Hanover- On a night in which the school honored its 2002 girls state championship basketball team, Southwestern’s 2011-12 Lady Rebels posted a 67-44 ORVC win over Jac-Cen-Del. The Rebels and Eagles are now tied for second in the conference with one loss. South Ripley remains undefeated in ORVC play.

Southwestern took advantage of 23 Jac-Cen-Del turnovers and hit 50 percent from the field in the win.

After an early 5-2 JCD lead, Southwestern scored 11 straight to go up 13-4. The final two baskets in the run were scored by Sydnie McKinley who led the Hanover ladies with 14 points.

Kelsey Pilz of the Eagles, who opened the game with a pair of field goals in that early 5-2 lead, scored two more inside buckets late in the quarter to help close the gap to 15-12 by the end of the first eight mintues. Pilz was Jac-Cen-Del’s top scorer with 14 points.

It wasn’t long before Southwestern got the lead back up to 10 after a couple of consecutive baskets by Lakin Neal. Neal netted 12 points on the night. The margin was later boosted to 12, 31-19, on Brandi Ponder’s second three pointer of the half. Ponder also finished with a dozen points.

Pilz’s two field goals on either side of teammate Morgan Young’s deuce trimmed the lead to six but Cheyenne McKinley hit a second field goal off the bench to make it an eight point game at the break, 33-25 Southwestern.

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