MERCERVILLE, Ohio — Playing their third game in four days didn’t slow down the Lady Marauders.
That’s because visiting Meigs, spearheaded by a 15-2 advantage after the opening quarter, coasted to a 57-34 victory over the South Gallia Lady Rebels — in a non-league girls basketball tilt on Saturday night.
The Lady Marauders, which won back-to-back Tri-Valley Conference Ohio Division home bouts on Wednesday and Thursday, stymied South Gallia to a single Erin Evans basket in the initial eight minutes.
Meigs then outscored the Rebels 11-10 in the second stanza to lead 26-12 at halftime, then amassed 16 points in the third period and finally 15 points in the fourth.
The Lady Rebels, meanwhile, amounted 11 markers in each of the final two stanzas — and trailed 42-23 following three frames.
With the win, which was also the Lady Marauders’ third consecutive, Meigs climbed over the .500 mark to 9-8.
The loss left the Lady Rebels at 3-13.
The Lady Marauders mustered a 21-11 advantage in total field goals, including a 7-5 edge in three-pointers.
Kassidy Betzing bagged four of Meigs’ threes, including three in the first half as part of her game-high 21 points.
Betzing bucketed a pair of triples in the first quarter and another in the second, part of 11 first-half points — as she tacked on seven more counters in the third.
She sank four two-point goals — with one of those resulting in an old-fashioned three-point play.
Meigs’ Madison Fields finished with 14 points —with three twos followed by two threes and two free throws in the fourth.
Devin Humphreys, on three baskets and 2-of-4 first-quarter foul shots, added eight points.
Marissa Noble on a first-quarter deuce and a trey, Breanna Colburn on two fourth-period buckets, Danni Morris on a pair of third-frame free throws, Courtney Jones on a second-quarter field goal, and Alli Hatfield on a third-quarter free throw rounded out the Marauder scoring.
Only six Lady Rebels played and five scored —paced by Kiley Stapleton’s 13 second-half points.
Stapleton made three trifectas, and meshed 4-of-7 free throws.
Amaya Howell had two twos and a trey in the second, and split a pair of freebies in the third.
Evans added a three-ball in the second quarter — and another two-point goal in the fourth.
Aaliyah Howell hit a pair of second-half buckets, as Olivia Hornsby had a pair of fourth-quarter free throws.
Paul Boggs can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2106
