Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

ROCKSPRINGS — The third quarter is usually the key quarter in a basketball game.

The St. Joseph Female Flyers would agree with that assessment after losing 63-52 to the Beaver Eastern Lady Eagles Saturday in the Division IV sectional finals.

The Female Flyers outscored Eastern by one point in one quarter and played even in two others. But Eastern outscored St. Joseph by 12 in the third quarter to decide the outcome.

“We were just out of sync the whole game. We played with them the whole game except the third quarter. That was the difference in the game,” said St. Joseph coach Nick Miller.

Hannah Miller scored five points and Lynsey Booker four as St. Joseph jumped out to a 14-2 lead only to have Eastern rally to tie the game at the end of the quarter as Kayla Alley and Carson Roney combined for nine points.

Hannah and Molly Miller combined for all nine points in the second quarter as St. Joseph took a 23-22 halftime lead.

But Alley had seven points in the third quarter as Eastern outscored St. Joseph 17-5 to take a 39-28 lead. Molly Miller had a basket and Hannah Miller a trifecta for the Female Flyers’ points in the quarter.

Hannah Miller scored 13 points and Booker added five in the fourth quarter as the Female Flyers got within seven points twice.

But Roney and Alley scored seven each and the Lady Eagles were 14-of-18 from the foul line to maintain the lead.

Hannah Miller scored a game-high 26 points to lead the Female Flyers who finished 16-7. Booker added nine points.

Alley scored 23 points, Roney had 16 and Paige Sanders 13 to lead Eastern.

“(Eastern is) good and they have three solid players. They did a good job and they’re well-coached,” said coach Miller.

St. Joseph 14 9 5 24 = 52

Eastern 14 8 17 24 = 63

ST. JOSEPH (16-7): Katie Roach 0 0 0-0 0, Amber Neal 0 1 0-2 3, Lynsey Booker 2 1 2-2 9, Rachel Martin 0 0 0-0 0, Hannah Miller 5 4 4-4 26, Haley Bartram 1 0 2-2 4, Bri Bridges 2 0 0-0 4, Molly Miller 3 0 0-0 6. Totals: 13 6 8-10 52. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: Booker.

BEAVER EASTERN (NA): Paige Sanders 3 0 7-10 13, Anna Staker 0 0 0-0 0, Makaela White 0 0 0-1 0, Haley Stanley 0 1 2-2 5, Carson Roney 7 0 2-3 16, Kayla Alley 6 2 5-6 23, Jenny Keppler 2 0 2-2 6. Totals: 18 3 18-24 63. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: None.