By Marcus Elliott

Sports Editor

Not that anyone was surprised, but the Lady Cardinals clinched a playoff spot and layed claim to the district title this week. In addition, Melissa is one game away from sweeping the district after crushing Paris Chisum on Friday and taking Leonard down on the road on Tuesday night.

The Lady Cardinals will wrap up their regular season on the road, taking on Prairiland on Tuesday night.

Melissa 58, Leonard 32

The Lady Cardinals actually trailed going into halftime against Leonard on Tuesday night but a 24-0 third quarter run helped Melissa rally to take the lead and come away with the 26-point road win.

At the end of the first quarter Melissa had a one-point edge. Leonard, however, was able to limit the Lady Cardinals’ offense to just seven points in the second quarter and take a 23-18 lead into the locker room at halftime.

The Lady Cardinals came out in the second half with a chip on their shoulder and played like they had something to prove, scoring at will while shutting out the home team. Melissa continued to play strong in the fourth quarter to came away with the eye-opening victory.

Melissa had four scorers in double figures with Megan Conlin and Katie Webb each finishing with 15 points and Emily Bates and Whitney Taylor adding 11 apiece. Other Melissa scorers included: Haley Hill (4) and Madison Simmons (2).

Melissa 74, Chisum 16

Melissa demolished district opponent Paris Chisum on Friday night in their home finale. The Lady Cardinals kept Chisum in single digits in every quarter as they poured on the offense.

Senior Shelby Hill led all scorers, and outscored the entire Chisum squad, finishing the game with 21 points. Simmons and Webb helped contribute to the big win with 12 points each.

Melissa was ahead 15-8 at the end of the first quarter and took a 15-point lead into the halftime break but it was the second half that showed the biggest disparity. The Lady Cardinals used a 26-2 third quarter run to erase any doubt who was in control. Melissa finished with a 22-3 fourth quarter to log the 58-point victory.

Eight Melissa players contributed offensively. Other Melissa scorers included: Claighton Bush (9), Megan Conlin (8), Emily Bates (6), Whitney Taylor (5) and Haley Hill (1).