Girls Basketball: Fulton 50, Marshall 43

MARSHALL, Mo. - Protecting a two-point lead, the Lady Hornets preserved their perfect record by outscoring the Lady Owls 11-6 in the fourth quarter of Thursday night's NCMC triumph.

Fulton (6-0, 2-0 North Central Missouri Conference) raced out to a 13-4 edge after one quarter and took a 27-22 lead into halftime. Marshall, though, outscored the Lady Hornets 15-12 in the third quarter to pull within 39-37.

"We were a little sluggish and a little lazy, but we've had a busy couple of weeks," Fulton head coach TJ Quick said Friday night. "Maybe we thought Marshall would be a little easier, but they're a different team this year.

"It (win) doesn't have to be pretty and we got the job done."

Senior forward NaShayla Brandt delivered her second straight double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds to guide the Lady Hornets. Brandt had just reached the 1,000-point plateau in her Fulton career in last Tuesday night's 49-33 victory at Blair Oaks.

Senior guard Sloane Totta added 11 points for the Lady Hornets on Thursday night.

Fulton overcame 17 turnovers and a 2-of-12 shooting performance from 3-point range by making 19 baskets in the paint.

"We just calmed down and kept working," Quick said. "Obviously our shots weren't falling, so we got the ball in the middle (of the lane). That's where the high-percentage shots are."

Taylor Crawford topped Marshall with a game-high 22 points.

The Lady Hornets - who have yet to play a home game this season - travel to Boonville for an NCMC contest at 6 p.m. Wednesday.

"It's a grind, but we're not going to complain," Quick said of the road trips. "It's not hurting us too bad."