Central girls basketball team's inside game makes difference vs. Perryville

~ The Tigers prevailed 51-46 in the fifth-place game

Central's inside presence scored just enough to subdue Perryville in Thursday's fifth-place game at the Kelso Supply Holiday Classic.

Chelsea Vinson and Apple Thomas combined for 31 points in the Tigers' 51-46 win over the Pirates.

"We just had to block out and get the position down low and put it up strong," Vinson said.

Alayah Cooper-Johnson also got in on the action with her rebounding. She led the Tigers with 13 boards, while Vinson added 11. Thomas chipped in seven.

Central's Katie Williams takes a shot against Perryville's Allison Moldenhauer during the second quarter Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011 at the Show Me Center. (Fred Lynch)

"I think it's just the desire our post players have right now," Central coach Sherri Shirrell said about her team's rebounding. "They're playing hard underneath the basket. Alayah is just a beast under the basket, and she's not going to back down to anyone, nor is Chelsea or Apple. We just got to get to the point where we're getting those rebounds and consistently putting them back in."

Central attempted 15 more shots in the game thanks in big part to its offensive rebounding.

"We're out-manned most games because we don't have a lot of size, so I have to tell them to do the basic things over and over," Perryville coach Vicki Lohmann said. "The guards on my team usually do a good job rebounding. Tonight we didn't."

The Tigers (6-4) looked to gain control when Cooper-Johnson's basket gave her team a 47-37 lead with 1 minute, 25 seconds left in the contest. But the Pirates (3-5) refused to go away. Central choked Perryville's rally by hitting 4 of 6 free throws in the final minute.

Perryville never led in the game. Sophomore Allison Moldenhauer led the Pirates with 15 points.

Perryville 6 10 15 15 -- 46

Central 10 15 14 12 -- 51

PERRYVILLE (46) -- Katlyn Lukefahr 4, Allison Moldenhauer 15, Courtney Borden 7, Kaycee Erzfeld 5, Natalie Gremaud 10, Morgan Mueller 5. FG 14, FT 16-23, F 16. (3-pointers: Erzfeld 1. Fouled out: Gremaud)

CENTRAL (51) -- Chelsea Vinson 17, Apple Thomas 14, Alayah Cooper-Johnson 9, Kadie Orenstein 3, Katie Williams 4, Bailey Kratochvil 4. FG 21, FT 9-20, F 16. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none)