Don't be fooled by the final score. It was another exciting game between rivals Prairie Home and Jamestown in girls basketball action.
Playing for the second time in two weeks, Prairie Home pulled away in the fourth quarter to capture a 59-40 victory Friday night in the semifinals of the Russellville Basketball Tournament.
In their first meeting Jan. 16, the Lady Panthers won a thriller in double overtime, spoiling Jamestown's homecoming game. Both schools compete in the Cooper County Activities Association.
"Whenever Prairie Home and Jamestown get together, it's going to be a battle," said Lady Eagles head coach E.H. Hirschvogel. "I'm always excited to play Prairie Home. You know it's going to be a good game."
Although the Lady Panthers made the score lopsided in Friday's matchup, Jamestown kept it close for awhile. Prairie Home led 16-10 after the first quarter, 22-20 at halftime and 40-30 after three quarters.
"We knew they were going to battle us," said Lady Panthers head coach Linda Scott. "This really helped our district seeding. We still believe we're the No. 2 seed in our district tournament (behind Tuscumbia)."
After a back-and-forth opening half at the Russellville Tournament, Prairie Home began to pound the ball inside, getting numerous layups and short jumpers. Jamestown plays with almost all guards, while the Lady Panthers have legitimate forwards and a true center.
"We played great in the first half," Hirschvogel said. "They started to pull away and we had to change our defense, which led to mismatch problems and them getting some open looks down below. That's when the game got away from us."
Jamestown got within 42-33 early in the fourth quarter after junior Alli Muri's 3-pointer, but Prairie Home answered with the next five points to regain control. Sophomore forward Shianne Rhorer had two layups and a free throw to spark the rally.
Rhorer finished with a game-high 26 points, while sophomore Rachel Distler had 14 points and junior Josie Flood scored 12. The Lady Panthers, who improved to 13-3 after Friday's win, lost to Class 3 California, 60-24, in the championship final on Saturday night.
For Jamestown, Muri had 14 points, junior Emily Scheperle added eight points and junior Mackenzie Strother scored six. The Lady Eagles held an 8-7 record after Friday's loss.