Tiger girls take control in second quarter

Fort Scott junior Jolee Sharp steals the ball from Independence's Kelly McGrath (15) as teammate Brittany Bingesser (25) looks on during a Southeast Kansas League contest at the FSHS gymnasium Tuesday night. The Tigers forced 26 turnovers in a 50-37 win. (Captured Images/Kenny Felt)

Fort Scott High School's girls came out of the gate sluggish Tuesday night. But once things started clicking halfway through the second quarter, the Tigers dominated and went on to a 50-37 victory over Independence in a Southeast Kansas League make-up game at the FSHS gymnasium.

The Bulldogs held an 11-7 lead late in the first quarter before the Tigers (6-0 SEK, 7-3 overall) rallied to tie it. And they were in front 18-15 with just over four minutes left to go in the second before Fort Scott exploded for a 15-0 half-ending run.

"We were a little sluggish in the first," Fort Scott head coach Jeff Armstrong said. "And then it seemed like we started feeling the groove of the game.

"We made a pretty good run to end the half," Armstrong said. "And that's always big when you can go into the locker room with a positive run like that."

There may have been a bit of a lingering effect from the two-point loss at Girard Friday night, which the host Trojans won on shot with time winding down after Fort Scott had rallied from a big halftime deficit to tie the score with under a minute to go.

The Tigers actually led 7-2 early after Sammi Therwhanger scored the first two baskets and Monica Dikeman hit a three-point shot. But Independence (5-3, 5-4) scored the next nine to go in front with 1:22 to go. Then Megan McDermed stuck back a teammate's miss and Jolee Sharp made two free throws with 13 seconds left to the the score.

Sharp had just those two points in the first quarter and Kori Page Rienbolt didn't score at all. But Therwhanger, Dikeman and McDermed showed that that others can contribute, which Armstrong says will be a key later in the season as teams continue to focus on Sharp and Rienbolt.

"They do a great job and we demand a lot from them," Armstrong said of his top scoring duo. "But they're ready for that. They do a great job of leading the team.

"The thing is, when they go into the game, the other team (is) going to focus a lot of their energy on trying to stop those two. And when the other team overplays them, they do a good job of distributing the ball."

After Indy went back in front late in the second, Rienbolt started the half-ending run, using a screen from Jamie Collins to go in for a layup with 3:24 remaining in the half.

The Bulldogs cut into a 30-18 halftime lead as Kelby McGrath scored Indy's first seven points of the second half to get within seven.

But the Bulldogs couldn't ever make it all the way back, even though they got within 42-36 with 1:58 to go.

Sharp finished the game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Rienbolt had 13 points and McDermed and Brittany Bingesser each had six -- Bingesser was six of six at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

Kirsten Steinle, averaging a double-double coming into the game, maintained that pace as she led Independence with 12 points and 12 rebounds. McGrath finished with 10. Only three other Bulldogs scored.

Fort Scott shot 37 percent from the field, making 15 of 41 field-goal attempts but held Indy to 30 percent on 13 of 44.

The Tigers will be off until next Tuesday when they begin a stretch of three league games in four nights by hosting second-place Coffeyville (6-1, 6-1). That game tips off at 6 p.m.

JUNIOR VARSITY -- The Tiger JV held on to beat Independence, 28-25. Mallory Shelton scored nine points while Jenna Campbell added eight.

FRESHMEN -- The freshmen did not play. They will play again Tuesday night against Coffeyville.

INDEPENDENCE: Smith 2-10 0-0 6, Kays 0-0 0-0 0, McGrath 4-11 0-0 10, Ka.Steinle 1-5 0-0 2, Ki.Steinle 4-9 4-8 12, Wilson 0-0 0-0 0, Hignight 0-3 0-0 0, Meier 2-6 3-4 7. TOTALS: 13-44 7-12 37.>

FORT SCOTT: Sharp 4-8 6-7 14, Therwhanger 2-6 0-2 4, R.Allen 0-1 2-2 2, Carpenter 0-1 0-0 0, Rienbolt 5-14 3-9 13, Bingesser 0-1 6-6 6, Collins 0-1 0-0 0, Dikeman 2-5 0-3 5, McDermed 2-5 2-2 6 . TOTALS: 15-41 19-31 50.

Fort Scott............... 11 19 7 13 -- 50

Three-point field goals: Independence 4-18 (McGrath 2-5, Smith 2-8, Ki.Steinle 0-1, Ka.Steinle 0-2, Meier 0-2), Fort Scott 1-3 (Dikeman 1-2, Rienbolt 0-1).

Total fouls: Independence 24, Fort Scott 13. Fouled out: McGrath. Technical fouls: none.

Rebounds: Independence 35 (Ki.Steinle 12, Meier 11), Fort Scott 29 (Sharp 11). Assists: Independence 6 (McGrath 2), Fort Scott 9 (Sharp 7). Turnovers: Independence 26, Fort Scott 16. Steals: Independence 9 (Meier 4), Fort Scott 15 (Bingesser 4). Blocked shots: Independence 3 (Ki.Steinle 2), Fort Scott none.