Had the Greene County girls won their opening round of Class 3A Region 8 basketball play it would have been the upset of the decade. The game, played Saturday in Pocahontas, pitted the 3-17 Greene County Rams against the Number 1 rated undefeated Pocahontas Area Indians.
The end of the game was predictable – a 95-19 win for Pocahontas Area. The Indians were up 27-8 after the first quarter and 62-14 at the half.
The entire second half of the game was played with a continuous clock under the 35-point rule. The Indians scored 21 points in the third quarter to the Rams three (83-17), and with reserves in the fourth quarter, the Indians scored 12 points to the Rams two.
Pocahontas junior Elle Ruffridge scored 34 points, ahead of her 28.9 point average. She made seven of 14 3-point shots. Ruffridge had nine rebounds, 14 assists and 11 steals. The Indians had 22 steals for the game.
Ram sophomore Laurin Lyons scored eight points, including the Rams’ sole 3-point basket, and also led the team in rebounds with eight. Junior Hannah Promes scored three and senior Sunny Mobley, Nicole Rohner and Cassidy Adamson, and sophomore Onica Delp each scored two.
The Rams made six of 32 field goal attempts (18 percent), one of four 3-point attempts (25 percent), and six of nine free throws (67 percent). For comparison, the Indians shot 76 field goals and made 34 of them for 44 percent and they made 16 of 43 3-point shots for 37 percent.
The Indians had a height advantage in almost every position (Ruffridge is only 5′ 4″), but the Rams still totaled 32 rebounds to the Indians’ 43.
The Rams finished the season at 3-18. Pocahontas Area next plays the 9-11 Kuemper Knights of Carroll.
