13 rebounds.
Winchester’s JV won its fifth straight with 38-26 decision over the Titans.
Shelby Miller led Winchester with 14 points, while Kira Robinson finished with nine points.
The Titans were led by Auburn Harvey, who scored 14 points.
Winchester is back in action at home against Jay County on Saturday. Tri entertains Knightstown on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
Box Score
WINCHESTER (3-2, 0-1) – Sarah Mallory 2 2-2 6, Sierrah Love 0 0-0 0, Becca Neville 2 1-3 5, Mariah Roberts 5 14-17 25, Liz Pegg 0 2-4 2, Shelby Miller 0 0-0 0, Hannah Graft 1 0-0 3, Autumn Dixon 0 0-0 0. Team – 10 19-26 41.
TRI (4-1, 1-0) – Kylie Dishman 2 0-0 4, Mackenzie Peggs 5 2-2 14, Cayla Johnson 2 0-0 4, Payton Moore 5 1-2 11, Addy Edwards 4 1-2 11, Karlee Winkhart 1 2-2 4, Kensington Appleby 2 0-0 5, Mara Biehl 0 0-0 0, Ella Chew 0 0-0 0. Team – 21 6-8 53.
Winchester 6 11 24 41
Tri 10 22 38 53
3-pointers – Winchester 2 (Roberts 1, H. Graft 1), Tri 5 (Peggs 2, Edwards 2, Appleby 1). Rebounds – Winchester 27 (Roberts 7), Tri 39 (Moore 13). Turnovers – Winchester 19, Tri 22. Fouls – Winchester 17, Tri 21.