By Jacob Govero/For OzarksSportsZone.com
In the midst of what would be considered a down season by recent standards, the Crane Lady Pirates pulled out a gutsy road victory against the Forsyth Panthers on Monday night, winning 61-55. Tight defense and back-and-forth scoring was the dominant theme as Crane held off a short-handed Forsyth squad to gain a much needed conference win.
Crane, the defending four-time state champion in Class 2, was led by sophomore Madison Hicks, who poured in a game-high 33 points for the Lady Pirates.
Forsyth cut the lead to five points 51-46 with 2:30 to go in the game off a nice pass underneath from Kenlee Nuss to Hannah Sullenger, but Hicks answered right back with a three-point play. Forsyth would bring the deficit to five once again at 60-55, but a free throw by Hicks iced the game for Crane.
“Hicks really stepped up tonight, she had 33 of our 61,” said Crane coach Jeremy Mullins. ”I can’t say enough good things about her and really the way our entire team played.”
Crane led by eight going into the fourth quarter and was able to respond each time Forsyth threatened to make a run.
“I was really surprised about that. With this team only having one senior we haven’t been in many games like that this year and I was really proud of them,” Mullins said.
Forsyth grabbed an early advantage. A steal by Forsyth senior Maycee Lumley led to a buck and foul, which she converted, putting her team up 14-5. Those were three of Lumley’s 17 points for the game. Hicks would answer as she converted her own three point play on the other end to make it a 16-10 score at the end of the first quarter.
Forsyth head coach Mandy Rogers admitted that physical play and missed opportunities contributed to her team letting the lead slip away from them. “One of our big keys was we knew we would have to rebound, they certainly outsized us, then we had a couple of empty possessions where we didn’t get good shots and gave up the lead there.”
Forsyth senior Lacey Moore scored eight of her team-high 22 points in the first half in spite of battling the flu. In addition to that, Forsyth was missing starter and junior Ashton Davidson, who was also sick and unable to make it to the game.
Coach Rogers said missing Davidson hurt but the team played hard. “Not having Davidson was bit of a punch in the throat. That kid has never missed a practice or anything, but I thought our kids battled well.”
Crane finally pulled even 16-16 at the 6:12 mark of the second quarter off two free throws by sophomore Olivia Doto. That was part of a 19-6 run by the Lady Pirates as they headed to the locker room at halftime leading 29-22.
Forsyth fell to 11-9 overall and 3-2 in the SWCL. The Panthers have three games remaining on their regular season schedule and host Spokane this Thursday.
Crane improved to 8-14 overall and 3-3 in the SWCL. The Lady Pirates have two regular season games remaining, beginning with Ash Grove at home Thursday.
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Crane 61, Forsyth 55
Crane 10 19 13 19-61
Forsyth 16 6 12 21-55
Forsyth scoring- Sullenger-2, Lumley-17, Moore-22, Romine-6, Gillman-4, Nuss-4
Crane scoring- Edwards-5, Hicks-33, Fulp-10, Vaught-4, McMenamy-2, Doto-7
