Pleasanton stuns Uniontown; first-place showdown Monday

Saturday, February 12, 2011

UNIONTOWN -- Pleasanton's girls won their seventh consecutive game Friday night, jumping out to an 18-7 lead on Uniontown and coasting from there to a 61-45 victory. The Blu-Jays remain tied for the lead in the Three Rivers League and set up a first-place showdown at St. Paul Monday night.

The Blu-Jays (4-0 TRL, 8-7 overall) have rebounded from a 1-7 start to the season. Meanwhile, Uniontown (1-2, 6-8) has seen much the opposite happen as the season has progressed. The Eagles started the season 3-1 but have lost 7 of 10 games since, including four of their last five.

Karesa Lewis led the Jays with 20 points while Johnnea Saulsberry added 16. Cody Byington chipped in with 11 for Pleasanton, which will face St. Paul (4-0, 12-3) in a make-up game Monday night. St. Paul defeated Altoona-Midway, 58-17, Friday night.

Meanwhile, Oswego improved to 3-0 in league play (9-5 overall) with a 56-23 victory over Crest. The Indians play a make-up game at Chetopa Monday, then face St. Paul Tuesday night.

Breanna Esslinger led Uniontown with 16 points and Hope Jurgensen followed with 12. But their efforts were not enough to overcome 32 turnovers.

"We really got outplayed tonight," Uniontown head coach Ken Holt said. "Pleasanton came ready to play and we didn't."

Uniontown hosts Altoona-Midway in a TRL contest Tuesday night.

Girls

PLEASANTON: Lewis 7-12 6-8 20, Saulsberry 5-8 6-10 16, Byington 5-9 1-4 11, Baker 2-10 2-2 7, Secrest 1-7 4-4 7, Streeter 0-4 0-0 0, Smith 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS: 20-51 19-28 61.

UNIONTOWN: Shinn 2-5 5-5 9, Dixon 0-0 0-0 0, Ridge 0-2 0-0 0, Rockhold 0-1 0-0 0, Coyan 0-1 0-0 0, Shook 2-2 0-0 5, Jurgensen 5-13 2-4 12, Harper 1-3 0-0 2, Esslinger 5-13 4-6 16, Ulrey 0-2 0-0 0, Aikins 0-0 1-4 1. TOTALS: 15-42 12-19 45.

Pleasanton......... 18 12 16 15 -- 61

Uniontown........ 7 17 14 7 -- 45

Three-point field goals: Pleasanton 2-4 (Baker 1-1, Secrest 1-2, Saulsberry 0-1), Uniontown 3-8 (Esslinger 2-5, Shook 1-1, Harper 0-2).

Total fouls: Pleasanton 17, Uniontown 21. Fouled out: Shinn.

Rebounds: Pleasanton 19, Uniontown 24 (Shook 5). Assists: Pleasanton 16, Uniontown 10 (Shook 3). Turnovers: Pleasanton 16, Uniontown 32. Steals: Pleasanton 19, Uniontown 8 (Jurgensen 3).