Central overcomes slow start to pick up third straight victory

After dropping a first round game to Corbin, Madison Central’s girls’ basketball team rebounded for three straight wins in the Berea Invitational.

In the consolation bracket B finals, the Lady Indians (5-3) weathered a slow start Saturday for an eventual 49-42 victory over Bryan Station in Berea.

On six-of-23 shooting for just 14 points in the first 16 minutes, Central coach Guy Gandolfo knew his young team just needed to keep playing their game.

“We didn’t shoot the ball very well and I told them as bad as we were playing we were only six points down. I told them we need to keep shooting and things will turnaround for them.”

An 8-2 run to start the second half tied the game up as Central almost doubled its points in the third quarter. And it was down just one, 28-27, heading into the final eight minutes.

The Lady Indians were five points shy of their three quarter total in that last period as they iced the game from the free throw line.

“In the second half that was another big turnaround,” Gandolfo said. “We made our free throws down the stretch.”

Central was 12-of-21 from the foul line for the game, but went 11-of-13 in the second half.

Leading the way was Brislyn Sizemore with 15 points and Iesha Farris with 14. They also tied for the team-high in rebounds with six each.

Lyndsey Simmons, Lyndsay Jones and Christina Ciolek added six points each, while Kaity Busch put in two to round out the scoring.

“It was the fourth game in five days for this young team,” Gandolfo said. “They overcame the fatigue and developed a little mental toughness in them.”

The Lady Indians return to action against Bullitt East on Wednesday in the Lady Cardinal Holiday Classic in Clark County.