By CHRIS BROOKS, sports editor, wellsvillesports.com
WELLSVILLE — With a grudge match against the Hornell Lady Raiders on the horizon, the Wellsville Lady Lions spent Saturday afternoon in the Den building a full head of steam to carry into the final clash with their archrival, as they used the first eight minutes to set a colossal tone against Young Women’s College Prep to establish a dominant 67-17 victory to spring back above .500 on the season.
Almost every Lady Lion (8-7) recorded at least a two-point basket to get the offense firing on all cylinders behind a 23-point first quarter while the defense fed off the momentum on the other end, holding Young Women’s College Prep to just three points along the way. It was the beginning of a strong defensive presence that Wellsville displayed all game long, as they held their opposition to no more than six points across the board to secure the victory.
Amongst the scorers, three Lady Lions eclipsed the 10-point plateau, with Lindsay Stuck leading a complete and balanced effort on the attack, scoring a game-high 13 points to pair with nine rebounds. Makenna Dunbar was not far behind, collecting 12 points of her own to pair with seven boards, while Emily Robbins had 10 points to add, coupling them with five assists and four steals. Natalie Adams garnered six steals.
Wellsville will make their trip to Hornell to visit the Lady Raiders on Tuesday, beginning at 7 p.m.
YWCP 3 6 5 3 – 17
Wellsville 23 13 16 15 – 67
YWCP: Alyssa Jeanty 1 0-0 2, Amari Caruthers 1 2-2 5, Erica Coley 0 1-2 1, Jahzell Strong 3 2-2 9. Totals: 5 5-6 17.
WELLSVILLE: Lindsay Stuck 5 1-2 13, Natalie Adams 2 0-0 5, Edahlia Sebastian 1 0-0 3, Maddy Parks 3 3-4 9, Emily Robbins 4 0-0 10, Sara Reitz 3 0-0 7, Averee Palmatier 4 0-0 8, Makenna Dunbar 5 2-2 12. Totals: 27 6-8 67.
3-point goals: YWCP 2 (Caruthers, Strong), Wellsville 7 (Stuck 2, Robbins 2, Adams, Sebastian, Reitz).
Total Fouls: YWCP 6, Wellsville 8. Fouled out: None.