IAC GIRLS BASKETBALL: CANDOR CAN'T OVERCOME COLD SHOOTING IN 30-22 SETBACK AT TIOGA (16 PHOTOS) (2022-01-18)

Tioga County Sports Report
TIOGA CENTER — It was one of those nights where there seemed to be a lid on the bucket for Candor, especially in the first half.

The Lady Indians made just 1 of 25 shots from the field in the first two quarters, and trailed 18-4 at the intermission in a 30-22 loss to Tioga here Tuesday night in IAC Small School girls basketball action.

Tioga took the lead off the opening tip when Reese Howey tipped the ball to Julia Bellis, who drove to the bucket for a lay-up just five seconds into the game.

Pearl Ricardo made one of two free throws for Candor’s first points of the game with 5:24 remaining in the first quarter, but the Lady Indians wouldn’t score again for nearly 10 minutes.

In between, while Candor had several shots from close range rattle in-and-out, or spin off the rim, Tioga reeled off 14 unanswered points to take a 16-1 lead.

Brooke Wilcox made 1 of 2 free throws with 3:24 remaining in the first half to stop the Tioga run, and Ricardo hit a runner in the lane for Candor’s first — and only — field goal of the first half to trim the deficit to 16-4 with 2:40 left in the half.

Bellis, who scored nine of her game-high 15 points in the first half, made two free throws with 9 seconds remaining in the first half to send the Lady Tigers to the locker room with an 18-4 advantage at the half.

The Lady Indians found the range in the third quarter with Ricardo and Wilcox each knocking down 3-pointers to fuel a 13-9 spurt to cut the deficit to 27-17 entering the final eight minutes.

Ricardo’s 3-pointer was the only field goal of the fourth quarter for the Lady Indians, who made just 2 of 6 free throws in the final stanza, and only 5 of 14 in the game, while Tioga made 4 of 10 from the charity stripe to put the game away.

Ricardo led Candor with nine points, while Wilcox added eight, and Isabel Makie chipped in with four.

Candor, now 1-8, returns to action Friday at state-ranked Union Springs.

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IN PHOTO 1: Candor’s Pearl Ricado. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.