Poplar Bluff's Jasmin Sumrall reaches for a loose ball in front of Cape Central's Sarah Uptmor during the second half Thursday night in Cape Girardeau. Sumrall scored 10 points for the Lady Mules. (Brian Rosener/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By BRIAN ROSENER ~ DAR Sports Editor

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- During a first half in which they struggled offensively, the Poplar Bluff Lady Mules were quite literally going through the motions Thursday night.

"Coach at halftime said we were playing like robots," Poplar Bluff senior Stefanie Ferguson said.

Defensively programmed robots might be more appropriate.

Poplar Bluff forced 23 turnovers and beat Cape Central 57-27, holding an opponent to under 30 points for the first time since last season when the Lady Mules did it twice.

Poplar Bluff (8-5, 1-1 SEMO) scored 12 of its first 20 points off turnovers before cranking up the offense in the second half, outscoring Central 37-18.

"We were, I guess, methodical offensively," Poplar Bluff coach Kirk Chronister said. "We were cutting to spots and not cutting to where the openings were."

Aereill Davis and Natalie Stonecipher each scored 10 points to lead Poplar Bluff while Jasmin Sumrall added nine. Ruthie Johnson hit a pair of 3-pointers to score six points off the bench, which chipped in 18 points as 10 Lady Mules scored.

The Lady Tigers (4-6, 0-1) were without 6-foot-2 junior Wendi Zickfield, who suffered a neck injury in her last game. Central coach Sherri Shirrell said her team had a day to prepare without the all-conference center who could return to practice today.

"She's going to make a tremendous difference for them," said Chronister of Zickfield.

Without her, the Lady Mules held a 30-19 rebounding advantage and stuck to their gameplan of pressuring the ballhandlers.

"They played an outstanding ballgame," Shirrell said. "They pressured the ball and we didn't handle it very well."

Poplar Bluff led 20-9 at halftime as the Lady Tigers, who went 10 minutes between field goals, turned the ball over 13 times and hit 3-of-16 shots from the field. Taylor Kirn got a putback on Central's opening possession but the Lady Mules went on a 14-2 run that ended on Kirn's two free throws with 2 minutes left in the half.

Davis then hit a pair of 3-pointers as the Lady Mules went into the break up 11.

"I thought in the second half, the kids made some great adjustments and we started busting to the ball and making better cuts for a reason," Chronister said. "Another thing, I think our guards were having a little bit of trouble getting it to (the post). I think they did a much better job in the second half on their entry passes."

Poplar Bluff led 32-21 after three quarters but had just two possessions in which they did not score in the final 8 minutes. Stonecipher and Sumrall started a 12-2 fourth-quarter run with putbacks and the lead grew to 21 midway through the quarter on another putback by Tori Williams, who had seven rebounds and four points.

Central, which did not score in the final 3 minutes, shot 30 percent from the field while the Lady Mules hit 43 percent of their shots including 6 for 11 from 3-point range.

"It seems like we haven't been able to finish a whole game, but at least we ended strong this game," said Ferguson, who scored five points. "We've been shooting, shooting, shooting all the time so it's been paying off."

Poplar Bluff had eight players scored four or more points and in the first 12 games, five were averaging 5.3 or more points per game.

"We don't have anybody that's really going to go out there and take over a game offensively," Chronister said. "That's a credit, they're a very unselfish group of young ladies."

NOTES: In the junior varsity game, Dennisha Rice scored 14 and Courtney Knuckles added 13 as the Lady Mules won 45-13, improving to 7-0. Abby Ivie added six points while Allie Pattillo, Brittney Williams and Miranda Burroughs each scored four points. The Lady Mules led 30-4 at halftime. … Poplar Bluff and Cape Central split two meeting last season while the Lady Mules hold a 52-19 all-time series lead. … Poplar Bluff has held six opponents to under 50 points, winning all but one, a 47-42 loss to Jackson. … Poplar Bluff, which last played at Peters Gym on Dec. 17, hosts Parkway West at 2 p.m. Saturday while Monday, the Lady Mules host Twin Rivers in the first meeting between the two programs since 1994. Poplar Bluff has won all four meetings.