In what was a see-saw battle between two tough KMAC rivals, Cardington-Lincoln (7-5, 4-1) put together a come-from-behind 40-39 win over Mount Gilead (6-5, 4-2), led by freshman Jill Bertke with 15 points.
The Pirates went up 7-4 in the first quarter, led by Abigail Hardwick’s three points. Faith White had a three for the Indians. Both teams scored 13 points in the second quarter, making it a 20-17 Pirate lead after one half. Hardwick led all scorers with seven points and Bertke had six points. White had six points for Mount Gilead in the half.
Mount Gilead battled to take a 34-31 lead after three quarters. White had six points including a three to lead the Indians, where they outscored the Pirates 17-11. Danielle Pohlkotte had five points. Bertke led the Pirates with five points.
In the fourth quarter the Indians were up 36-31 and looking to widen the gap, but Bertke rejected a shot near the hoop. She blocked another shot when it was a 39-36 game in favor of the Indians, and also had a steal at the end of the game. Bertke made a pair of free throws to cut the lead to one with about two minutes left. After a jump ball, Morgan Powell hit a layup to go up by one. Cardington-Lincoln outscored Mount Gilead 9-5 to finish with a tight, one-point victory.
Bertke had 15 points, five boards, three steals and two blocks to lead the charge for the Pirates. Hardwick put up a line of nine points, four boards, three assists and two steals. Magi Hallabrin had five points, five boards, an assist and a steal. Madison Caulkins had five points, seven boards, three assists and a pair of blocks. Lydia Hess had four points, five rebounds, one assist and three steals. Morgan Powell had two points, while Kinstin Henthorn had four boards, one assist, two steals and a block.
The Indians were led by White’s 14 points, two boards, four assists and four steals. Pohlkotte had eight points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals. Olivia Long had six points, two assists and two steals. Greer Simpson had six points, six boards and a steal. Kendall Neal had three points, four rebounds and two steals. Cassady Irwin had an offensive rebound for Mount Gilead.
The Pirates shot 32% but didn’t hit a single three all game. Mount Gilead shot 30% and were 25% from three. Cardington-Lincoln led 37-25 in rebounds and 4-1 in blocks, but Mount Gilead led 11-10 in assists and 12-10 in steals. Free throws were huge for Cardington-Lincoln, as they went 12-for-19 compared to 7-for-12 for the Mount Gilead.
The Pirates host Fredericktown (5-5, 2-3) on Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m. Mount Gilead hosts Danville (10-3, 5-1) on Jan. 9 at 7:30 p.m.
