By DONN ADAMSON\Daily Journal Sports Editor

Published: Thursday, February 09, 2006
Updated: Thursday, February 9, 2006 10:06 AM CST

ST. LOUIS - The Mineral Area College Lady Cardinals have been hungry for wins lately. Since the start of the year, MAC was 1-6 going into Wednesday's game with the Forest Park Highlanders. With a tough game waiting for them at Moberly on Saturday, their 61-59 win should give the 11-9 Lady Cardinals a boost.

The Lady Cardinals found their opponent to be a little bit formidable for most of the game, but they held their composure going into the final minutes to keep the lead and not let the Highlanders steal away the much-needed win.

The Lady Cardinals leap-frogged to a 10-point lead at 55-45 late in the game after three long passes produced three straight, fast-break baskets. The Highlanders closed to within three points with 21 seconds left.

MAC went into a mini-stall, and Forest Park chose to foul Whitney Washington, who went to the line and calmly sank both free throws to seal the win for Mineral Area. Imogene Dooley hit a three for Forest Park to close out the scoring at seven-tenths of a second, leaving MAC to only having to inbound the ball before the buzzer sounded, ending the game.

The game was a see-saw battle for the most part with the lead hardly ever going above five points for either team for most of he game. Both Washington and DeAnna Anderson made three-pointers in the first half for MAC, but it was Britany Sublett and Mayra Rios who led the first-half charge, scoring nine and eight points respectively in the half.

Kiara Smith scored eight of her 10 points in the first half to help keep the Highlanders close at the half, 35-27.

After three minutes of being held scoreless by the Highlanders, Dionn Jackson split the defenders and drove the lane for two points for Mineral Area's first score of the second half. Forest Park kept closing in to within two to three points, and each time the Lady Cardinals would push back out to five or six.

MAC gave Forest Park many opportunities to catch up at the free throw line midway through the half, but the Highlanders made only one of six shots at the free-throw line with two being the front ends of one-and-ones.

The Lady Cardinals forced the Highlanders to turn the ball over which led to MAC's quick transition baskets late in the game. The Highlanders hit three three-pointers in the second half to keep the game close.

Rios and Romona Golphin led the Lady Cardinals in scoring with 10 points each. MAC had 11 players score points in the game and was 9-17 from the line. Forest Park had three girls in double figures with Carissa Pratt scoring 11, and Tierra Baldwin and Smith scoring 10 points each. Forest Park made 11 of 25 free throws.

Mineral Area 35 26 - 61

Forest Park 27 32 - 59

Mineral Area - Rios 10, Golphin 10, Sublett 9, E Anderson 8, Washington 8, Mitchell 4, D Anderson 3, Jackson 3, Whitiker 2, Rozenfeld 2, Leathers 2.

Forest Park - Pratt 11, Smith 10, Baldwin 10, Thomas 9, Dooley 7, Cosey 5, Allen 3, Coleman 2, Williams 2.

3-Pointers: D Anderson, Washington, Pratt, Thomas, Dooley.