Fort Scott girls post first win at LCHS since 2000

ALTAMONT, Kan. -- For the first time in almost nine years, Fort Scott High's girls posted a victory at Labette County, winning 51-34 at Harrison Gymnasium here Friday night.

This was just the seventh win for the Tigers in 24 known games played at Altamont since the girls' program was started in the 1970's. The Tigers had lost their last five games at Harrison Gymnasium.

Fort Scott's last win here was a 44-36 decision on in the last regular-season game of the 2000 season.

Jolee Sharp and Kori Page Rienbolt led the Tigers (2-0 Southeast Kansas League, 3-2 overall) in this win. Sharp scored 20 points and Rienbolt scored 13 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.

"(Rienbolt) did a great job," Fort Scott head coach Jeff Armstrong said in a radio interview after the game. "Kori's stepping up and leading. Sometimes, when it gets really loud and the girls can't hear me, she can help run the team. It's nice to have two girls like them who can my job about as well as I can."

Fort Scott's press forced LCHS (1-1, 1-1) to turn the ball over 10 times in the first quarter and the Tigers eventually used that to go on an 8-0 run that gave them a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter.

The Grizzlies, never ones to go quietly, fought back to within 16-15 with six minutes left in the half. But Sharp's three-pointer with 5:40 left and some more defensive intensity helped the Tigers push the lead to 27-17 at the half. Fort Scott also began the second half with a personal 7-0 run by Sharp to make it a 17-point cushion with five minutes left in the third.

Sharp scored 11 of Fort Scott's 12 points in the third despite being in foul trouble and the Tigers went into the final stanza with a 39-28 lead. But they started that frame with Sharp and Rienbolt on the bench both with four fouls. However, the Tigers were looking to kill the clock and executed well in the first five minutes, keeping the Grizzlies off the board until McKenna Britton made a pair of free throws with about three minutes remaining.

Fort Scott was also playing without guard Monica Dikeman, who injured her knee during Tuesday's game against Pittsburg. Armstrong said in the radio interview that, although the injury will keep her out of the lineup for a while, it does not appear that surgery is necessary.

Sammi Therwhanger, who has been one of the Tigers' top bench players, started in Dikeman's place and finished with seven points, four steals and four rebounds. Megan McDermed, who moved up one spot in rotation and was playing impressively anyway, added six points, three rebounds and three steals.

Fort Scott shot 38 percent from the floor, making 15 of 40 field-goal attempts but also went 18 of 29 at the free-throw line. LCHS shot only 32 percent in the game on 12 of 37 and was seven of 14 at the charity stripe.

Jade Lambkins had a double-double of her down for the Grizzlies as she had 14 points and 10 rebounds while also picking up six steals.

The Tigers also outrebouned the Grizzlies, 30-25. Sharp had six boards of her own. The final turnover count saw Labette County committing 29 and Fort Scott 22.

Jenna Campbell scored nine points in the junior varsity's 50-23 loss to LCHS. The freshmen team lost 29-9 to the Grizzlies but no details were available. The JV team plays two games in its home tournament today at Buck Run Community Center.

Fort Scott's varsity will host two SEK games next week. Independence visits Thursday while Columbus comes by Friday. JV and frosh teams will also be in action both nights.

FORT SCOTT: Sharp 6-9 6-7 20, Therwhanger 3-6 1-5 7, R.Allen 1-2 1-2 3, Carpenter 0-1 0-4 0, Rienbolt 3-14 6-6 13, Bingesser 0-0 2-2 2, McDermed 2-8 2-3 6, Campbell 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 15-40 18-29 51.

LABETTE COUNTY: Omarkhail 0-4 0-2 0, Leeman 1-3 2-2 4, Rolling 2-3 2-4 7, Lambkins 6-13 0-0 14, Britton 2-8 2-2 6, Hope 0-4 0-2 0, Green 1-2 1-2 3, Workman 0-0 0-0 0, Brader 0-0 0-0 0.TOTALS: 12-37 7-14 34.

Fort Scott............ 14 13 12 12 -- 51

Labette County.... 11 6 11 6 -- 34

Three-point field goals: Fort Scott 3-9 (Sharp 2-2, Rienbolt 1-5, Carpenter 0-1, McDermed 0-1), Labette County 3-11 (Lambkins 2-3, Rolling 1-1, Leeman 0-1, Hope 0-1, Britton 0-2, Omarkhail 0-3).

Total fouls: Fort Scott 14, Labette County 23. Fouled out: Sharp. Technical fouls: none.

Rebounds: Fort Scott 30 (Rienbolt 10), Labette County 25 (Lambkins 10). Assists: Fort Scott 10 (Rienbolt 4), Labette County 2 (Rolling 2). Turnovers: Fort Scott 22, Labette County 29. Steals: Fort Scott 16 (Sharp 4, Therwhanger 4), Labette County 14 (Lambkins 6). Blocked shots: Fort Scott 2 (Sharp 2), Labette County 2 (Britton, Green).