Greencastle girls fall to Speedway

Despite a strong effort against Speedway at home Friday, the Greencastle Tiger Cubs' girls' basketball team is still searching for its first win of the season.

The Sparkplugs defeated Greencastle, 52-46, in the West Central Conference match-up.

Greencastle trailed by as many as 12 in the fourth quarter but used a 12-2 run to close within two points, 48-46, with 58.6 seconds remaining in the game.

Grace Fisher started the run for the Tiger Cubs, knocking down a three-pointer with five minutes to go that cut the Sparkplugs' lead down to nine.

Kelsey Hennette hit an inside bucket with 2:14 on the clock, and Fisher nailed another three 22 seconds later to make it a four-point game, 46-42.

Speedway answered with a two-point basket to stretch their lead to six with 1:37 remaining, but Lauren Robertson connected on a three-point basket to bring the Tiger Cubs within three, 48-45.

Robertson hit one of two free throws to cut the Sparkplugs' lead to two, but Speedway scored the final three-points of the game and escaped with the victory.

"Those girls just don't quit," Greencastle coach Glenn Hile said after the game. "They played so hard, and they got so close, and they just can't seem to get over that hump.

"In my opinion we outplayed (Speedway)."

Speedway doubled the score on Greencastle in the first quarter, ending the first stanza with a 14-7 lead.

But the Tiger Cubs scored four straight to open the second quarter, making it a 14-12 contest.

The Sparkplugs answered with a run of their own, using an 8-1 run to gain a 22-13 advantage.

Olivia Miller snapped the run with 3:10 remaining in the first half with an inside basket to make it a 22-15 contest, and Robertson connected on a short jumper to bring the Tiger Cubs within five.

Greencastle went into the halftime break trailing the Sparkplugs, 24-19.

Hile said that many of the Tiger Cubs' first-half woes came as a result of some defensive miscues.

"Defensively we struggled in the first half," Hile said. "We just gave up too many points."

Both teams started strong in the third quarter, trading baskets back and forth before Speedway used a 6-0 run to take a nine-point lead, 34-23.

Fisher ended the run with back-to-back three-point baskets and brought the Tiger Cubs back within five. Speedway's Lauren Miller hit a two-point shot with time winding down in the quarter, though, sending the Sparkplugs into the final period with a 38-30 lead.

Robertson led the Tiger Cubs with 16 points, and Fisher finished with 15.

"Those two came on really well for us," Hile said.

Greencastle's primary problem in the fourth quarter was at the free throw stripe. The Tiger Cubs were just 3-of-7 from the charity stripe in the period.

"They beat us at the foul line," Hile said. "That was the difference in the game. We've just got to hit those shots."

Greencastle (0-12, 0-2 WCC) will be in action again today at 2:30 p.m. when it hosts Riverton Parke.

At Greencastle

SPEEDWAY (52) -- Angela 4-9 4-7 12, Jones 1-5 6-10 9, Miller 2-9 6-7 10, Emerson 2-7 0-0 4, Tierney 6-7 3-6 15, Heller 1-3 0-1 3, White 0-0 0-0 0. 16-40 FG 19-31 FT 52 TP.

GREENCASTLE (46) -- Robertson 5-16 4-9 16, Grivas 1-3 1-2 5, Alspaugh 0-7 1-2 1, Hennette 2-5 0-0 4, Fisher 5-13 1-4 15, Miller 3-10 0-3 6, Wainman 0-1 1-2 1, Erhardt 0-0 0-0 0. 16-55 FG 8-22 FT 46 TP.

Speedway 14 10 14 14 -- 52

Greencastle 7 12 11 16 -- 46

3-pt FG -- Speedway 2-8 (Jones 1-3, Miller 0-2, Heller 1-3), Greencastle 6-15 (Robertson 2-5, Alspaugh 0-2, Fisher 4-7). Rebounds -- Speedway 29 (Tierney 10), Greencastle 38 (Miller 10). Total Fouls -- Speedway 16, Greencastle 20. Fouled out -- Grivas. Turnovers -- Speedway 16, Greencastle 19.

Next Game -- The Tiger Cubs (0-11) will be in action again today when they host Riverton Parke for a 2:30 p.m. start.