Tribe halts perfect record

FORT RECOVERY — The Rangers ended the Tribe’s tournament run last year.

The Indians put an end to the Rangers’ perfect record this season.

Fort Recovery High School’s girls basketball team got off to a fast start and fended off the previously undefeated New Knoxville Rangers for a 43-38 victory Thursday in Midwest Athletic Conference action at Fort Site Fieldhouse.

The Indians (8-3, 4-1 MAC), who finished 10th in the OHSAA Division IV Associated Press poll, raced to a 14-6 lead after the first quarter. The Rangers (8-1, 3-1 MAC), trimmed the margin to five points, 20-15, at halftime. The Tribe had a 29-25 lead with one quarter to play, and went 12-of-15 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter to keep the lead.

Kierra Wendel scored a game-high 15 points for the Indians, and Whitley Rammel chipped in 11 points. Paige Fortkamp ended with seven points, as Brenna Homan and Alli Vaughn scored five points apiece.

Avery Henschen and Morgan Leffel each had 10 points for the Rangers.

Second-ranked Minster remained in first place in the MAC at 4-0 after a 70-41 victory Thursday over Parkway. Fort Recovery, which is defending the program’s first conference title in almost three decades, is in second at 4-1. New Knoxville and fourth-ranked Marion Local are tied for third at 3-1.

Fort Recovery’s junior varsity team pulled away from New Knoxville in the third quarter for a 39-26 victory.

Mara Pearson led the team with 11 points, and Grace Guggenbiller finished with eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Alexis Wendel contributed seven points.