ELWOOD — When you’re dealing with a young roster, you expect highs and lows. For Elwood girls basketball coach Candice Williams, Friday night’s 53-49 victory over Liberty Christian provided both.

The good? A 17-0 run in the final 5 minutes, 3 seconds of the first half to seemingly take control with a 33-21 halftime lead.

The bad? Letting the visiting Lions gain confidence - thanks in large part to the play of Riley Ramsey - to make things very interesting late.

“It’s a win,” Williams said. “There were a lot of ups and downs. But for us to get the win, it feels good.”

With Sara Phillips’ putback basket giving the host Panthers (1-2) a 14-point advantage early in the third quarter, things looked bleak for Liberty Christian. Those hopes of pulling off a victory took another major hit when senior Karon Earley landed awkwardly on her right ankle with 6:42 left in the third quarter.

To that point, Earley had already grabbed 12 rebounds, serving as the Lions’ main threat on the boards. Earley departed to the locker room and did not return to action, giving Liberty coach Mike Carey even more concern about how his team would pull back into the contest.

Then again, he had Riley Ramsey to pick up the slack. The senior put the Lions (0-3) on her back, scoring 18 of her team-high 21 after Earley was sidelined. Ramsey’s play also served to inspire her teammates, Carey explained.

“We knew we were short three players, then one of our leaders goes down,” Carey said. “I just thought they showed me a lot of character, a lot of toughness.”

Elwood maintained its double-digit lead throughout most of the third quarter before a quick 10-0 Lion run cut the lead to 43-40. Ramsey keyed the run, assisting on a Brooke Vajner basket with 2:02 left in the third to start things off, then knocked down a jumper and a three-pointer to cap the spurt with 7:29 remaining.

“She’s a very nice player,” Williams said. “We were just trying to know where their shooters were, but we have five freshmen and no seniors, and all of this is new to them.”

The Lions would get no closer. With both teams struggling to knock down shots in the final quarter, Elwood’s distinct height advantage helped keep Liberty at bay. In all, the Panthers dominated the glass to the tune of a 52-28 rebounding edge. Phillips in particular proved too much to handle, pulling down a game-high 13 boards while leading all scorers with 23 points.

Still, Carey was pleased with the way his team continued to battle in the face of adversity.

“I’m just tickled to death,” Carey said. “I was really pleased with what they did. They just didn’t give up.”

Conversely, Williams explained that getting into the win column early in the season could go a very long way for her youthful squad.

“For us to win our third game in, I think it relaxes them and makes them feel good,” Williams said. “For us to get this win, it feels good.”