The Washington Lady Blue Lions varsity basketball team hosted the top team in the Frontier Athletic Conference, Jackson, Saturday afternoon, Jan. 8.
Jackson shot the ball very well on the way to a 54-30 victory.
The Ironladies improve to 5-1 atop the FAC standings, 8-4 overall.
Sophomore Mattie Walburn was the game’s leading scorer with 15 points.
Sophomore T.J. Carpenter scored 14 points and sophomore Kenzie Davis scored nine points.
Washington junior Allie Mongold led her team with 10 points. She hit two three-point field goals.
Senior Aaralyne Estep and sophomore Trinity George both hit one three-point field goal and both finished with five points.
Junior Natalie Woods and freshman Maggi Wall both scored three points. Wall hit a three-point field goal.
Freshman Aysha Haney scored two points.
Washington welcomed the return of junior Megan Sever, coming off an injury and scoring two points.
Sophomore Calleigh Wead-Salmi made her season debut for the Lady Lions.
Jackson was playing at a high level, making 23 of 37 shots from the field for 62 percent.
The Ironladies began the game with an 11-0 run.
At the end of the first quarter, it was 19-5, Jackson.
Jackson led 32-10 at the half and 41-15 at the end of the third quarter.
“Our identity is our defense,” Jackson head coach Matt Walburn said. “I thought we did a nice job in the first half to hold them to 10 points.
“Then we held them to five points in the third quarter,” Walburn said. “They play hard. Sam does a great job with them. They have a bunch of really good guards. Holding them to 15 points in three quarters, I was very happy and proud about that.”
It was the first home game for Washington since Dec. 14.
“We played in a tournament up in Canton right before Christmas (Dec. 20, 21),” Washington head coach Samantha Bihl said. “I think not playing since Dec. 21 hurt us a little bit.
“We had some moments where we did things really well,” Bihl said. “Defensively, we just weren’t sound. I felt like, at the beginning we were getting shots, we just didn’t shoot very well today.
“We knew Jackson was a tough team,” Bihl said. “I was happy we didn’t give up. We came out and competed in the second half. We have to keep improving as the season goes on.
“It was nice to have Calliegh and Megan back,” Bihl said. “Both girls are coming off ankle injuries, so, it’ll probably take them a few games to get back in shape. It’s definitely nice to have a healthy team.”
Jackson hosts Miami Trace on Wednesday and is scheduled to play at McClain Saturday.
Washington (3-10 overall, 0-6 in the FAC) played Circleville Monday and will return to FAC action with a game at McClain Wednesday.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
W 5 5 5 15 — 30
J 19 13 9 13 — 54
WASHINGTON — Maggi Wall 0 (1)-0-3; Aaralyne Estep 1 (1)-0-5; Allie Mongold 2 (2)-0-10; Trinity George 1 (1)-0-5; Calleigh Wead-Salmi 0-0-0; Aysha Haney 1-0-2; Megan Sever 1-0-2; Natalie Woods 0-3-3; Alizae Ryan 0-0-0. TOTALS — 6 (5)-3-30. Free throw shooting: 3 of 4 for 75 percent. Three-point field goals: Mongold, 2; Wall, Estep, George.
JACKSON — Rylie Kilgour 2-1-5; Katelyn Webb 0 (1)-0-3; Olivia Kennedy 1-0-2; T.J. Carpenter 6-2-14; Mattie Walburn 7-1-15; Sydney Hughes 3-0-6; Kenzie Davis 3-3-9. TOTALS — 22 (1)-7-54. Free throw shooting: 7 of 13 for 54 percent. Three-point field goal: Webb.
Washington j-v team beats Jackson
In the junior-varsity game (two quarters of play), Washington beat Jackson Saturday, 19-7.
Lindsey Bunch was the game’s leading scorer for Washington with eight points.
Kaithlyn Maquilling scored five points (including hitting on three-point field goal), Trinity George scored four points and Aysha Haney scored two.
For Jackson, Arizone Coburn led with four points. Lea Willett scored two and Kaylee Music scored one.
