Once they got going, however, the Lady Dragons ran away with a 66-47 Region 6 win over Fort LeBoeuf.

“We knew this was a game we could get, but if we didn’t show up it could get away,” Warren coach Lisa LaVan said. “The JV game sets the tone and they were a bit sluggish tonight.”

Warren (15-1 overall, 5-1 Region 6) started hot from the field as Riley Childress hit two 3-pointers and Margo Loutzenhiser drained another to put Warren on top 11-4.

“We got (Riley) a nice, early look,” LaVan said.

The Warren Lady Dragons huddle before the start of Monday's game against General McLane.

LeBoeuf’s (7-9, 1-5) Jenna Bennett was fouled on a 3-pointer-and made 2-3 from the line-then banked in another late to cut the lead to 11-9 with 2:52 to play in the first quarter. Loutzenhiser was fouled on a 3-pointer of her own on the other end-she also went 2-3 from the line-then came up with a steal that led to a traditional 3-point play to put the Dragons back up by seven with two minutes to go.

The Lady Dragons clamped down defensively to start the second quarter and went on a 10-2 run through the first four minutes to take a 30-13 lead. Katie Proctor hit a 3 to stop the bleeding for the Bison, but the quarter belonged to the Lady Dragons and they took a 34-16 lead into the locker room.

“We were a little passive on the defensive side to start,” LaVan said. “Once we cranked that up, that’s when we took over.”

Warren ran more half court offensive sets to start the second half, but the defensive pressure remained and the Lady Dragons methodically pulled away. Emma Ruhlman completed a traditional 3-point play midway through the frame to stretch the lead to 46-23.

Even after making wholesale substitutions in the second, third and fourth quarters, Warren maintained the 20-point advantage until the waning seconds of the game.

Warren’s Teagan Paris (32) puts in a layup during the first quarter of a game against Fort LeBoeuf in the Joseph A. Massa Gymnasium, Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. The Dragons defeated the Bison, 66-47, to pick up a key Region 6 win.

“We were able to get a lot of (our bench players) in,” LaVan said. “They work sometimes harder in practice than during games. We go hard in practice and they have to learn both our plays and the scout team plays. The scout team and coaches deserve a lot of credit. I’m happy when I can get them in.”

Loutzenhiser finished with a game-high 27 points, putting her just 42 away from the school record, and five assists. Childress and Ruhlman each had 14 points and Childress added five assists and six steals.

Proctor had a team-high 13 points to lead the Bison, while Bennett and Alee Young added 11 each.

Warren now turns its attention to a critical 3-game stretch, beginning with a trip to General McLane Thursday. The Lancers (12-4, 3-3) are coming off a thrilling, 57-54, triple overtime win at Harbor Creek (13-4, 3-3) Monday. The Lady Dragons defeated the Lancers in Warren Jan. 10 and could lock up the top seed in the District 10 Class 3A playoffs with a win in Edinboro.

LeBoeuf won the junior varsity game, 22-21.

Warren’s Margo Loutzenhiser (21) skys for a layup during the first half of a game against Fort LeBoeuf at Warren Area High School, Monday, Jan. 28, 2019. Loutzenhiser finished with a game-high 27 points, putting her just 42 away from the school record, and the Dragons picked up a 66-47 win over the Bison.

Katie Madigan led Warren with seven points and Halee Mineweaser added five in the loss.

– – –

FORT LEBOEUF (47)

K. Proctor 5-1-2-13, Young 5-0-0-11, Bennett 3-4-5-11, L. Proctor 2-0-0-4, Kucenski 1-1-2-3, Rossi 1-0-0-2, McCall 0-2-4-2, Dahn 0-1-2-1, Wasiulewski 0-0-0-0, Team 17-9-15-47

WARREN (66)

Loutzenhiser 10-6-9-27, R. Childress 5-2-2-14, Ruhlman 6-2-3-14, Hultberg 3-0-0-6, T. Childress 2-0-0-4, Paris 1-0-0-2, Stuart 0-1-2-1, Mineweaser 0-0-0-0, Walker 0-0-0-0, Madigan 0-0-0-0, Bowman 0-0-0-0, Matson 0-0-0-0, Kraft 0-0-0-0, Munksgard 0-0-0-0, Albaugh 0-0-0-0, Team 27-11-16-66

By quarters

Fort LeBoeuf 11 5 10 18 – 47

Warren 20

3-point FGs: Fort LeBoeuf (4)-K. Proctor 2, Bennett, Young. Warren (3)-R. Childress 2, Loutzenhiser.