Top-ranked Incarnate Word beats Lady Mules

By DAR STAFF

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- The Poplar Bluff Lady Mules couldn't overcome a slow start against the top-ranked team in Class 5 on Saturday.

Incarnate Word jumped out to a 15-2 lead, held off a rally by the Lady Mules and won 59-48.

"They're a very skilled ballclub," Poplar Bluff coach Kirk Chronister said. "Very fundamental, very few mistakes. Any kind of mistake we would make on the defensive end, they would capitalize on."

Ruthie Johnson, who tied the team record with six 3-pointers Thursday night, hit three more 3s and finished with a team-high 12 points for Poplar Bluff (11-8). Abby Ivie scored seven points and Natalie Stonecipher chipped in six.

Brianna Puni, a 6-1 sophomore, scored 16 points for Incarnate Word (18-1) while Jazmin Hitchens, a 5-11 junior, added 14.

The Red Knights returned two starters from a team that was the runner-up in Class 5 with a 29-4 record last year.

Incarnate Word led 21-12 after one quarter, but Poplar Bluff scored the next four points to finish a 14-6 rally that pulled the Lady Mules to within five. The Red Knights finished the half up 34-22 and Poplar Bluff never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

"We had our opportunities and had our chances to score but didn't," Chronister said. "The kids played hard and they never gave up."

The Lady Mules shot 40 percent from the field, hitting 5-of-13 shots from 3-point range, but the Red Knights hit nearly half of their shots and got 10 offensive rebounds.

It was Poplar Bluff's first of five straight games against ranked opponents. Up next is Farmington, ranked No. 10 in Class 4, Tuesday night at Peters Gym. Farmington beat the Lady Mules 50-44 back on Dec. 5, one of four ranked Missouri teams to beat them this season.

Chronister said it was very important for his team to face such a good opponent with the state playoffs just over a month away "We . eliminate a few mistakes, do a little better job on the boards and we're right in this game," he added. "There were a few positives in that game for us."