GIRLS BASKETBALL

ä Grove City 38, Hickory 34 — At The Hive in Hermitage, the free-throw line again cost the host Lady Hornets. While Grove City secured 12-for-19 accuracy (63.1 percent), Hickory hit on only 4 of 17 attempts.

Caitlin McNamara manufactured 17 points for Grove City (4-7, 10-8).

Macy Horvath hit for 13 points for Hickory (3-8, 6-12), while Laura Leicht lent a half-dozen caroms and Jasmine Boulware boarded 4 times.

ä Sharon 56, Franklin 53 — At Franklin, Karlesia Edwards ended with a game- and career-high 33-point performance in what Sharon skipper Gene Sarazen described as a “great win for the Sharon Lady Tigers!”

Sharon led by 8 points with approximately 1:20 remaining before Franklin fired in a pair of triples. However Edwards and Annie Carpenter converted a pair of free throws apiece to knock off the Lady Knights.

“Our girls are now tied for second place (in the region) with Franklin,” Sarazen gushed. “The kids played well defensively, made crucial foul shots and did a good job on the boards.”

In addition to Edwards, who ended with 8 fielders from beyond the arc, Brittany Benedetto bucketed a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double for Sharon (8-3, 15-3), Carpenter collected 10 caroms and Kristen Johnson 8.

Sharon secured 10-for-13 free-throw marksmanship, compared with 3-for-4 for Franklin. Deal delivered 15 for Franklin, while Gravatt garnered 14.

As Sharon prepares to meet Slippery Rock, Sarazen reiterated his refrain from earlier this season regarding his Lady Tigers being “Road warriors.”

ä West Middlesex 56, Lakeview 45 — At Stoneboro, the visiting Ms Reds rolled to the AA win by building a 44-31 bulge through 3 quarters.

Jess Bittler’s 21-point, 11-rebound, 7-assist, 6-steal line led Middlesex (4-6, 8-11), while Maddie Williams’ 11 points and 8 assists and Kayla Shacklock’s 10 tallies and handful of caroms also contributed.

Cassie Legal led Lakeview (1-9, 2-17) with 12 points and Fawn Miller’s mustered 10 markers. Also, the Lady Sailors’ Laura Sturgin hauled down a game-high 15 caroms.

ä Sharpsville 45, Mercer 37 — At Mercer, the Blue Darlings held off a 17-point fourth-quarter run by the Lady M’s to hang on to the Region 2-AA win.

After taking an 8-4 lead on a trey by Jenna Grandy, the Blue Darlings separated themselves further from the Lady M’s with a 13-10 run before the break. The Blue Darlings then outscored the hosts 14-6 in the 3rd quarter as Sharpsville’s McKenzie Popatak put up half her team’s points to take a 35-20 lead.