Lady Spartans defeat Chester, then Tri-Valley in division play

Florida - The Seward Lady Spartan basketball team seem to be picking up steam as they head for a showdown with the Tuxedo Tornados. Florida is 5-1 in Division V play; Tuxedo is 7-0. Last Wednesday at Chester the Lady Spartans took the measure of the Hambletonians, 40-31. Florida took an early 15-5 first-quarter lead on the strength of Kathleen Folkl’s eight points and stayed ahead 19-11 at half-time. The Hambletonians narrowed that gap somewhat in the third quarter, but eight points by Angela Flores in the final stanza clinched the win for coach Joe DiMattina’s team. Folkl led the Spartan scoring with 15 points, and Flores was right behind with 14. On Friday at home the Lady Spartans again spurted out to a 19-10 first-quarter lead on their way to a convincing 65-37 win against Division V opponent Tri-Valley. Selin Tekin led the early spurt in this one with eight first-quarter points, mostly from strong play underneath. Freshman Vivien Greiser, in the first varsity action of her career, swished her first shot and added four points in that initial quarter. Florida extended that lead to 40-19 by half-time and coasted to their fifth Division win. Tekin finished with a solid 15 points, and Folkl notched 13. Both players pulled down ten rebounds apiece. Melissa Oliphant contributed eight as did Greiser. Kylie Burnside added six, sophomore Brooke Burnside, in her first varsity action scored four, as did Jillian Harter. The addition of Greiser and the younger Burnside gives coach DiMattina a few more options down the stretch as both call-ups handle the ball well and seem to fit in very nicely. The Lady Spartans will need all the talent they can muster as they look to the end of the Division race and the Section 9 Tournament.