German (15 points) and Spann (13 points) both played extended minutes. “We played both a little more than I would have liked, but we felt like it was necessary to have both of them on the floor the majority of the time,” said coach Marty Rowe, who will send the Lady Flames back into action on Wednesday at noon against Puerto Rico-Bayamon.
Lee was in control for the majority of the contest, “but I never really felt comfortable, mainly because of the foul situation,” admitted Rowe. Lee was whistled for 21 fouls and Rio Piedras only 10. In the second half, the Lady Flames were whistled for 13 personals and the opponent just two.
The Lady Flames led 34-24 at the halfway point and improved the margin to 15 points midway through the second 20 minutes. All totaled, the lead changed hands 11 times and was tied on three occasions.
While German and Spann were leading the way, Madison Lee came off the bench to tally eight points. “Overall, we didn’t shoot very well,” pointed out the coach. “We missed some wide-open shots, especially from 3-point range. You could tell we hadn’t played a game in the last 10 days. I’m hoping we play a lot better on Wednesday.”
Keiry Huertas had 13 points for the losers and Ethel Gonzales totaled eight. Shelia Reyes grabbed nine boards.
Rowe added that he was proud of his team. “We really dug deep and played hard when things weren’t going too well in the second half.”
The Lady Flames outrebounded the Puerto Rican team 35-30. German also paced the winners in that department with six, while Spann and Jenna Adams recorded five apiece. Lee was guilty of only 10 turnovers and forced their opponent into 15 floor mistakes.
