ICL GIRLS BASKETBALL Springfield remains undefeated

The Tigers defeated South Range for their 14th straight win, 56-47.
By CHUCK HOUSTEAU
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW MIDDLETOWN -- Is the Springfield girls basketball team looking forward to Monday's big Inter-County League matchup at Lowellville?
"We are now," a smiling Springfield coach Sandi Kohler said Saturday after her team defeated rival South Range, 56-47.
The Tigers (14-0, 8-0) can take a big step toward securing a league title when they take on the Rockets (10-3, 6-1).
Springfield already defeated the Rockets, 49-43, in December. A win by Springfield would give the Tigers a two-game lead with five league games remaining on the schedule.
"It'll be a big game," Kohler said. "We're going to have to show up and play see what happens.
"We're expecting it to be a hard fought battle and we'll be prepared," Kohler said.
Struggled with Raiders
Against South Range, the Tigers had their hands full for three quarters before finally putting the Raiders away in the final eight minutes.
Springfield used the one-two punch of Angelina Fiumara and Lyndsay Johnson who tallied 20 and 19 points with strong inside games.
"Their points came in the flow of the offense," Kohler said.
"We try to make adjustments and see what they'll give us. If we can score inside that's what we look to do."
Johnson scored all 11 of the Tigers first quarter points as Springfield jumped out to a 9-2 lead before South Range got its game going.
The Raiders (8-6, 6-2) rallied behind the strong play of Kelly Skrinyer, Jodi Jones and Tara Chizmar to close out the quarter strong and grab a 12-11 lead.
Pulled away in final quarter
The teams traded leads for the next two periods before Springfield began to pull away in the fourth quarter by outscoring South Range 18-13.
"[Springfield] made their free throws down the stretch and we didn't," South Range coach Brad Porinchak said. "That was huge. We knew they were a good team and that's what good teams do."
Springfield knocked down 16 of 28 free throws and 12 of 18 in the second half to just 3 of 9 for the Raiders.
South Range held its last lead at 30-29 midway through the third quarter before the Tigers rallied.
Tigers biggest lead
Springfield opened up its biggest lead, 47-37 on a basket by Carrie Davis in the final period.
"For the first time our girls played with everything they had tonight," Porinchak said. "I was proud of them.
"We stayed with them for as long as we could. They just ran away with it there at the end," Porinchak said.
Skrinyer led the Raiders in scoring with 14 points while Chizmar added 10. Michelle Pingley pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.