Woodland handles first challenge at Lady Red Devils Invitational

~ The top-seeded Cardinals defeated Oran in the first round of the eight-team girls tournament

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- It took awhile for the Woodland girls basketball team to find its footing Monday night.

Once they did, they ran Oran off the court.

Woodland awoke from a first-quarter slumber to outscore Oran 19-10 in the second quarter on its way to a 52-37 victory in a first-round game of the Lady Devils Invitational.

Junior guard Josie Long scored 10 of her game-high 31 points in the second quarter as the Cardinals erased a 13-5 deficit to lead 24-23 at the half. Long added eight points in the third as Woodland took a 37-30 lead into the final period.

"Early in the game we weren't pressuring very hard," Woodland coach Robert Stein said. "We were back on our heels, and we looked slow and tired. In the second half we played with more energy and excitement. It looked like we were playing to win."

Woodland, the top seed in the tournament, advances to play Scott City, a 39-33 winner over Sikeston, in a semifinal at 8 p.m. Wednesday.

Oran faces Sikeston in a consolation semifinal at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Stein blamed a two-week layoff for the Cardinals' slow start. Woodland (3-0) won two games in a pre-Thanksgiving tournament, but hadn't seen any game action since.

"We knew [Oran] was going to be pretty salty," Stein said. "They're very quick, and they play hard."

Oran's quickness was displayed early as the Eagles forced five Woodland turnovers in the first period. The Eaglies also hit 6 of 7 shots from the field in the quarter, which they finished with a 7-0 run for a 13-5 lead.

But the Cardinals began to exert their size and experience in the second quarter. They put up 22 shots in the period -- 11 more than they took in the first -- and turned the game around defensively, forcing seven Oran turnovers and limiting the Eagles to four field goals.

The third quarter was more of the same. Oran had just two points -- on freshman Tyra Bonner's drive to the hoop -- over the first seven minutes of the third. By then, Woodland led 37-25 and the Eagles were scrambling.

"I think we lost a little gas in the second half," Oran coach Ethan Evans said. "And we got into a little foul trouble."

Oran pulled to within 37-30 after three periods, but Long hit two quick field goals underneath and junior Lindsay Shell converted a rebound to push the Cardinals' lead to 43-30 with a little more than five minutes remaining.

Evans noted Woodland returns four starters from last year's team that finished 16-11, while Oran -- which was playing its first game of the season -- has no seniors and just two juniors to go with two sophomores and five freshmen.

"I think [Woodland's] size and experience began to show in the second half," he said.

Junior Addie Kielhofner led Oran (0-1) with 12 points and five steals before fouling out with 3:45 left in the game. Teammate Allison Cummins added 11 points.

Oran 13 10 7 7 -- 37

Woodland 5 19 13 15 -- 52

ORAN (37) -- Erin Schlitt 2, Addie Kielhofner 12, Ashlyn McIntosh 2, Taylor Nenninger 8, Allison Cummins 11 Christan Sauceda 2. FG: 14. FT: 9-19. F: 23. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Kielhofner, Nenninger.)

WOODLAND (52) -- Josie Long 31, Kat Cooper 2, Erica Schafer 1, Taylor Toombs 1, Whitney Lincoln 1, Keighlyn Lincoln 3, Lindsay Shell 11, Ashley Chapman 2. FG: 18. FT: 12-25. F: 19. (3-pointers: Long 4. Fouled out: none.)

Scott City 39, Sikeston 33

Scott City opened a 25-17 halftime lead then withstood a second-half Sikeston rally to defeat the Bulldogs in a first-round game.

Freshman Abbie McAlister led Scott City (1-2) with 11 points, while teammate Natalie Woods added 10.

Aleah Little led Sikeston with eight points.

Scott City 12 13 4 10 -- 39

Sikeston 12 5 8 8 -- 33

SCOTT CITY (39) -- Shea Martin 2, Lindsey Rendleman 6, Natalie Woods 10, Alicia Kern 8, Abbie McAlister 11, Tana Tetley 2. FG: 14. FT: 11-23. F: 12. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: none.)

SIKESTON (33) -- Hayli Chapman 2, Tyra Bonner 4, Aleah Little 8, Michala Nichols 7, Erica Peet 2, Alana Basham 1, Yolanda Johnson 4. FG: 14. FT: 4-13. F: 21. (3-pointers: Sherrell 1. Fouled out: Beard.)

East Prairie 38, Delta 32

Rebekah Douglas scored nine of her game-high 22 points in the third period as East Prairie took down the tourney's second-seeded team.

Machela VanGennip scored 19 points for Delta, including 11 in the second period as the Bobcats, down 13-7 after one period, forged an 18-18 halftime tie.

Delta will play the loser of Wednesday's final first-round game between Kelly and Chaffee in Thursday's consolation semifinals.

East Prairie 13 5 12 8 -- 38

Delta 7 11 7 7 -- 32

EAST PRAIRIE (38) -- Rebekah Douglas 22, Caitlyn Harwell 5, Kaitlyn Shands 10, Alexa Nordwood 1. FG: 14. FT: 7-15. F: 13. (3-pointers: Shands 2, Douglas 1. Fouled out: none.)

DELTA (32) -- Alysha Vessells 2, Machela VanGennip 19, Chasity Taylor 4, Jaime Hodge 7. FG: 11. FT: 8-13. F: 17. (3-pointers: VanGennip 1, Hodge 1. Fouled out: none.)