Sewardsaints.com
Sophomore guard Avery Marchino scored a career-high 38 points as the Seward County Lady Saints earned a 91-52 home win over the Independence Pirates on Wednesday evening at The Greenhouse.
Seward (18-9, 13-8 KJCCC) earned a 39-point win over the Pirates (5-21, 2-19) to complete the regular season series sweep after winning at Independence in January. Seward sits in fifth place in the KJCCC standings, just a half game back from fourth-place Coffeyville (13-7). The Lady Saints are off on Saturday before they travel to Great Bend to take on Barton at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Marchino’s 38-point effort is tied for the fifth-most points scored in a game in program history. She also pulled down eight rebounds and dished out four assists.
Tyniah Smith had 11 points, eight rebounds and six steals off the bench, Kimora Fagan scored 11 with six boards and Grace Posch had nine points, four rebounds and three steals.
Seward got off to a slow start as Independence led for a big chunk in the first quarter. The Lady Saints scored first but did not lead again until Marchino put in two free throws with 47 seconds to make it 18-17. Seward led 20-17 after one and did not trail again in the game. Marchino scored 14 of the Lady Saints’ 20 first-quarter points.
The Lady Saints led by as much as 13 in the second quarter and took a 39-27 advantage to halftime.
The second half saw Seward outscore Independence 52-25. Seward held Indy to a game-low nine points in the fourth quarter.
Indy was led by Danaiya Stillwell-Smith’s 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Seward shot 36-66 (54.5 percent) from the field, 3-11 (27.3 percent) from three and 16-25 (64 percent) from the charity stripe.
Independence was held to 21-67 (31.3 percent) from the field, 5-25 (2- percent) from three, and 5-12 (41.7 percent) from the free throw line.
Seward forced 20 turnovers to 14 of their own. They outrebounded Independence 46-36 and outscored the Pirates 66-28 in the paint.
