Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

LATHAM — Uh hum. May I have your attention, please?
The message that followed is somewhat inaudible, but message received.
The St. Joseph Lady Flyers were down 3 points at halftime when coach Bart Burcham got their attention.
The result was a big second half that saw the Lady Flyers rally to win 50-39 over the Western Lady Indians in a Southern Ohio Conference game on Monday.
“We were down three at the half and I went around the room for a little bit of a ‘wake-up call.’ The second half was night and day energy-wise,” said Burcham.
“The defense and playing together as a team was so intense. They are so much fun to watch when they play like that. The girls’ effort in the second half is what won the game.”
Jordan Rittenhouse hit a pair of 3-pointer and scored 8 points as Westeren took a 13-5 first quarter lead. Bella Whaley hit a 3-pointer and Gracie Damron had a basket for the Lady Flyers.
Emma Whaley and Bella Whaley scored 4 points each as St. Joseph cut the deficit to 16-13 at the half. Kenzi Ferneau hit a 3-pointer for Western’s only points in the quarter.
The attitude adjuster was evident in third quarter as St. Joseph outscored Western 22-10 to take a 35-26.
Bella Whaley sizzled as she scored 13 points while Faith Mahlmeister added 4 points and Emma Whaley added a trifecta.
Emma Whaley took the hot-hand torch in the fourth quarter as she scored 9 points and the Lady Flyers outscored Western 15-13.
Bella Whaley had 22 points 15 in the second half — and pulled down 9 rebounds for the Lady Flyers (8-7, 6-4). Emma Whaley scored 16 — 12 in the second half — while Mahlmeister hauled down 9 rebounds.
Rittenhouse scored 16 for Western (2-14, 2-8).
St. Joseph host first-place Portsmouth Notre Dame on Thursday.
St. Joseph 5 8 22 15 = 50
Western 13 3 10 13 = 39
ST. JOSEPH (8-7, 6-4): Kaitlyn Sheridan 2 0 0-0 4, Faith Mahlmeister 3 0 0-0 6, Emma Whaley 5 1 3-5 16, Bella Whaley 9 1 1-2 22, Chloe Sheridan 0 0 0-0 0, Aubrey Sutton 0 0 0-0 0, Gracie Damron 1 0 0-0 2, Kerri Jenkins 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20 2 4-7 50. Rebounds: 32 (Mahlmeister 9, B. Whaley 9, C. Sheridan 5, E. Whaley 4, Damron 2, K. Sheridan 2, Sutton 1). Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.
WESTERN (2-14, 2-8): Brooklyn Tackett 1 0 2-2 4, Chloe Beckman 0 0 0-0 0, Kenzi Ferneau 0 2 0-0 6, Jordan Rittenhouse 2 4 0-2 16, Alyssa Manhoover 2 0 2-6 6, Alicia Francis 3 0 1-2 7. Totals: 8 6 5-10 39. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.