By AARON MURRAY \ Daily Journal Sports Writer

Published: Sunday, November 26, 2006
Updated: Saturday, November 25, 2006 11:36 PM CST

PARK HILLS - The Mineral Area Lady Cardinals had a rough first-half against the Three Rivers Lady Raiders on Saturday afternoon. In the second half, the Lady Cardinals climbed back into the game, but Three Rivers held on for a 68-64 victory.

Both teams would keep the score even in the opening minutes of the game. When the Lady Cardinals gained a 5-3 lead, Three Rivers made their first scoring run of the afternoon, going 13-2 to give themselves a double-digit lead with 10 minutes left in the first half.

Mineral Area knocked the lead back to six points following a three-pointer by Leandra Sands. The Lady Raiders struck right back to force a 12-point deficit. Victoria Smith hit three field goals and a three-point shot to keep the 12-point lead as the Lady Raiders entered the half.

Coming back from the half, Mineral Area sent a message to the Lady Raiders early on. Sands hit a three-pointer and Fran Henderson laid a shot in to bring the Lady Cardinals within seven. Beth Jones of the Raiders struck back with a three-pointer before a couple of field goals by Nikki Mitchell and Lesley Adams would cut the lead to six.

With the taste of a possible comeback, the Lady Cardinals stepped up their defense and kept the Lady Raiders from going on a run as both teams fought back and forth down the court. Henderson received a perfect pass from Tabitha Ackers to put up a field goal and to bring the Lady Cardinals closer to Three Rivers than they had been in the entire second half.

The Lady Raiders did not tremble, instead Smith and Lauren Shelton would combine for five points and push their lead back to double digits.

The Lady Cardinals climbed right back into the action once again. Sands started off the run with two free-throws and a field goal to bring the Lady Cardinals within seven. Both teams traded two-pointers before Karolina Zaloga cut the lead down to four with a three-pointer. Adams would follow with a field goal to bring the Lady Cardinals the closest they had been to the Lady Raiders since the opening minutes of the game.

Three Rivers stretched the lead back to four, but Sands haunted the Lady Raiders with another two-point shot. Bobbie Jones had a chance to push the game back to four from the free-throw line, but missed the shot and Adams was fouled during the rebound. With Mineral Area in double-bonus, Adams had a chance to tie the game with just under a minute left on the clock.

Adams could not hit either free throw, and Three Rivers was able to pull down the rebound. The Lady Raiders tried to drain time off the clock, but a turnover gave the ball back to the Lady Cardinals with 40 seconds left. Mineral Area had a last chance, but turned the ball back over to the Lady Raiders, and a two for two successful trip to the free-throw line by Angelina Browne sealed the victory.

Sands led the Cardinals with 24 points that included four three-point shots and 4-5 from the free-throw line. Following Sands was Henderson with 10 points, Adams had nine., Sarah Fraser-Jones finished with six points, and Zaloga had five.

The loss dropped the Lady Cardinals to 7-3 and gave the Lady Raiders their second win of the season. The Lady Cardinals and the Cardinals will play a doubleheader on Wednesday at Lewis and Clark College in Illinois, . The Lady Cardinal's tip-off will be at 5:30 p.m.