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photo by: Kim North

LinslyÀÏ˾»úÖ±²¥™s Haylen Cook (2) shoots over top of Monroe CentralÀÏ˾»úÖ±²¥™s Jadyn Miller (12) as Brylee McFrederick defends from behind and Zoey McGarry (22) looks on. The Seminoles rallied past the Cadets, 59-47, in Woodsfield on Monday night.

WOODSFIELD – A late scoring surge was the difference between winning and losing Monday night.

Visiting Linsly (1-2) led 36-35 after three quarters but watched as Monroe Central (4-2) outscored it 24-11 in the fourth quarter – including 9-3 at the foul line – for a 59-47 decision in girls’ high school basketball action.

Mayzie Emery had nine of her game-high 19 points in the fourth quarter. She was 4-of-6 from the charity stripe. Brylee McFrederick netted eight of her 18 markers in the quarter. She, too, was 4-of-6 from the line.

“I thought going into the game that the two teams pretty much mirrored each other,” veteran Monroe Central head coach Troy Baker said. “Fortunately, for us, we were able to get on a little run there. They turned the ball over a couple of times and I don’t think we had a single one. It helped to have our point guard and floor general back on the floor in Jacey (English).”

English was saddled with three fouls in the first half and sat the entire third quarter.

Linsly led by one point after the first quarter (11-10), halftime (19-18) and third quarter (36-35), but Monroe Central drew even at 45 with four minutes left to play. From there on the Seminoles went on a game-ending 14-2 run sparked by Emery, McFrederick and Jadyn Miller, along with a couple of crucial turnovers by the Cadets.

“Foul trouble really hurt us late in the game. It was a physical game,” Linsly head coach Rebecca Upton said as three of her players went to the bench in the final 1:21 with five fouls each. “We just talked a lot about ball security in the locker room and that was an issue for us against Weir. It was an issue tonight.

“We’re still getting used to playing with each other,” Upton said of new faces in the lineup. “The difference between us and everyone else is that they (Monroe Central) have been playing together for a couple of years now and we have to teach new kids every year.”

McFrederick scored four in a 6-0 run that bumped the count to 51-45. Linsly’s Irina Margineanu made it 51-47 a little more than two minutes left, but Emery countered with six in an 8-0 run that sealed the deal.

“Mayzie struggled with her shooting there in the first half, but she really played good defense on their point guard,” Baker said of Emery. “You’ve got to keep shooting the ball for it to start going in.”

McFrederick added eight rebounds to her point total as the Seminoles held a slim, 40-37, advantage off the glass. Zoey McGarry snagged seven boards. Dina Stojic had nine for Linsly.

“Brylee did a nice job for us. I felt like that was one of our strengths coming in, but you’ve still got to be able to get the ball inside to her. I felt like we did a nice job of that.”

Linsly’s Haylen Cook tied Emery for game scoring honors with 19. The Fairmont State signee also charted six rebounds and five steals. Jade Purpura pumped in 16 markers.

Monroe Central had seven turnovers, none in the fourth quarter as their coach recalled.