In a matchup of early-season unbeatens, the Lady Hornets used a dominant second-half effort to secure a 41–36 victory over Fountain Central on Saturday afternoon at the Hive.
Both teams entered the contest viewed as contenders for their respective conference and sectional titles, and the game delivered on expectations. After a competitive first half, the Lady Hornets (2–0) tightened defensively and limited the Lady Mustangs (5–1) to just 11 points after intermission.
Prior to tipoff, Rossville held a brief ceremony recognizing senior forward Ava Burkle for surpassing the 1,000-point career mark in the team’s opener at Western Boone. Burkle, an Indiana University Kokomo commit, contributed 10 points and six rebounds in the win.
Rossville’s 3–2 zone set the tone early as the Hornets claimed a 12–8 advantage after one quarter. Junior Allie Elliott helped extend the lead to seven early in the second period by converting three free throws. Fountain Central responded with an 11–2 run fueled by a renewed interior attack, briefly taking a 19–17 lead.
The Hornets answered with a 6–3 spurt highlighted by freshman Mallory O’Brien, who kept the offense running smoothly en route to a game high of 10 points. Senior Addie Gorbett followed with a right-corner three to push the margin further. Fountain Central closed the half with a buzzer-beating three-pointer, narrowing Rossville’s lead to 25–23 at the break.
Rossville shifted to a more aggressive man-to-man defense in the third quarter and used it to rebuild their cushion to 33–29 entering the final frame. Fountain Central drew within two early in the fourth, but junior guard Victoria Vanderwall knocked down a key three-pointer to extend Rossville’s lead to 36–31. She finished with six points.
Despite several quality scoring opportunities, the Lady Mustangs were unable to pull closer than four down the stretch as the Hornets closed out the win.
Rossville returns to action tonight with its first conference game of the season, traveling to Delphi to face the Oracles.