Lady Indians take down 4A-ll Runner-Up
BY NICK CORN
The Frontenac Lady Raiders were one win away from becoming 4A-II’s state champion last year. On Friday night, the 1A St. Paul Lady Indians took down Frontenac 66-60 in what Head Coach Doug Tuck called “a physical game with a lot of intensity.” At the end of the first quarter, the game was tied up 12-12. St. Paul used a 25-19 scoring advantage in the second quarter to take a six-point lead into halftime.
Josie Albertini lead St. Paul with 22 points in their victory over Frontenac on Frinday night. The Lady Indians take their #1 seed into the Southeast Tournament and will play the winner of Southeast and Parsons on Thursday night at 7:00. PHOTO BY BRYANNA WHITE
The Lady Indians took a seven-point lead into the fourth quarter. Frontenac would battle back, even taking the lead at one point in what would have been a disappointing loss for St. Paul, having lead most of the game. But St. Paul regained the lead and would keep it this time, earning the victory in what was the most hard-fought, bruiser of a game yet this season. “There are execution things you wish you did better, especially defensively, but overall I thought we had good effort and we finished well,” said Tuck. “We need to continue to give that effort as the season goes along.” The three-headed tandem of Ashton Wood, Josie Albertini, and Keyahnah Burk led the team to victory, combining for 56 of the 66 points scored by the Lady Indians (Albertini 22, Burk 19, and Wood 15.).
A big storyline as the Lady Indians approach the halfway mark is life without Jordyn Tuck. Tuck, the leading scorer as a freshman and sophomore, will miss the entire season with a knee injury. “I think gradually we are adjusting to Jordyn’s injury,” said Coach Tuck. “It is pushing us to rely on our young girls more than we planned, but the positive is we are building depth for the future.” As of now, St. Paul’s starting lineup consists of one senior, three juniors, and a sophomore, but the four first players off the bench are one sophomore and three freshmen. The experience being gained cannot be overlooked, as the three freshmen: Katelin O’Brien, Emily Winter, and Sydney Rice, combined for nearly 50 minutes of playing time in the victory over Frontenac.
The win Friday night put the Lady Indians at 8-0 on the season and the one-seed at the Southeast Lancer Classic. St. Paul earned a bye the first round, and will play the winner of Southeast and Parsons on Thursday night at 7:00.
A win would put the Lady Indians in the championship game.