'MOLDEN' THROUGH THE DEFENSE: Southwestern blasts past Lady Jumpers at the Patch

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern senior Kinsley Molden (24) finishes near the basket with a layup past the defense of Somerset sophomore Mati Cooper (1) during the Warriors' 71-25 victory over the Jumpers on Monday, Jan. 20, 2025.

SOMERSET - After delays due to snow, it was finally time for the Southwestern Warriors and the Somerset Lady Jumpers to face off at the Briar Patch on a bitterly cold Monday afternoon. Though it may have been cold outside, the shooting inside the Patch was hot enough to melt off the ice, taking away a cold second quarter for both teams. Midway through the third, the running clock was activated as Southwestern ran away with a 71-25 victory over their crosstown rivals.

Kinsley Molden, playing in her final game at the Briar Patch as a senior, got the her last game at Somerset off on the right foot by scoring the first four points of the ball game. Sophie Barnes was fouled soon after to get a chance to get the home team on the scoreboard and was able to hit one of her two shots from the charity stripe. Mati Cooper soon followed with two inside and the Jumpers trailed by just one early on in the contest.

That didn't last long, however, as the visitors quickly went on an 8-0 scoring spree to push their lead to 12-3 after two more baskets from Molden plus the first points of the game for Jaelyn Dye and McKaila Monroe (special shoutout to the freshman for nailing her first shot of the game on her birthday no less). Barnes broke that run with a three-pointer to cut the deficit down to six, but things went from bad to worse for the Jumpers in a hurry. Both Molden and Ava Jones would drill three-pointers down the stretch, and combined with baskets from both Monroe and Jessalyn Flynn, the Warriors built a 27-10 advantage after the first.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Somerset seventh grader Maci Huff (right) attempts to dribble around the defense during the Jumpers' loss to Southwestern on Monday afternoon.

After Molden once again opened a quarter with the first four points, both teams settled in on the defensive end of things and forced numerous turnovers over the first few minutes of the second period. Barnes and Cooper had back-to-back baskets midway through the quarter, but those points were quickly answered by back-to-back threes from Jones and Clare Marie Ramsey. Maci Huff was able to hit a free throw late in the half, but the Warriors still took a tremendous 38-15 lead into the break.

The third quarter belonged to the visitors as they dominated every aspect of the eight minutes of play. Monroe, Molden and Flynn opened up the quarter with six straight points before Huff scored the first two of the second half for the Jumpers. Molden drilled her final shot of the game from long range, before another basket from Flynn and a three from Kylie Dalton. The running clock started after that three, before Cooper closed the period with three straight points as Somerset found themselves trailing 52-20 with just eight minutes left in the game.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern sophomore Jaelyn Dye (center) attempts to get past Somerset junior Sophie Barnes (left) and seventh grader Maci Huff (right) on her way down the court during the Warriors' contest against the Jumpers on Monday at the Briar Patch.

Cooper continued her solid play with the opening basket in the fourth quarter. The Warriors sealed the deal with a 13-0 run after that basket, with Jones making her fourth three-pointer of the afternoon and Kiara Scott hitting two shots from deep. McKenzie Pyles hit the last basket of the game for the Jumpers on a three, before the Warriors closed on a 6-0 run with Sophie Sloan having four points and Layla Casada having the other two. Southwestern was ultimately victorious in a blowout 71-25.

Molden led the way for the Warriors with a game-high 20 points. Other scorers included Jones with 12, Monroe with nine, Flynn and Scott with six apiece, Dye and Sloan with four apiece, Dalton and Ramsey with three and both Mollie Osborne and Casada with two apiece. Southwestern improves to 10-7 and will next be in action at the Rocket Classic on Friday hosted by Rockcastle County. They will take on the Highlands Bluebirds.

Photo by Jacob Pratt: Southwestern freshman McKaila Monroe (center) attempts to battle through the contact on a shot attempt during the game between the Warriors and the Somerset Lady Jumpers on Monday.

Cooper led the way for the Jumpers with nine points. Other scorers included Barnes with eight, Huff and Pyles with three and Luci Haught with two. Somerset falls to 4-10 with the loss and will be back in action on Friday as they make the short trip to Pulaski County to take on their crosstown district rivals.

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