The Eureka Lady Tornadoes traveled to Erie on Monday, Feb. 24 to compete in a make-up game against the Red Devils. Although the Tornadoes struggled to find the bottom of the net early, there was no hope for the Red Devils after they got going. Eureka left with not only the 70-26 victory, but as co-Tri-Valley League (TVL) champions, the eighth straight title for Eureka.
Erie opened up the game with a mid-range jumper, and Kimber Ptacek responded with a free throw. The Red Devils managed to sneak in an 8-0 run, but Elle Coulter was quick to shut it down with a corner three in transition. From that point on, Eureka didn’t look back. Nearly every Tornado contributed to the scoring column in the first half, allowing them to extend their lead to 38-17 before the halftime buzzer sounded.
The Red Devils got the first basket of the half, and in typical Tornado fashion, Eureka answered with a 10-0 run. Eureka continued to absolutely dominate on both ends of the court. Ptacek stole the ball, drove into the paint and quickly dished it to the patiently waiting Laynie Winfrey on the opposite block. The following possession, Winfrey got the steal and kicked the ball to Coulter who drew the foul and knocked down the free-throw to complete the three-point play.
Eureka cleared the bench in the fourth quarter, but that was no issue. Freshman Sydney Lindamood made her presence known after draining a shot from behind the arc. The Tornadoes continued working on defense, holding Erie to just 4 points in the final quarter of play. Jersey Cox wrapped up the scoring for the game swimmingly with two free throws. The final buzzer sounded a Tornado victory 70-26 over the Red Devils. Eureka was, for the eighth time in a row, the Tri-Valley League Champions.
Stats and Scoring Leaders: POINTS: Coulter 18, Winfrey 15, Britta Mongeau 12, Ptacek 9, Hannah Perrier and Arabella Shepherd 4, Alaina Westerman and Lindamood 3 and Cox 2. REBOUNDS: Ptacek 7, Westerman 6, Winfrey 5, Coulter 4 and Mongeau 3. ASSISTS: Winfrey 7, Shepherd 5 and Ptacek, Mongeau and Lindamood 2. STEALS: Winfrey and Ptacek 5, Shepherd 3, and Westerman, Mongeau, and Lydia Mason 2.
Up Next
The Lady Tornadoes (#5) will face Cherokee-Southeast (#4), at Cherokee this Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m.
(Courtesy photo)
