Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

FRANKLIN FURNACE — It wasn’t the Sahara Desert, but it could have been the Mohave.
The St. Joseph Lady Flyers’ scoring must have felt like a desert as they struggled in the first and third quarters and lost 55-38 to the Green Lady Bobcats in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Thursday.
“The girls played hard. They just couldn’t get any shots to fall in the third quarter. We just had one too many scoring droughts,” said Lady Flyers’ coach Bart Burcham.
“But that’s on me. I’ve got to find us ways to get easier and better shots.”
Green (3-0, 2-0) didn’t have trouble with its offense thanks to Kasey Kimbler and Kame Sweeney who poured in 35 points between them. Kimbler had 18 points and Sweeney 17 and 10 rebounds. Anna Knapp had a game-high 15 rebounds and Kim Brown six assists.
“We were in foul trouble early, but the key was holding them to four points in the third quarter and16 in the second half,” said Green coach Melissa Knapp.
Bella Whaley had 15 points and Emma Whaley 10 to lead the Lady Flyers (2-1, 1-1). Gracie Damron grabbed seven rebounds, Bella Whaley six and Kaitlyn Sheridan five.
Kimbler and Charli Blevins hit 3-pointers and six different players scored as Green went up 17-8 in the first quarter.
Bella Whaley hit a trifecta and scored 7 of the Lady Flyers 8 points in the quarter.
Emma Whaley had a triple as she scored 7 points in the second quarter and Chloe Sheridan scored all 5 of her points as St. Joseph cut the deficit to 28-22 at the half.
Kimbler had 7 points including another triple in the quarter.
The Lady Flyers managed just 4 points in the third quarter while Green used 9 points by Sweeney and 3-pointers by Knapp and Kimbler to open up a 44-26 lead.
The Lady Bobcats converted 8-of-10 from the line in the fourth quarter — Kimbler was 4-of-4 — and Knapp added another triple to secure the win.
Bella Whaley had 4 points and Emma Whaley a trifecta for St. Joseph.
The Lady Flyers play at Portsmouth Notre Dame next Thursday. Green is at Fairview, Ky., next Wednesday and New Boston on Thursday.
St. Joseph 8 14 4 12 = 38
Green 17 11 16 11 = 55
ST. JOSEPH (2-1, 1-1): Kaitlyn Sheridan 1 0 1-2 3, Faith Mahlmeister 2 0 1-2 5, Chloe Sheridan 2 0 1-2 5, Bella Whaley 6 1 0-3 15, Emma Whaley 2 2 0-0 10, Gracie Damron 0 0 0-1 0, Aubrey Sutton 0 0 0-0 0, Kerri Jenkins 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 13 3 3-9 38. Fouls: 13. Fouled out: Mahlmeister. Rebounds: 25 (Damron 7, B. Whaley 6, K. Sheridan 5, Mahlmeister 4).
GREEN (3-0, 2-0): Anna Knapp 1 2 0-0 8, Kasey Kimbler 1 3 7-8 18, Kimberly Brown 0 0 2-2 2, Kame Sweeney 6 0 5-5 17, Charli Blevins 0 1 3-6 6, Kaylee Christian 1 0 0-0 2, Brelan Baldridge 1 0 0-0 2, Lori Brown 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 10 6 17-21 55. Fouls: 14. Fouled out: None.