Pioneer puts 3 in double figures, beats Caston for 3rd time this season

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Girls basketball

Pioneer 59, Caston 32 (Tuesday): Olivia Brooke scored 10 of her game-high 16 points in the second half, and Hailey Cripe and Madison Blickenstaff also scored in double figures to lead the Pioneer girls basketball team to a win over Caston in a Class 1A, Sectional 52

Madison Blickenstaff

quarterfinal at Tri-CountyTuesday.

Cripe did not make a 3-pointer but had 12 points, and Blickenstaff had 10. Ashlynn Brooke had seven off the bench. Brooklyn Borges added six, and Mackenzie Walker had five.

Olivia Brooke hit a pair of 3-pointers in the first half. She then outscored the entire Caston team 9-7 in the third quarter.

Isabel Scales led Caston with 13 points in the loss. Addison Zimpleman added eight.

Pioneer made more free throws (17) than Caston attempted (12).

Pioneer led 32-20 at halftime.

Caston finished the season 15-7. The 15 wins are their most in over 20 years.

Pioneer beat Caston for the third time this season and for the ninth straight time overall. Pioneer has also won the last three sectional meetings against Caston.

Pioneer (19-4) will play Frontier in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday. Pioneer defeated Frontier 69-27 on Jan. 7 in their regular season meeting.

North White handled Tri-County 59-33 in Tuesday’s other quarterfinal. North White will play South Newton in the second semifinal Friday.

CASTON (32) (15-7)

Isabel Scales 4 4-9 13, Addison Zimpleman 4 0-0 8, Bailey Harness 1 0-0 2, Maddi Smith 1 0-0 2, Jordan Clingler 1 0-0 2, Kinzie Mollenkopf 0 0-0 0, Layne Oliver 0 0-3 0, Brianna Yarber 1 0-0 2, Abby Williamson 1 0-0 3, Emma Kay 0 0-0 0

TEAM: 13 4-12 32

PIONEER (59) (19-4)

Mackenzie Walker 2 1-2 5, Hailey Cripe 4 4-6 12, Brooklyn Borges 1 3-4 6, Olivia Brooke 6 2-3 16, Madison Blickenstaff 3 4-5 10, Maggie Steffel 0 0-0 0, Crystabelle Blickenstaff 0 1-2 1, Kylie Attinger 0 0-0 0, Katelyn Duncan 0 2-2 2, Bryleigh Binney 0 0-0 0, Ashlynn Brooke 3 0-0 7

TEAM: 19 17-24 59

Three-point field goals:

Caston 2 (Scales, Williamson),

Pioneer 4 (O. Brooke 2, Borges, A. Brooke)

Total fouls: Caston 20, Pioneer 14

Turnovers: Caston 21, Pioneer 11

Score by quarters

Caston 8 12 7 5 – 32

Pioneer 13 19 14 13 – 59

Boys basketball

North Judson at Pioneer, ppd.: The North Judson-Pioneer boys basketball game scheduled for Thursday was postponed due to inclement weather. No makeup date has been set.