Cougars Surge Past Lions

Thursday night, KFIL had high school girls basketball action on the air-with Mabel-Canton playing Spring Grove for the 100th time! Thursday's game evened the all-time series at 50 wins apiece!

It was Parents Night, so we started a bit late after a tight B-team game, but Spring Grove looked ready. The Lions got on the board first, then Payton Danielson nailed a three to put M-C on the board. Our second lead change came at the start of a 7-0 Spring Grove run. Mabel-Canton was playing without senior center Courtney Graves, and Spring Grove's presence was felt down low. Kaitlyn Gross got a couple buckets and Lauryn Bohr scored 13 points in the first half, and with both blocks down low having effective scorers, Spring Grove had a loud crowd and a 16-8 lead.

The lead got chipped into, though, and M-C cut the deficit down after trailing by 8 early. As was said earlier, there was a tough time with three Spring Grove starters at 5'8" or taller in the starting lineup to just the two from Mabel-Canton. One of those two, Coranda Vickerman, kept on driving into the lane and picked up contact many a time as the Cougars chipped away at the Spring Grove lead. She filled up my stat sheet, shooting 11 of 12 from the charity stripe in the first half, and the team didn't stop until they completed a 10-0 run! The Spring Grove crowd was packed as usual in this rivalry matchup, and they were chanting for defense when it was close again. A bucket late by Spring Grove held it down, but Mabel-Canton headed into the break with a 37-32 lead!

The second half started off as an answer half. A three by Spring Grove was answered by a beyond the arc shot by Mabel-Canton. Two inside was answered by a jumper. Spring Grove cut it down to a 44-40 deficit, but M-C had a lot more answers on this night. With the 2-3 zone in effect, Mabel-Canton passed the ball around a whole lot in the second half. One Mabel-Canton Cougar who found herself not blocked out wasEighth-grade guard Kenidi McCabe. McCabe hauled in some big offensive rebounds, and found herself open a couple times and made a pair of three-pointers. Payton Danielson hit four more threes in the second half, and the Cougars won this one 69-57.

KFIL Subway Player of the Game for the Spring Grove Lions was Mariah Edgington. Mariah scored 14 points in the game, and it looks from my scribbling that she had just as many rebounds, a number of them on the offensive glass and with put-backs. The sophomore made the only shot from beyond the arc for the Lions.

KFIL Subway Player of the Game for the Mabel-Canton Cougars was Coranda Vickerman. Filling up the stat sheet in the first half, the senior guard scored 27 in the game, with a couple steals, and a number of rebounds. She did not stop.

The Kingsley Mercantile Game Ball went to freshman guard Payton Danielson. Payton led the way in second half scoring, with 14 points, and made a total of 5 three-pointers! A couple balls knocked away by Danielson on defense helped make the decision.

Tune in for Friday night boys basketball! On KFIL, Rushford-Peterson hosts Lewiston-Altura. On KVGO, it's Kingsland at Plainview-Elgin-Millville! Pregame for both about 7:15. We hope you can join us!