Raiders topple Cavaliers
Lauren Davis, Sherika Brown and Mallory Sanner each scored in double digits for Uniontown as the Lady Red Raiders defeated Kiski Area in WPIAL AAAA Section 1 action. Lindsey Nies had 23 for the Lady Cavaliers, but could not help her team pull off the upset as the team fell to fifth in the section with a 3-4 mark.
“She’s (Nies) a junior who was ready for a break-out,” said Cavaliers head coach Chris Kallock.
“We were waiting for her breakout game, and it finally came.”
The Lady Red Raiders, who move into first place in the section with a 6-1 record, benefited from tough defense in a game marred with turnovers and fouls for both sides.
Sherika Brown started a low scoring first quarter with a shot in the paint, and the turnovers started with a Kiski walk within the game’s first minute.
Of the 19 points scored for both teams in the first quarter, five were the result of a free throws, and the majority of the rest as prizes for stolen balls and deflected passes.
Though the Cavaliers only lead briefly in the third, they were able to keep it close throughout the first and tied the game at several points starting with 2-2 courtesy of Celena Meighan duce.
Davis stole a pass and drove hard to the basket, garned a foul, and converted the following free throw to give the Lady Red Raiders a three-point lead early on.
After twin conversions at the free-throw line by Sanner, who gave the Lady Red Raiders an 11-6 lead, Nies sunk a basket after deflecting a pass to herself to cut the lead to 11-8 going into the second.
Another Nies basket made the deficit one with an unimpeded run to the basket, and after an Annie Hodge basket, converted two free throws to again cut the lead at one.
After a five point run by the Lady Red Raiders, the Cavaliers tied the ball game twice to finish the quarter, the first time courtesy of a three from Lauren Butler, and the second after a Heather Hobbis’ basket at the one minute mark following a Lexi Kemarsky basket.
Nies sunk a shot from trey land to start the third, to give the Cavaliers a lead that they clung two for two minutes before the Red Raiders went on a 13-1 scoring run off of the baskets of Cherese Hodge, Sanner, Davis, and Brown that would end up being the momentum turner.
“They went to the 1-2-2 trap and it caused us a lot of problems, ” said Kallock.
The Lady Cavaliers kept fighting back throughout the remainder of the quarter, courtesy of the baskets and converted free throws of Nies, and found themselves within five to start the fourth quarter.
The teams ended up trading free throws throughout the fourth, with 12 of the fourths 23 points resulting from free throws, the majority of which came from Neis for the Cavaliers and Davis, Sleighter, and Brown for the Lady Red Raiders.
The Lady Red Raiders were simply able to get to the line more often than the Cavaliers, and controlled the fourth as a result.
Kelsey Sleighter sunk the final basket for the Lady Red Raiders, as they won 53-37.
“We had trouble but I told them to continue to defend, ” said Lady Red Raiders coach Jason Winfrey.
“It was a little bit sloppy, but we went triangle two, and we came in the second and manage to execute well.”
The Lady Red Raiders look to maintain their hold on the section with a Thursday home game against Norwin.
The Lady Cavaliers also play on Thursday, home action against rival Hempfield.