
Chelsea Gill attempts to drive around the defender.
The Gillespie Lady Miners expected two weeks of tough, defensive games and they knew four wins would have been tough.
The 8-5 team grabbed two victories and although it was not what they were hoping for, it was a 2-2 finish that they liked.
The team started extended their win streak in Staunton on December 6. The ladies went in the game knowing it was not the easiest game on the schedule, but it was a team they would see quite a few more times before the season is over. In fact, it is the team they are paired up with in their first game of the Holiday tournament next week.
Staunton Game
If the ladies did anything, they set the tone. Haylie Kirkwood led the Miners with a season-high 16 points in the win over the Bulldogs. Ellen Gray was right with Kirkwood as she finished with 15 points, another season-high for her.

Haylie Kirkwood gets a hand in the offenders face to attempt to distract the shot.
The Miners outscored the Bulldogs in every single quarter and eventually came out on top, 60-39, in a big South Central Conference dual. Almost everyone got their fair share of points against the Bulldogs as six of the ladies finished with four or more points.
Chelsea Gill and Haylie Kirkwood set the tone in the first quarter as the pair put up 8 points each. Ellen Gray extended the lead in the second quarter after scoring 11. Kirkwood added 6 more points to the guest side of the scoreboard in the second quarter and by halftime, the Miners led 30-22.
The Lady Miners had to stop Sophie Fairman, Staunton, to be able to take home the victory. Fairman scored 16 of the 22 points for the Bulldogs in the first half and it was inevitable, she was going to be the same threat in the second half if the Miners did not step it up.
After holding Fairman to 10 points in the second half and scoring another 30 points, the ladies were in positive position to take home the 60-39 victory. Alexis Burns and Ellen Gray led the ladies in the second half as each put up 8 points while Molly Gray led the team in steals as she tallied 5 on the evening, 3 in the second half. Kirkwood led the team on both ends of the floor though as she tackled 9 rebounds and scored 16 points.
Jerseyville Game
To extend the win streak, the Miners had to beat Jerseyville next on December 10. It was not such an incomparable task and the ladies had no struggles. Shelby Jarman led the Miners with 12 points on the evening as Alexis Burns followed up closely with 11.
Jarman scored eight of her twelve in the first half as she helped the Miners overcome a small deficit after the first quarter. The ladies trailed Jerseyville by four points in the first quarter, but were back in the lead by halftime with a 22-19 score.
After missing 6 free throws attempts in the third quarter, the ladies were only able to score 6 points. The defensive end held strong though as Jerseyville was only able to sink 6 points as well and the Miners held their three point lead entering the final quarter.
Alexis Burns sealed the 42-38 victory for the team after she scored 6 of the 14 points in the final quarter for the Miners. Molly Gray led the team with 5 steals while Kayli Morris and Alexis Burns were strong off the boards as each tallied 5 rebounds.
Metro East Game
Despite winning their first two games, the Lady Miners dropped their next two to Metro East Lutheran and South Central Conference rival Pana Panthers. The ladies faced off against the Metro East Knights on December 13. Alexis Burns made a statement in the first half as she led the team with 9 points leading to a 28-26 halftime lead.

Ellen Gray looks for a teammate to pass it to.
The ladies extended their lead to three points by the end of the third quarter, but could not finish it out in the fourth quarter as they were outscored by 10 points and took the 47-54 loss. The Miners were only able to score seven points in the final quarter as the Knights went on to score 17 with the help of Mackenzie Gocal’s 8 points.
Alexis Burns led the Miners against the Knights with 16 points as Shelby Jarman pitched in with 13. Tyler Ross and Chelsea Gill led the team with 4 assists each while Alexis Burns led the team with rebounds as she grabbed 6 on the evening.
Pana Game
Standing 8-4 on the season, the Lady Miners entered their last bout against the South Central Conference leader: Pana. The Panthers were 11-2 on the season before the game against the Miners and extended their record to 12-2 after the game on Saturday, December 15.
The ladies fell behind early in the game despite leading 2-0 for the first minute of the first quarter. After only scoring two field goals and two free throws in the first quarter, the Miners trailed 6-14. By halftime, the Miners only trailed by nine points after being outscored by just a single point in the second quarter. Alexis Burns scored 4 of the 12 points in the second quarter while four other ladies put forth a field goal.
Pana continued to extend their lead in the second half and held the pressure on strong until the seconds of the game. Molly Gray attempted to carry the Miners in the second half as she scored 5, but it was not enough to overcome the deficit as the ladies were outscored by 4 points in the third quarter and 6 in the fourth quarter.
Not a single Miner was able to put up double digits in the 33-52 loss, but Molly Gray and Alexis Burns were the closest as the pair scored 7 points each. Tyler Ross led the team with the hot hands as she had 3 steals while Haylie Kirkwood and Alexis Burns wrestled down 8 rebounds each.
UP NEXT: After the loss, the Miners are 8-5 on the season and head into the Carlinville Holiday Tournament next week. The ladies will play their first game in the Carlinville Holiday Tournament on the day after Christmas, December 26. They will match up against Staunton at 1:30 in the afternoon.
Either way if they win or lose, they will play on December 27 at 1:30. Opponent will be determined by Wednesday’s games.
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