Lady Wildcats fall to Blue Eye, 46-32

The Cassville Lady Wildcats dropped a non-conference game to Blue Eye on Thursday, losing 46-32 in front of a large home crowd. It was a disappointing outcome, coming on the heels of a stirring 50-36 come-from-behind victory over Hollister just two days earlier.

The Lady Bulldogs just seemed a step quicker on the floor and an inch higher in the air all night long.

Cassville took a quick 2-0 lead when Jaime Everett canned a sweet jumper from the free-throw line with 6:13 to play. Blue Eye answered with a 10-0 run to end the quarter, with senior post Cheyenne Sheets controlling the lane and the boards.

Emily Speakman stepped up and hit three baskets in the second quarter to fuel a Cassville uprising, but Blue Eye carried a 20-13 lead into halftime.

The Lady Bulldogs returned to their powerful inside game in the third quarter and stretched the lead to double digits. Blue Eye had abandoned their inside look in the second frame, opting instead for a barrage of three-point attempts. Ken Elfbrink clamped down on his girls, and the emphasis on fundamental play gave the visitors a 33-21 lead at the final break.

Without a "go to" scorer on the floor, the Lady Wildcats were in trouble. The methodical offense cranked out another 11 points in the final quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs poured in another 13 against Cassville's amoeba zone defense while pulling away to the 46-32 final tally.

Speakman was the game's high scorer, putting up 13 points after scoring 22 against Hollister. Blue Eye was led by freshman Adree Lippe, who scored 12 points.

Cassville scorers: Emily Speakman, 13; Kennadi Howard, 11; Jaime Everett, 6; and Lindsay Nolan, 2.

Blue Eye scorers: Adree Lippe, 12; Tressa Linson, 10; Cheyenne Sheets, 10; Katie Linson, 7; Taylor Miller, 5; and Aubree Riepl, 2.