WINTHROP — The inside duo of Miranda Smith and Colleen Shields proved to be double trouble for the Winthrop Ramblers Friday night. While Smith settled into the right side of the low block area, Shields held down the left side.
The pair combined for 36 points and an unofficial total of 15 rebounds to help Mt. Abram capture a 56-50 girls’ basketball win on the road.
After seeing the Ramblers (1-2) go on a 15-4 run midway through the fourth quarter and take a 47-45 lead, Roadrunner coach Doug Lisherness called a timeout.
“During the timeout,” said Lisherness, “I wanted that ball to go inside either by a pass or dribble penetration. My team listened to me.”
On the ensuing trip down the floor, Shields put back an offensive rebound to tie the game at 47-47. On the next two excursions, Smith took the ball down along baseline and exploded to the hoop for consecutive buckets to give the visitors a 51-47 lead, and the Roadrunners (1-2) took control for good.
For the game, the Roadrunners scored 10 points on offensive rebounds.
“You can’t get a lot of offensive rebounds from shooting outside,” said Lisherness. “It was important for us to go inside. We’d been trying to do that right along and (Smith and Shields) both had monster games.”
Smith scored eight of her game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter before fouling out in the game’s final minute. The sophomore forward also tacked on six rebounds as the Ramblers struggled with her physical presence underneath.
“She’s very strong,” said Winthrop coach Ray Convery.
Shields was a demon on the boards from the weak side. She converted three of her four offensive rebounds into scores and finished with 16 points to go along with her nine boards.
The Ramblers kept pace throughout the game on the penetration of point guard Nikki Scott and the inside game of center Kelsey Nason. Nason carried the load through the first three quarters, scoring 16 of her 17 points in that time.
When Nason was saddled with three fouls and in need of a rest in the third quarter, the Roadrunners went on an 8-0 run to take a 41-32 lead, their biggest of the game. A bucket by Shields down low ignited the run. Moments later, Tori Lyn Beane swished a 12-footer along the baseline before back-to-back baskets down low by Smith and Shields.
“It’s my favorite spot,” said Smith of the area along the baseline to the right of the basket. “I’m not good from the outside, so I just stay down there.”
At the start of the fourth quarter, Scott took over the game with three circus-like baskets after driving down the middle of the lane. The first one she was fouled on and the next two were spinning highlight reel lay ins. Sandwiched in between her last two baskets, she kicked the ball out to Jessica Scott (11 points) for a jumper from the elbow.
“That’s part of what we do,” said Convery of Scott’s penetration. “We have to be able to go inside so we can go outside.”
The play inside of Smith and Shields, coupled with a 5-for-15 effort in the fourth quarter from the charity stripe, doomed the Ramblers.
“We practice (free throws) at the end of every practice,” said Convery. “It wasn’t like they were bad shots, they just didn’t go in.”
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