Miller girls produce highest scoring output in part of 3-0 week

It was a busy week for the Miller Lady Cardinals as they played three conference games in four days. Miller made the most of the three games going 3-0 winning by a combined 98 points.
While there wasn’t a tough matchup in the three games, a trip to 12-8 Pleasant Hope Wednesday night looked to be the marquee matchup of the week. The Lady Cardinals were not phased from the Lady Pirates as they enjoyed their most comfortable margin of victory with a 38-point shellacking, winning 73-35. This offensive output was the highest of the season for Miller, narrowly surpassing a 71-19 win over Niangua in the Walnut Grove tournament. Sixty-five points was the next highest as the Lady Cardinals only average 48 points per game.
Following the big win Wednesday, Miller was back on the road Friday against an overmatched Lockwood team. The Lady Cardinals jumped out early and never looked back as Miller downed the Lady Tigers by 33. There was no rest for the weary as a late night in Lockwood, with a super night Friday, paved the way for another super night (or day) with a 12:30 p.m. showdown Saturday morning against Ash Grove.
Miller versus Ash Grove decided the SWC a year ago, but as the Lady Cardinals have reloaded, Ash Grove is amidst a rebuild, coming in with a 7-13 record. Miller didn’t play their best game by any means, having their fifth lowest scoring output with just 41 points. However, the defense was the story holding the Lady Pirates scoreless for the majority of the first half, taking an 18-0 lead before Ash Grove got on the board. Miller went into the halftime break leading 23-5.

“I told the girls at halftime that we are in a good place when we can be up by 18, 20, and 30 points and still be frustrated because we aren’t playing well,” Miller coach Ryan White said following the game. “We came out and didn’t play our best ball and still come away with a win because they are that good is a pretty good feeling."
The second half was more of the same as Miller played majority reserves in the fourth quarter as the Lady Cardinals cruised to a 41-14 win over their SWC rival.
“It was weird today," Miller freshman Ashlynn Helton said. "After playing on the road last night and then playing at noon today, our defense was still tough but offensively we just weren’t making good passes and decisions. I guess that is an added challenge to playing on Saturday.”
The Lady Cardinals move to 19-4 with just three games remaining before district play. They traveled to Stockton, Tuesday for a battle that will very likely decide the SWC champion before returning home Wednesday against Pierce City.