Fort tops Flyers (01/18/08)

FORT RECOVERY - Balanced offense and tenacious defense got the what they wanted.

The Fort Recovery High School girls basketball team shut down the Marion Local Flyers from the field in the second half and won their fifth straight, 52-46.

After losing back-to-back games to Fort Loramie and Jay County to close December, the senior-less Indians are perfect in 2008.

FRHS (10-4, 5-1 Midwest Athletic Conference) led by as many as eight points in the opening half. The Flyers scored the final five points to close to within three before the intermission, but the Indians arrived on defense after the break.

Fort Recovery allowed just 24 percent shooting from the field in the second half, in which Marion Local (5-7, 2-3 MAC) scored more than half of its points from the free-throw line. But the Tribe was better at the stripe as well.

Although the Flyers attempted 36 free throws to just 20 for FRHS, the Indians made theirs count. Led by and 8-for-8 effort by sophomore Nicole Pottkotter, they hit 15-of-20 (75 percent) compared to just 53 percent for Marion Local.

Pottkotter, Anne Koesters and Joanna Snyder all scored 10 points for the Indians, and freshman Kendra Brunswick scored all of her nine on 3-pointers. Koesters had eight rebounds and three blocks, Pottkotter added three steals and two blocks and Snyder dished out three assists. Chelsey Leuthold totaled six rebounds and four steals.

Rachael Puthoff was the only Flyer in double figures. She finished with 10 points and five steals, but shot just 4-of-15 from the field, including 0-for-5 from 3-point range.

Kristin Bergman had nine points and six rebounds, and Megan Barhorst grabbed seven boards.

Junior varsity

Free-throw shooting and defense saved a poor shooting night for the Indians as they topped Marion Local 46-28.

Fort Recovery shot just 27 percent for the game, including 5-of-26 (19 percent) in the second half, but won it thanks to a 77 percent effort at the line and 19 steals. The Indians made 13-of-16 foul shots (81 percent) in the second half, and forced 36 turnovers for the game.

Holly Brunswick paced FRHS with 10 points and four rebounds, and Kendra Brunswick added nine points. Alyssa Brackman finished with seven steals and three assists, and Olivia Thien had four boards.

Alyssa Winner shot 6-of-12 from the field and scored 14 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds. Kelly Schlarman had seven points and six boards.[[In-content Ad]]