Rhema Dominates Barclay College 86-39

Coming off of back-to-back losses where the team looked flat, the Rhema Lady Eagles looked flat in the first half against the Barclay College Lady Bears Tuesday night at the Ninowski Recreation Center. Although Rhema held a sizable lead, the team was committing careless turnovers and experiencing defensive lapses.

Lady Eagles’ Head Coach Kerri Sharp must have said the right words at halftime, because her squad came out and dominated every aspect of the second half en route to an 86-39 victory. With the 47-point victory, the Lady Eagles upped their record to 8-12 on the year.

Utilizing a full-court press, the Lady Eagles forced 30 Barclay turnovers which led to 38 Rhema points. When the Lady Bears were able to break the press, Rhema’s stifling defense held them to just 35 percent shooting from the floor (19-for-54). On the missed shots, the Lady Eagles crashed the boards, grabbing 56 rebounds to Barclay’s 31.

Leading the Lady Eagles was freshman forward Vanessa Zailo, who notched the first 20-20 game of her career. She finished the game with a season-high 21 points and grabbed 20 rebounds, her third-highest rebounding total this season. She is averaging 15.1 rebounds per contest. Sophomore forward Candace Tripke finished with 16 points and six rebounds, while freshman guard Jamie Davis had 15 points, five rebounds, and four steals. Keirstyn Spangler finished with 11 points, while Chantel Peterson had seven points, a season-high 10 rebounds, and four steals. Kori Jo Jones chipped in with eight points and five rebounds while Jessica Davis added six points, a season-high eight rebounds, and five steals.

The Lady Eagles return to action Monday, January 23, when they travel to Moberly, Missouri, to play Central Christian College of the Bible. Game time is set for 5:30 p.m.