Senior Madelynn Sullivan scored a game-high 27 points and freshman Alyvia Barkley added 11 to lead West Prairie/ Southeastern to a 63-38 victory over Bushnell-Prairie City Monday evening at Southeastern High School in Augusta.
The Cyclones improved to 16-14 for the season while the Spartans fell to 4-19.
WP/SE handed B-PC a 30-point loss just three weeks ago, but the Spartans came out more determined at the start this time around.
A pair of free throws by Mylee Chenoweth gave B-PC a 2-0 lead before Josie Hodges hit a baseline jumper and Sullivan followed with consecutive baskets including a threepointer to put WP/SE up 7-2.
A trey by Jules Kreps sparked a 7-2 run by the Spartans capped by a basket from Kendyl McCleery to tie the game at 9-9 with just over two minutes to go in the opening quarter.
Another three-pointer from Sullivan got WP/SE rolling as the Cyclones finished the period on a 10-0 run to take a 19-9 lead into the second quarter.
WP/SE continued to pull away by outscoring B-PC 13-5 to start the second quarter and a Sullivan basket with 2:58 remaining in the first half gave the Cyclones their largest lead of the half at 32-14.
The Lady Spartans would battle back to get within 35-20 at intermission.
A trey by Kreps got B-PC rolling to start the second half but Barkley and Sullivan answered with back-to-back treys to extend the WP/SE lead to 41-24.
B-PC was held to only one field goal for the remainder of the period. The Spartans also lost the services of junior Jersey Jones with about three minutes to go due to an injury.
The Cyclones continued to pull away to a 51-27 lead after three quarters and were never threatened the rest of the way.
“I was proud of how our team responded defensively in the second half,” said WP/SE head coach Grant Bland. “Our rebounding was better and we did a better job of moving our feet.”
Payton McGrew and Maicyn Shipman scored eight points apiece while Kara Stephens and Hodges had seven and two points respectively to round out the WP/SE scoring.
Kreps led B-PC with 17 points while Justice Klinedinst had 10 points.
Other Spartans in the scoring column were McCleery who finished with nine points and Chenoweth had two.
WP/SE closed out the regular season in Colchester on Thursday, against Lewistown (16-12).
The Cyclones will host an IHSA Class 1A first-round regional matchup Saturday against Rushville-Industry (8-18).
It will be the third meeting between the two teams this season.
The Cyclones beat the Rockets in Rushville 54-45 back on Nov. 18. The teams then played at the Lady Hornet Classic in Mt. Sterling on Nov. 28 with RIHS winning 63-61.
Saturday’s winner advances to Monday’s semifinal at Havana against Liberty.
B-PC closed out its regular season by hosting South Fulton (4-20, 0-4 Prairieland South) Wednesday.
The Spartans will travel to Brimfield (12-15) on Saturday in another first-round regional matchup.
That winner advances to face Princeville in Monday’s semifinal at Abingdon.
