SALEM - Area power West Branch is just getting warmed up.
The West Branch girls held Salem to 14 points in the opening three quarters on the way to a 58-23 win at Cabas Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.
West Branch improves to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the Northeastern Buckeye Conference, while Salem drops to 1-7 and 1-3.
The Warriors led 19-8 in the first quarter, 35-13 at halftime and 48-14 after three quarters.
Ten players scored for West Branch, led by Brittany Bryte with 14 points, including four three-pointers.
Amanda Linhart totaled 11 points and six rebounds, followed by Pavin Heath with 10 points and Melinda Trimmer added seven points.
"West Branch is a very good team that posed many challenges for us today and we didn't step up to the challenge," Salem coach Renee Farina said. "There's a lot of season left and we need to keep working to get better."
For the Quakers, Lindsey Foster scored seven points.
Both teams will take a Christmas break before returning to action next week with West Branch at perennial power at North Canton Hoover on Thursday and Salem at Minerva on Saturday.
W. BRANCH: 19-16-13-10-58
SALEM: 8- 5- 1- 9-23
WEST BRANCH SCORING: Brittany Bryte 5-0-14, Melinda Trimmer 3-1-7, Emily Menegay 0-0-0, Kaylee Manning 0-1-1, Pavin Heath 3-4-10, Amanda Linhart 4-3-11, Allie Garrett 1-0-3, Paige Walsh 0-2-2, Taryn Hahn 2-1-6, Erica Johnson 1-0-2, Lauren Martig 1-0-2, Lea Bock 0-0-0. TEAM TOTALS: 20, 11-22: 58.
SALEM SCORING: Tori Jones 1-0-2, Megan Lehwald 2-0-4, Julia Dundon 0-0-0, Katherine Stiff 2-0-6, Lindsey Foster 2-3-7, Rylee Meals 0-0-0, Raegan Meals 0-0-0, Olivia Stiff 0-2-2, Ciera Trybend 0-0-0, Rylee Leider 1-0-2. TEAM TOTALS: 8, 5-8: 23.
Three-point goals: West Branch 7 (Bryte 4, Heath, Garrett, Hahn), Salem 2 (K. Stiff).
