GETTYSBURG – Aberdeen Christian jumped on top early and used a 9-0 run late to fuel a 53-38 non-conference girls’ basketball win over Potter County Thursday night.

The Knights bolted out to a 16-4 lead and never trailed in the contest. However, Potter County hung around and closed the deficit down to four points in the second quarter.

Christian again opened a double-digit lead in the second half, only to see the Battlers cut the margin down to 44-38 midway through the fourth. That’s when the Knights scored nine unanswered points – six by Mallory Miller – to ice the victory.

“Tonight was a good first game for us,” said Christian coach Michael Rohrbach. “It didn’t go exactly as I hoped, but Potter County is a tough, physical team that makes you pay if you don’t do the little things well.”

While his team never lost a lead it built in the opening minutes, Rohrbach said there were areas where the Knights weren’t sharp.

“I thought we started out strong, but then let them hang around because we didn’t defend or rebound well,” Rohrbach said. “This game reinforced that if we don’t do the little things we’re going to be in for a dogfight most nights.”

Miller finished with game-high totals of 28 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Christian offense. Miller’s point total is the second highest for a single game in program history. Paige Hubert owns the school record for points scored in a game with 31 set back in 2014.

Miller was the recipient of passes for high-percentage shots as Christian guards penetrated into the lane.

“Offensively, I thought we ran the floor and shared the ball well,” Rohrbach said. “Joy (Rohrbach) and Hanna (Miller) did a good job getting into the lane and finding Mallory who got it going in the second half.”

Tyler Simon topped Potter County with a dozen points.

Christian heads to Huron on Saturday to take on James Valley Christian before hosting Warner on Tuesday, playing at Leola-Frederick on Thursday and then hosting Britton-Hecla on Friday.

“Hopefully, we can use this game to build on with a tough stretch coming up,” Coach Rohrbach said.

ABERDEEN CHRISTIAN: Joy Rohrbach 3 1-2 8, Kaylee Block 1 0-1 3, Hanna Miller 0 3-5 3, Mallory Miller 12 2-6 28, Grace Kaiser 2 0-2 4, Chloe Holt 1 3-4 6, Chloe Bosma 0 1-2 1. Totals 20-48 10-22 53.

POTTER COUNTY: Haylie Ahlmeier 1 2-4 4, Kirstie Lake 2 0-0 4, Ashlee Kaup 1 2-3 4, Tyler Simon 4 4-6 12, Kayden Cronin 4 0-4 8, Rylee Kaup 1 1-2 3, Zoe Meinke 1 0-0 3. Totals 14-57 9-19 38.

Aberdeen Christian 16 30 41 53

Potter County 7 19 29 38

3-point field goals – Rohrbach, Block, Holt; Meinke. Fouled out – Cronin. Total fouls – Aberdeen Christian 16; Potter County 17. Rebounds – Aberdeen Christian 45 (M. Miller 17); Potter County 39 (Cronin 12).