Poplar Bluff utilizes solid defense to snap six-game losing streak, beats Scott City 52-38
JACKSON — The Poplar Bluff girls basketball team snapped a six-game losing streak behind four solid quarters of defense.
The Mules built an early lead and padded it in the third quarter en route to a 52-38 victory over Scott City on Saturday at the Jackson Lady Indians Showcase.
The Mules (2-9) held Scott City to 31% shooting (13-for-42), sending Scott City (3-6) to its fifth loss in six games.
“One thing that we've been doing is playing pretty good in the first halves (defensively) and not sustaining things, but we sustained our defense a lot better today,” Mules coach John David Pattillo said.
The Mules forced several early turnovers on the front end of their half-court defense and s Hannah Corcimiglia made a pair of 3-pointers, as they took an 8-0 lead.
Corcimiglia paced the Mules with 19 points, including four 3s. Alexis Richardson scored 11 points, and Morgan Courtney had 10 points, including two 3s.
Liz Dannenmueller’s free throw ended the shutout 4:12 into the half, and her putback with 2:55 to play accounted for Scott City’s first field goal.
Dannenmueller’s layup followed a turnover to cut the lead to 8-5.
Scott City cut its deficit to three points twice more before Casey Greenwall’s jumper gave the Mules a 14-9 lead after one quarter.
Scott City committed seven first-quarter turnovers.
Richardson’s 3-pointer extended the Mules’ lead to 17-9 early in the second. Courtney made a pair of 3-pointers, as the Mules expanded their lead to as many as 13 (25-12).
The Rams trimmed their deficit to 25-16 on two free throws by Kacie Daigger and a steal and layup by Dannenmueller, but Richardson drove the lane for a layup, giving the Mules a 27-16 halftime lead.
Scott City reached the double bonus in the second quarter but made only three of seven free throws.
“We never put them away, and they kind of hung around,” Pattillo said. “It's one of those deals where at halftime we talked about the fact that if we weren't fouling and putting them on the line, we would have had a bigger lead. We wanted to expand on it and just never really got to do that.”
Scott City cut the lead to seven behind two free throws by Black and a driving layup by Mackenzie Lawless. However, the Mules padded their lead from the free-throw line, making five of six attempts. Corcimiglia made a pair of 3-pointers, including one with a second remaining that gave them a 42-25 lead.
“We didn't just flow in the third quarter, but we maintained our play,” Pattillo said, “and I thought that overall we handled ourselves pretty well and still got back to the things that we wanted to do there in the fourth quarter.”
Scott City trimmed its deficit to 11 points (44-33) on a jumper in the lane by Kacie Daigger, but the Mules closed out the game from the free-throw line, making eight of 13 free throws in the final quarter.
“It was good to come over and get a win in,” Pattillo said. “(We) played through some silliness. We kept fouling and kept harping on the fact that we're keeping people in the game when we do that. (We) made a little bit better adjustment in the second half.
Daigger paced Scott City with 14 points, and Dannenmueller added 11.
Poplar Bluff | 14 | 13 | 15 | 10 | — | 52 |
Scott City | 9 | 7 | 9 | 13 | — | 38 |
POPLAR BLUFF — Hannah Corcimiglia 19, Alexis Richardson 11, Morgan Courtney 10, Sierra Sievers 6, Ciara Rahlmann 4, Casey Greenwall 2, Adrianne Casey 0, Tymber Colvin 0, Lily Johnson 0, Neveah Larkins 0, McKenna Morrow 0. FG 15, FT 15-23, F 19. (3-pointers: Corcimiglia 4, Courtney 2, Richardson.
SCOTT CITY — Kacie Daigger 14, Liza Dannenmueller 11, Jersey Black 6, Mackenzie Lawless 4, McKenzie Sweet 2, Taylor Kluesner 1, Allysa Pruitt 0, Logan Schiwitz 0. FG 13, FT 10-19, F 18. (3-pointers: Daigger 2).