West Liberty-Salem’s state-ranked girls basketball squad overcame a slow start to put away visiting Fairbanks 50-25 on Thursday in Ohio Heritage Conference action.
The Tigers, which are ranked third in the Division III state poll, stay unbeaten at 14-0 and are 10-0 in the OHC. The Panthers fall to 9-7, 7-4.
Fairbanks was able to stay in front of WL-Salem in the first quarter and held a 6-4 lead. The Panthers stretched that to a 10-4 score early in the second quarter, but the Tigers went on to have a 14-7 run. That gave WL-Salem an 18-13 halftime lead.
WL-Salem pulled away in the second half, starting with a 16-4 run in the third quarter. That vaulted the Tigers out to a 34-17 cushion. They closed out the game with a 16-8 run in the final period.
Selena Weaver powered the Tigers with 13 points and 12 rebounds, Aubrey Williams scored 10 points and Emily Hollar tallied nine points with six steals.
In junior varsity action, WL-Salem defeated Fairbanks 34-29. Chaley Wade led the Tigers with 10 points.
WL-Salem travels to Northeastern on Wednesday for an OHC contest.
WL-SALEM 50, FAIRBANKS 25
FAIRBANKS (9-7, 7-4)
Pyers 0 0-2 0; Rausch 1 1-2 3; M. Miller 4 0-0 8; Kugel 0 2-4 2; Lehman 4 0-0 8; Lahmers 1 1-2 3. Totals: 10 4-10 25.
WL-SALEM (14-0, 10-0)
E. Hollar 3 3-4 9; Poppe 1 0-0 2; Williams 3 1-2 10; Estes 1 4-8 6; S. Weaver 6 1-2 13; Hutton 2 0-1 5; Cole 2 1-1 5. Totals: 18 10-18 50.
Panthers 6 7 4 8 — 25
Tigers 4 14 16 16 — 50
Three pointers: WL-Salem 4 (Williams 3, Hutton 1); Fairbanks 1 (Lahmers).
Rebounds: WL-Salem 32 (S. Weaver 12); Fairbanks 18. Steals: WL-Salem 16 (E. Hollar 6). Turnovers: WL-Salem 15; Fairbanks 22. Assists: WL-Salem 11 (Cole 3, Hollar 3). Team fouls: WL-Salem 10; Fairbanks 11.