Lions aiming for return to regional

The Lady Lions’ basketball team will be looking for their 34th sectional championship this season after capturing number 33 last season. Coach Melissa Marlow is returning three starters from last year’s sectional championship team that finished 17-10 and only allowed 41 points per game. The season begins this Friday, Nov. 4. The Lady Lions will take on New Castle at the Hoosier Gym in Knightstown. Rushville opened the season last year with a 52-25 win over the Lady Trojans. The first home game on Cinda Rice Brown court will be this Saturday afternoon when they host Eastern Hancock.
The Lady Lions will be returning one of the top defensive players in the conference with Briley Munchel back for her senior season. The guard is a three-year starter who has averaged 2.1 steals per game through her first three years. Her 9.4 points per game last season ranked second highest on the team.
Rushville returns two frontcourt players who could make an impact this season. Senior Belle Gossett and sophomore Leonie Boyer both have varsity experience. Last year Boyer saw her playing time increase in the second half of season as she shot 34% from three-point range. Gossett, at only 5’5”, plays much larger than her height and gave Marlow a powerful presence on defense in her second season as starter. She averaged 5.7 points per game, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals for the forward position.
Marlow stated, “The Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference is solid all the way around, East Central and Greensburg are looking strong this season.” She added, “We had a great summer with a young team, Gossett and Munchel have been working very hard and staying committed to the team as leaders.”
The Lady Lions will have a few new faces on the varsity team this season. Gracie Buzzard, Olivia Smith, Kylee Herbert, Kiley Parsley and Erica Kuhn will all see playing time for Rushville this season.
The Northridge holiday tourney is Dec. 29 and sectional in early February.