Lady Scots remain undefeated with 65-32 win
Darnell Graham
Southmoreland鈥檚 Olivia Cernuto (10) goes airborne past Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Brooke Marland (12) to score a basket during Monday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Elizabeth Forward High School.
Darnell Graham
Southmoreland鈥檚 Gracie Spadaro (15) attempts a lay-up over the back of Elizabeth Forward defender Abigail Bickerton (13) during Monday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Elizabeth Forward High School.
Darnell Graham
Southmoreland鈥檚 Sarah Pisula (24) gets a hand on a shot by Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Brooke Marland (12) during Monday鈥檚 Section 3-AAAA game at Elizabeth Forward High School.
FORWARD TWP. 鈥� Southmoreland continued its perfect season Monday night as the Lady Scotties won on the road at Elizabeth Forward, 65-32, in Section 3-AAAA action.
鈥淥verall, it鈥檚 a great win for us and a great win for our program,鈥� said Southmoreland head coach Brian Pritts. 鈥淓lizabeth Forward is a well-coached team, and somebody told me that this is the first time that Southmoreland girls won here at Elizabeth Forward. Either way, this is a great section win for us moving forward.鈥�
Southmoreland and Elizabeth Forward (5-5, 3-2) played an evenly-matched contest in the first quarter with the Lady Scotties holding a 14-12 lead heading into the second quarter.
However, Southmoreland (5-0, 11-0) quickly took control of the game in the second quarter, outscoring the Lady Warriors, 34-8, for a 48-20 halftime lead.
Southmoreland forced a number of turnovers and made the most of the opportunities by making 16-of-20 foul shots in the second quarter.
鈥淭he second quarter was the key,鈥� said Pritts. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 do too well in the first quarter, but we started to get them in a little foul trouble, our girls felt it, and we kept going after them.鈥�
Southmoreland鈥檚 Gracie Spadaro scored 18 points in the first half, followed by teammate Olivia Cernuto with 14 points.
The game slowed down after the explosive second quarter with Southmoreland winning the third quarter, 5-3.
The pace picked up a little in the fourth quarter with the Lady Scots holding a 12-9 advantage.
鈥淲e got a little sloppy on defense in the second half,鈥� said Pritts. 鈥淲e could鈥檝e done a better job holding onto the ball, so that鈥檚 something we need to work on.鈥�
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 play very well,鈥� said Elizabeth Forward head coach Krystal Gibbs. 鈥淭he second quarter killed us, and I think we had like 20 fouls, which doesn鈥檛 help us. We鈥檙e a young team and Southmoreland is a big, more mature team. They out-hustled us.鈥�
Elizabeth Forward鈥檚 Haven Briggs scored a team-high eight points. Spadaro (22), Cernuto (20), Delaynie Morvosh (12), and Sarah Pisula (11) all finished in double digits for Southmoreland.
Both teams return to section action on the road Thursday night with Elizabeth Forward at Yough and Southmoreland traveling to Belle Vernon.