Edwards leads Kennett past Lady Mules

Poplar Bluff's Ireland Gowen and Kennett's Alyce Edwards put on a scoring display during Thursday night's high school girls basketball game at Mules Gymnasium.

Gowen had 25 points and (unofficially) 20 rebounds for the Lady Mules, but it was 37 points from Edwards — the reigning SEMO Conference Player of the Year — that proved decisive as she led her Kennett Lady Indians to a 54-51 win.

Fresh off of a 51-point performance against Dexter earlier in the week, Edwards saved her best for last Thursday night, scoring 16 of Kennett's 18 points in the fourth quarter as the Lady Indians (9-6, 3-1 SEMO) turned a 39-36 deficit at the start of the final period into a win.

“It was a good matchup for us,” Poplar Bluff coach Soley Dugas said. “Alyce is one of the best players in the state (in my opinion). I thought we did a good job of not letting her get hot in the first half. Obviously, we didn't do what we needed to do as far as making our shots under the basket.

On the other side of the coin, Gowen not only scored almost half of the Lady Mules' points, but she also flirted with the school's single-game rebound record of 21, held by Mary Kalich and Rene Brown.

It was a back-and-forth game throughout, but the Lady Indians took the lead for good in the fourth quarter behind Edwards. Kennett's only other points in the period were a pair of Jayla Ellis free throws.

“This is only our second game back after being out for Christmas and then out for weather and whatever, so I think we just need to get back in the gym, work harder and progress forward,” Dugas said. “We always play hard, but when you go 15-for-44 under the basket, it's kind of hard to be satisfied with that.”

Brooklynn Edwards was the other Lady Indians player in double figures with 10 points.

Joining Gowen in double figures for Poplar Bluff was Addy Valenzuela with 12 points.

“Just polishing up some stuff and getting everybody on track (will help us),” Dugas said. “We have (Ireland) with that type of performance and then Addy Valenzuela, (who was) 4-for-5 from the (behind the 3-point line). We have some pieces and things we need to put together, but we're the type of team that it's going to take all of us. It's going to take everybody chipping in, doing what they're supposed to do and knowing their job.

We had two of them that did a good job and (I am) looking for everyone else to step up. So back to the drawing board. We've got to look at it, move forward and learn from it — and and just keep building.”

The Lady Mules (7-7, 0-2) are back in action Thursday when they host Saxony Lutheran in another SEMO Conference contest.

“We're just going to have to clean it up a little bit,” Dugas said. “We're going to have to clean up some of those layups and shots that we missed and we've got to get back to how we were playing before Christmas — and I think we'll be okay. But as of right now, we're a little rusty and we'll just have to keep at it.”