By STEPHEN MONAHAN
Register Staff Writer
The Gainesville Lady Leopards ran into a formidable foe at home Tuesday night — the Bridgeport Bulls.
Bridgeport’s Emily Price scored 16 points while Macy Bishop followed with 14 points to help upend the Lady Leopards 79-16.
Gainesville had no answer for the pressure-laden Bulls, who used tight defense and a strong post game during Tuesday’s game at the Gainesville High School gymnasium.
Gainesville (0-9) trailed 17-4 after the first quarter thanks to runs of 9-2 and 7-2 by Bridgeport, who got 8 of its first-quarter points from Bishop. Skye Lynn Ferch hit two free throws and Megan Gonzales hit a jumper for Gainesville.
Emily Price opened up the second quarter scoring for Bridgeport with a layup at the 7:17 mark, extending its lead to 19-4.
Gonzales hit a free throw soon after to cut Gainesville’s lead to 19-5, but from there Bridgeport went on a 19-2 run, taking a 38-7 lead at halftime. Becca Logan scored 5 points, including a 3-pointer while Haley Meekins and Presley White each added 4 in the 21-point second quarter for Bridgeport.
The rest of Gainesville’s second-quarter points came from Gonzales, who hit two more free throws with 2:16 left in the half.
Bridgeport’s finest quarter came in the third when the Bulls scored 24 points while allowing just 3 points to the Lady Leopards. Gainesville also turned the ball over 13 times during that span while finishing with 30 turnovers for the game.
Price was the big dog in the paint in the third quarter, scoring 8 points while Meekins finished off her 10-point effort with 6 points in the third for Bridgeport.
Gainesville continued to fight throughout the quarter, but turnovers were costly. The Lady Leopards also had trouble finding open lanes in the paint.
Ferch ended a 17-0 run with a jumper at the 5:42 mark while Gonzales added another free throw after a technical foul was called on Price with 2:28 left before the fourth quarter.
The Lady Leopards showed some pep in their step in the fourth quarter, forcing 4 turnovers while giving away just one. Annette Kirk, Yolanda Del Rio and Gonzales each scored buckets in final quarter of play and held Bridgeport its lowest effort of the night with 13 points.
For Gainesville, Gonzales led the team with 7 points, while Ferch scored 6 and Del Rio and Kirk each added 2 points.
The Gainesville Lady Leopards junior varsity also took on Bridgeport Tuesday. The Lady Leopards fell 43-2.
