Perkins slips past Sandusky

SANDUSKY — Despite their records, it always is a big game when Perkins and Sandusky do battle. The battle of Sandusky featured two girls basketball teams that have struggled this season, but that did not stop them from entertaining those in attendance. Behind a balanced scoring attack that saw four players in double figures, Perkins overcame a slow first half to win 71-70 in Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division action. "The balance tonight was crucial," Perkins coach Leia Lyden said. "This season has given girls opportunities to step into roles that they might not have expected." Perkins (5-11, 3-4 SBC Lake) started the season 4-2, then dropped eight straight contests. Sandusky entered losers of three straight, including a tough overtime contest on Wednesday to Huron. Despite the loss, Sandusky showed growth. "Every game is an important game for us," Sandusky coach John Winborn said. "We cannot take any game for granted. At the end of year, we just want to be playing our best basketball and tonight I think we made some important steps towards that." The first quarter saw back and forth action as Mallorie Jones hit three triples to lead the charge for the Pirates. On the other side, Sandusky (2-12, 0-6) got balanced scoring as Shauntha Wilson and Mae Rameau had 16 of the Streaks' 21. After a tug-of-war first frame, Sandusky led 21-18. "Mae and Shauntha are both all-conference players," Winborn said. "Both of those girls have played with so much energy and heart this season." In the second quarter, Wilson took it to another level as she poured in 10 points to help the Streaks extend the lead to 39-31 at halftime. The Pirates stuck around despite getting outscored 18-13 in the period. After giving up the first four points in the third quarter to go down 43-31, Perkins responded with a 13-0 run behind a personal 6-0 run from Allie Brunner. "At halftime, we just talked about consistency and being able to use the momentum that we had," Lyden said. "We knew we had a good shot at halftime and credit to Sandusky. They are a really tough, hardworking team." In addition to the big quarter from Brunner, the Pirates got nine points from Hannah Koelsch. Heading into the fourth, Perkins led 53-50. A key storyline for the Pirates' struggles this season is that they have been without the playmaking skills of junior Jordyn Brunner, who injured her knee during a game vs. Elyria Catholic. Before the injury, Brunner led the scoring charge averaging 12.3 points per game. "She definitely is a leader on the court," said Lyden about Brunner. "She gives a lot of good defensive pressure, which helps other girls get scoring opportunities." Lyden also added that despite the loss of Brunner, it has helped other girls develop throughout the season. "I think it has allowed other girls to grow in their skills and push them outside their comfort zone," she said. In the final frame, Perkins was able to extend the lead to 65-57. The Pirates fended off a furious last-minute comeback that saw Sandusky's Brooklyn Long hit a 3 at buzzer for the final score. On the night for Sandusky, Rameau led the way with 27 points while Wilson scored 22. Perkins had four girls reach double figures behind Jones' 21. Also reaching double figures were Koelsch with 18, Brunner with 14 and Isabella Ramirez with 12. Both teams will have the weekend off before early week contests. For the Blue Streaks, they will stay in the friendly confines of the Big House and host North Baltimore on Monday. The Pirates will stay on the road and travel to Port Clinton in a SBC crossover battle. "We hope to tweak certain areas that did not go right tonight and build off that going into the rest of this season," Lyden said. PERKINS (5-10, 3-4) Jalee Linsey 0 1-4 1, Mallorie Jones 6 4-4 21, Isabella Ramirez 4 4-6 12, Allie Brunner 5 3-4 14, Leah Butler 1 0-0 2, Hannah Koelsch 8 1-3 18, Giana Spadaro 1 0-2 2. TOTALS 25 14-23 71 SANDUSKY (2-12, 0-6) Cassidy Stovall 2 1-4 6, Juli'onna Raymore 2 0-0 4, Crysten Johnson 2 1-2 5, Shauntha Wilson 11 0-4 22, Brooklyn Long 2 0-0 6, Mae Rameau 10 7-11 27. TOTALS 29 9-21 70 Perkins 18 13 22 18 — 71 Sandusky 21 18 11 20 — 70 Three-point goals: Perkins 7 (Jones 5, Brunner, Koelsch); Sandusky 3 (Long 2, Stovall)