After a slow start, Greensburg came out of the locker room after halftime blistering, showing Columbus East why it is the state No. 2-ranked girls basketball team in Class 3A.
After trailing 18-15 after the first 16 minutes, the Pirates scored 23 points in the third quarter alone, going on a 14-1 run in the process to turn a five-point halftime deficit into a six point lead after three. They went on to post a 60-50 victory.
It was a low scoring first half, with both teams having trouble finding the hoop. The Olympians (13-5) did not hit their first field goal and trailed the Pirates (15-3) 9-1 until a Britney Ballard lay in with 1:20 left in the first quarter. That made the score 9-4.
A Whitley Rankin 3-pointer closed out the first quarter on a positive note for East, cutting the deficit to 9-7.
After a quick lay up by Greensburg’s Bailey Meyer made the score 11-7 early in the second, the Olympians went on a 7-0 run to take a 14-11 lead with starters Addy Galarno and Kristen Lyons on the bench with two fouls. Katie Dougherty keyed the run with four quick points, and Claire Cunningham added a 3-pointer during the spurt.
Both teams battled the rest of the half, with East going into halftime leading 18-15.
It was all Pirates after the break. They got hot from long distance, hitting three straight 3-pointers and had gained a seven-point lead in the blink of an eye. Meyer, Kyra Whitaker, and Micha Morrison all got in on the act from long range. Going into the fourth, Greensburg held a six-point lead.
The Pirates continued to pull away from the Olympians in the fourth quarter, as East could not close the gap. Greensburg stayed hot, scoring 22 points in the final period for a total of 45 second half points.
Dougherty did everything she could to keep the Olympians close, leading them in scoring with 13 points. It wasn’t enough, as the Pirates iced the game from the free-throw line over the final three minutes.
