The Chillicothe Lady Hornets entered their final non-conference game of the regular season on the road at Kirksville looking to rebound from Friday nights defeat against Lafayette.
Kirksville on their senior night, was energized from the opening tip. The Lady Hornets and Tigers traded the lead back and forth in the early going with Kirksville up 13-12 at the end of the first quarter. Early in the 2nd, the Tigers pushed the lead out to five before Coach Darren Smith called a timeout. Coach Smith referenced too many turnovers and fouls early by the Lady Hornets, but that message in the timeout was the turning point in the game. Chillicothe stepped back on the floor more engaged defensively, not allowing a field goal the rest of the quarter, while making a concerted effort to find Liz Oliver on the low post, utilizing the Lady Hornets height advantage. Oliver took over the rest of the half, dominating down low, in route to 11 first half points, while as a team Chillicothe closed the half on a 13-1 run which gave the Lady Hornets a 25-18 halftime lead.
Chillicothe picked up right were they left off when the 2nd half began, controlling the game on both ends by limiting Kirksville to 11 2nd half points while firing on all cylinders on the offensive end. Lexy Smith hit 4 three-pointers for the 2nd straight game and Oliver continued her impressive production finishing with a game high 18 points. Chillicothe pulled away for a decisive 56-29 win.
The Chillicothe Lady Hornets improve to 17-6 on the season and will play again Tuesday night on the road at Cameron in an MEC matchup.
Chillicothe 12 25 44 56
Kirksville 13 18 25 29
Individual scoring:
Chillicothe – Oliver 18, Smith 14, Emerson Staton 8, Lyla Beetsma 5, Lydia Bonderer 5, Ava Leamer 4, Maicee Albrecht 2
Kirksville – Chloe Carter 8, Paishynce Fouts 7, Megan Kinney 6, Alia Puckett 3, Macey Lehmann 3, Faith Vice 2
