(ST. LOUIS, MO) It might not have been the prettiest of victories as a whole, but for the St. Louis Surge, pivotal stretches provided enough of a charge in order for the women’s semi-pro basketball franchise to notch its fourth straight victory.
Highlighted by dominant third-quarter play, the hostesses topped the Kansas Nuggets, 62-54, Saturday night at UMSL’s Mark Twain Building in front of 1,500.
The eight-point win improved the Surge’s record to 7-1 in the Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League (WBCBL) and sole possession of first place in the Mid-West Region.
On paper, it seemed that numbers played into St. Louis’ favor before the opening tip as Kansas fielded only five players altogether. To its credit, the Nuggets did everything, and then some, to make the contest competitive.
Photo Credit: Brian Ledford
The Surge sprinted out of the gates and posted an 11-2 edge four minutes deep after Rebecca Harris pumped in a three-pointer. The lead was stretched to 17-6 with 3:20 left in the quarter following Kayla Person’s trey.
A 10-3 rally from the Nuggets whittled the Surge’s advantage to four points, 20-16, as the first quarter concluded.
Kansas kept that momentum rolling in the second and notched its first lead, 23-21, with 7:42 left as Nugget guard Leah Cotton converted a three-point play.
The scoring remained tight for the remainder of the half and the visitors held a 31-30 advantage at intermission.
St. Louis regained the lead, 34-33, with 7:40 left in the third quarter via Leah Kassing’s bank shot. The Nuggets posted four straight to go up 37-34 one minute later.
With 5:27 left in the third, the Surge’s Harris pumped another three-pointer that tied the score, 37-37.
St. Louis’ defense then went into lock-down mode and held Kansas to a pair of points for the remainder of the quarter. A 7-2 stretch ensued, resulting in a 44-39 Surge lead at the end of the frame.
The relentless pressure on the Nuggets continued in the opening minutes of the fourth as an 8-2 run gave the Surge its second double-digit lead of the evening, 52-41 with 7:44 left in the game.
Even with its minimal line-up, Kansas’ hard charge late narrowed the final differential, but St. Louis outscored the Nuggets, 18-15, in the fourth quarter to notch the 62-54 victory and collect its fourth straight duke.
Looking to maintain its undefeated campaign at home, the Surge returns to action at UMSL against the Illinois Shooting Stars on Saturday, July 12.
For more information on the St. Louis Surge, go to stlsurgebasketball.com.
