The Rushville Lady Lions had a week off since their last game to prepare for Union County on Wednesday night. The first quarter of play appeared as if neither team had played since last winter. A four-minute stretch where both teams went 0-10, only 11 total combined points in the frame, and more turnovers than a coach would want to see in the entire game. With 25 seconds to go in the quarter the Lady Lions led 3-2. Each team drained a three pointer to save face for the squads after the previous seven minutes and 30 seconds of basketball. Kylee Herbert drained Rushville’s long ball and UC’s Peityn Gillman hit another with five ticks to go in the period, Rushville came out on top 6-5.
The second frame saw both offenses clicking. Four different Lady Lions scored in the frame with Leonie Boyer hitting her first basket of the night and Ericka Kuhn going two-for-two from the foul line to give Rushville a 10-5 lead. Gillman brought the Lady Patriots back, scoring seven points over the next three minutes to put UC on top 12-10. Two more baskets had UC up 16-11 with 1:50 to play in the half. Rushville senior Belle Gossett went on her own 5-0 run to tie the game back up at 16-16 as the teams went into the locker room.
The Lady Lions got in their grove in the third frame dropping 16 points on the Union County defense. Gossett led the charge, scoring six of her game high 17 points in the period. Rushville learned not to send UC’s Katie McCashland to the line, she went a perfect six for six on the freebies in the frame to keep the Lady Pats close. Briley Munchel scored five in the quarter and Rushville led 32-29 through three quarters of play.
The Lady Patriots hit two quick deep balls to start the final period and pulled within two-points, but Rushville’s defense took over. They held UC to just one more field goal in the game and finished off the contest hitting 5 of 6 free throws and putting up 14 more points. Gracie Buzzard scored five of her six points in the final quarter while Rushville cruised to a 47-40 win. The victory moves them back over .500 at 4-3 on the season. Rushville will have week off before the are back in action, they host the Whiteland Lady Warriors (3-6) next Wednesday, December 7. They host Greensburg in their second EIAC game on Saturday Dec. 10. Both contests have a 7:30 varsity tip time.
Unofficial stats- RCHS – Gossett 17 points, Munchel 9, Herbert 8, Buzzard 6, Boyer 5, Kuhn 2. UCHS – Gillman 10, C. McCashland 8, Fields 8, K. McCashland 6, Hill 4, Gray 2, Hughes 2.
