By JIM WALKER

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

COAL GROVE — The twin towers were too big to climb.

Twin sisters Rowan and Reese Ruckel combined for 37 points as the Southeastern Lady Panthers beat the Coal Grove Lady Hornets 54-41 Saturday in the season opener.

“We struggled with their size. They had 6-foot twin sisters who really hurt us inside,” said Lady Hornets coach Nick Miller.

Rowan Ruckel scored 19 points and Reese Ruckel had 18 for Southeastern with Gracie Brown adding 11.

Emma Lively knocked down five 3-pointers and scored 18 points while Jenna Anson scored 9 points for Coal Grove.

Rowan Ruckel scored 7 points and Reese Ruckel scored 6 in the first quarter as Southeastern took a 14-8 lead

Isabelle Kitts and Lively each hit 3-pointers for the Lady Hornets.

Reese Ruckel got 6 points while Ally Fisher and Rowan Ruckel netted 4 each as the lead went to 28-15 at the half.

Anson scored 4 points and Lively hit another trey for Coal Grove,

The Lady Hornets cut into the lead in the third quarter and trailed 39-29.

Coal Grove had cut the deficit to 7 points but Brown hit a 35-footer at the buzzer to get the lead to 10.

“We made some adjustments and we were able to get some shots to fall,” said Miller. “I called a play hoping to take the last shot, possibly to cut the score to 4 or 5 points. We took a quick shots and they hit the 35-footer and the lead was 10.”

Lively drained a pair of triples and scored 9 points and Kendall Taylor added a 3-pointer for Coal Grove.

Brown hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 points for Southeastern.

But the Lady Panthers got that difference back in the fourth quarter as Brown had 5 points while the Ruckel sisters combined for 10 points.

Kitts had 4 points and Lively made her fifth 3-pointer for Coal Grove.

Southeastern 14 14 11 15 = 54

Coal Grove 8 7 14 12 = 41

SOUTHEASTERN (0-1): Calley Stauffer 0 0 0-0 0, Ally Fisher 3 0 0-2 6, Gracie Brown 3 1 2-4 11, Dylan Skaggs 0 0 0-0 0, Abby Millet 0 0 0-0 0, Rowan Ruckel 8 0 3-4 19, Reese Ruckel 7 0 4-4 18. Totals: 21 1 9-13 54. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.

COAL GROVE (0-1): Kendall Taylor 1 1 0-0 5, Kalli Vanderhoof 0 0 0-0 0, Kasey Vanderhoof 1 0 0-0 2, Shay Collins 0 0 0-0 0, Emma Lively 1 5 1-1 18, Isabelle Kitts 2 1 0-0 7, Jenna Anson 4 0 1-6 9, Harmonee Boggs 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 9 7 2-7 41. Fouls: 14. Fouled out Kitts.