The Midland Empire Conference is known across northwest Missouri as a 'big school conference that plays physical, defensive-minded basketball'. Never was that mindset more on display than on Saturday afternoon at the Ketcham Community Center in Trenton, where the St. Joseph Lafayette girls took out the state-ranked Trenton Lady Bulldogs, 36-21.

In a game broadcast on Hot Country Z 101.7 and 'Internet TV', it took until early in the fourth quarter for Trenton to get in double figures on the scoreboard, as THS scored 3 points in the first quarter, 4 in the second, and two points in the third. Trenton's defense was very stout against the Irish, and in particular, Oceanna Weston, who did manage to reach double figures, but only by hitting six consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter.

Trenton had a bit of a rally at the Fighting Irish midway through the fourth quarter, but they were points that ultimately came too late to get the Lady Bulldogs within striking distance of a win.

Trenton's leading scorer was senior Avery Whitaker with 7 points. Senior Megan Sole and Junior Makaila Capeder both scored five.

The win improves Lafayette to 15-3 on the season, while Trenton, losers of three of their last four games, falls to 17-4.

The win by the Irish completed an outstanding 24 hour stretch for the MEC program, who beat Cameron on Friday night by a score of 44-41. Weston scored 14 points and Ariel Dydell 11 in the Friday night win for Lafayette. Cameron had 17 points from Melia Richardson and 12 points from Ashli Lykins.

Trenton will return to action, in a girl's/boy's doubleheader, on Wednesday night, February 6th, hosting the Plattsburg Tigers. The 6:15 girl's game and 7:45 boy's contest will both be broadcast on KTTN FM 92.3 and www.kttn.com. There will be a JV girls game played at 5 o'clock on Wednesday night between the Lady Tigers and Lady Bulldogs at the THS gym.

The Lafayette JV girls, in a 1:00 game played Saturday at NCMC, beat Trenton by a score of 28-20.