Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

ASHTON, W.Va. — There was a novel and later a movie called, “The Gang That Couldn’t Shoot Straight.”
The St. Joseph Lady Flyers must have felt it was a biography on their game Monday night.
The Lady Flyers were just 15-of-58 from the field — 26 percent — including 13 percent (2-of-15) from behind the arc as they lost 41-40 to the Hannan Lady Wildcats.
“We didn’t shoot the ball very well at all. We didn’t make shots and let them hang around. Then we got in foul trouble and lost our guards. It was our fault,” said Lady Flyers’ coach Bart Burcham.
“We were really inconsistent and that hurt us, but that’s what you get with so many young players.”
St. Joseph (1-2) used an 8-3 run to take a 33-30 lead with 5:34 to play but then failed to score over the next two minutes as Hannan scored eight unanswered points to take its biggest lead of the game at 38-33 with 3:33 to go.
The Lady Flyers rallied to tie the game on a putback by Faith Mahlmeister with 17 seconds to play but Pammie Ochs was fouled and converted the second of two free throws with 13.8 seconds to go.
St. Joseph got two good looks but missed them both including a putback attempt from 10-feet away and Julie Frazier grabbed the rebound for Hannan to secure the win.
The Lady Flyers took a 10-4 first quarter lead as Emma Whaley and Bella Whaley scored five points each and had as much as an 8-point lead in the first half.
Bella Whaley had five more points in the second quarter and St. Joseph led 18-16 at the break.
Kaleigh Sturgeon scored eight straight points for Hannan as they rallied to take a 26-25 lead with 45 seconds left in the third quarter and set up the exciting finish.
Emma and Bella Whaley scored 12 points each while Mahlmeister had seven points and eight rebounds. Bella Whaley had seven rebounds and Emilee Blankenship grabbed six.
Sturgeon finished with 12 points as eight different players scored for Hannan. Halie Johnson and Frazier grabbed 10 rebounds each.
St. Joseph hosts Covenant on Thursday.
St. Joseph 10 8 7 15 = 40
Hannan 4 12 11 14 = 41
ST. JOSEPH (1-2): Kaitlyn Sheridan 0 0 0-0 0, Faith Mahlmeister 2 0 3-7 7, Emilee Blankenship 2 0 1-4 5, Emma Whaley 4 0 4-5 12, Bella Whaley 3 2 0-4 12, Chloe Sheridan 1 0 0-0 2, Lydia Sheridan 0 0 0-0 0, Kerri Jenkins 0 0 0-0 0, Laiken Unger 1 0 0-1 2. Totals: 15-58 8-21 40. 3-pt goals: 2-15. Rebounds: 19-O, 14-D = 33 (Mahlmeister 8, B. Whaley 7, Blankenship 6). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: K. Sheridan, E. Whaley.
HANNAN (1-0): Josie McCoy 1 0 0-0 2, Pammie Ochs 0 0 2-4 2, Julie Frazier 0 1 1-3 4, Bailey Coleman 2 1 1-6 8, Rachel Ellis 1 0 0-0 2, Halie Johnson 2 0 4-6 8, Madison Gill 0 1 0-0 3, Kaleigh Sturgeon 5 0 2-2 12. Totals: 14-39 10-21 41. 3-pt goals: 3-9. Rebounds: 11-O, 38-D = 49 (Johnson 10, Frazier 10, McCoy 6, Coleman 6, Ellis 6). Turnovers: 29. Fouls: 19. Fouled out: None.