Phil Lee

LIBERAL, Kan. – After a slow start, the Seward County Community College women’s basketball team put the clamps on Independence Community College en route to an 85-35 victory on Wednesday at the Greenhouse.

Seward improved to 6-3 in the Jayhawk Conference and 11-4 overall. The Lady Saints continue to defend their home court, remaining unbeaten in the Greenhouse at 8-0. SCCC hosts Coffeyville at 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Greenhouse. TopVolt Solar is the gameday sponsor.

The Lady Saints started slow and looked as if they were still feeling the effects of their loss at Colby on Monday. It did not help that Seward was missing two starters in sophomores Kylee Hunt and Kezia Grant-Bobb due to illiness.

SCCC trailed by as many as 10 in the first quarter and was down 18-10 to Independence after one.

Then the lockdown began. After scoring 18 points in one quarter, Seward held Independence to 17 points the rest of the game. The Pirates trailed 29-14 at the half, held to just three points and were down 56-27 after the third quarter and finished with just eight points in the final stanza.

The Lady Saints held the Pirates to 26.5 percent from the field on 13-of-49 shooting for the game. Take away a 61.5 percent shooting in the first quarter, Independence only made five-of-36 field goals (13.8 percent) the rest of the game and none in the third quarter, going 0-of-14 with its only points from the free-throw line.

Maddy Kincaide had 14 points, Avery Marchino scored 12 and Allie Myers added 11 points and 13 rebounds for Seward, which had all 11 players score.

Allison Reese and Asmin Tahan each had 10 points to lead the Pirates,who remaining winless in conference play at 0-8 and 1-13 overall. Independence extended its losing streak to 10 games.

Seward is 11-4 overall and 6-3 in the Jayhawk.  Seward hosts Coffeyville Saturday at 2pm on 107.5 with Saints Shoot-around at 1:45.  Top Volt is the buyout sponsor.