There hasn’t been a team on the girl’s side of the Three Rivers Conference slate that has really taken advantage of a very balanced league thus far so every game is a big game no matter who the opponent is.

The Elizabethton Lady Cyclones were hoping to kick off 2019 with a win against the Lady Rebels of Sullivan South but found the Lady Rebels to be just a few points better in dropping a 10-point decision, 53-43, in Kingsport.

Elizabethton seized the lead early as the Lady Cyclones worked out to a 15-13 lead after the first eight minutes of action.

Morgan Headrick led the attack early on hitting for six points to pace the Lady Cyclones. Torrie Roberts, Kaylen Shell, and Kelsie Winters helped build the advantage with three points apiece.

Alex Harliss and Nicole Troutman scored six and four points respectively to help keep the Lady Rebels close.

The Lady Rebels got things rolling in the second period as they moved past the Lady Cyclones with a 16-7 quarter to turn the two-point deficit into a 29-22 lead at the half.

Mollie Leslie’s five-point push in the quarter helped her team to work to the front. Shell scored seven of the 9 points recorded by the Lady Cyclones in the quarter.

Elizabethton came out of the break and just couldn’t get the offensive juices flowing as the Lady Rebels managed to add to their halftime lead by outscoring ‘Betsy 15-7 in the quarter.

Leslie continued to shoot well hitting for five more points to keep her Lady Rebels out front. Shell was the offense for Elizabethton hitting all seven of her team’s points in the period.

The Lady Cyclones tried to mount a charge in the final quarter of play outscoring South 14-9, but the lead built by the Lady Rebels was just too much to overcome.

Shell finished with 17 points to lead Elizabethton (1-3, 2-9) while Headrick also reached double-digit scoring with 14 points.

Winters had a solid game with 9 points for the Lady Cyclones while Roberts recorded three points for the contest.

Harliss and Leslie were the big guns for the Lady Rebels (1-2, 10-8) with Harliss hitting for 14 points and Leslie 13 points.

South also had contributing points from Abby Compton (7), Carissa Comsa (6), McKenzie Littleton (5), Meredith St. Claire (4), and Troutman (4).