Betz’s 18 Points Lead Lady Rangers to Sixth Straight Victory

By Kris Norton

Ferdinand – Led by a game-high 18 points from Lydia Betz, Forest Park earned their sixth straight win, beating Tecumseh 60-50.

In the Pocket Athletic Conference match-up Tuesday night, Lydia Betz put Forest Park up early with a triple, answered by the Braves’ Karsyn Flowers. The 3-3 first quarter tie would be the only point of the ball game in which the Rangers did not lead. A 13-0 run powered the Forest Park Girls to a 16-3 lead at the end of the first.

Tecumseh would get no closer than five in regulation. With a 51-43 lead in the fourth quarter, and holding onto an eight-point lead, the Rangers slammed the breaks on the game, bleeding the clock. Over the following four minutes of action, the Forest Park outscored Tecumseh 2-0.

During the final frame, Forest Park’s emphasis on ball protection and foul shots allowed them to coast to a double-digit win. After committing 12 turnovers in the first half, the Rangers only turned the ball over on four occasions in the second. Forest Park hit 8-of-11 (72%) from the charity stripe in the fourth quarter.

The Rangers improved to 9-1 overall, with a 4-1 record within the Pocket Athletic Conference.

Though only four Rangers scored in the contest, all four reached double digits. Lydia Betz netted a game-high 18 points, Ali Welp scored 16 for the second straight game, Carley Begle added 15, and Amber Tretter chipped in with 11.

On the defensive end of the court, the Lady Rangers held Tecumseh’s all-time leading scorer, Kaybree, Oxley, to 14 points.

The Forest Park Lady Rangers jumped up to second in the PAC (behind Washington), as Evansville Memorial downed Gibson Southern, 70-49.

Ranking: Forest Park is currently ranked #6 in 2A girls basketball.

Up Next: This Thursday, Forest Park will host the Heritage Hills Patriots at 8:00 p.m. Pregame on WQKZ and WQKZfm.com will go live at 7:50 p.m.

Next Week: The Rangers face two PAC opponents. Forest Park travels to Boonville for an 8:00 p.m. tip-off on Tuesday and will return home Thursday for a battle with Washington at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcasted live on WQKZ 98.5 FM and WQKZfm.com.