Big second half lifts Jackson High School girls basketball into OHSAA regional final

SANDUSKY —  The Polar Bear magic struck again in the clutch when it was needed. And it has the Jackson High School girls basketball team a win away from trip to the state tournament.

After an "absolute disaster" of a first half Wednesday night, ninth-seeded Jackson took down top-seeded Anthony Wayne 55-50 in the Division I regional semifinals at Sandusky High School.

The Polar Bears will return to Sandusky to face Olmsted Falls in the regional finals at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the winner advancing to the state final four. Jackson is seeking its second state tournament trip in three years.

Jackson entered Wednesday as the underdog, a role the team has embraced. It was a tall order to take down the top seed in its region and having to game plan against the Bender sisters (Brooke and Elise). Both juniors carry nine Division I college offers. Elise Bender, an Ohio Ms. Basketball finalist who averages 23.2 points a game, was held to 14 points. Brooke added 17 points, while Leah Pike scored 11 to give Wayne three double-figure scorers Wednesday.

"We knew that they were a good defensive team ... that they were going to bring perimeter pressure," Wayne head coach Jami Carter said.

The Polar Bears are developing a track record in facing Division I college prospects this season. Focusing on Elise Bender, Jackson played aggressively, defending the perimeter and crowding the junior inside the paint. Jackson's Ashley Lahmers, also known as the “Division I killer,” matched up with Elise for most of the game and was credited for staying on top of the junior in the backcourt.

“Elise Bender is nominated for Ms. Ohio Basketball for a reason,” Jackson head coach Anthony Butch said. “She is one of the best players we’ve played against all season. The effort that she (Lahmers) gave her on defense was next level. You can’t put it into words.”

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Jackson overcame a tough first half in which it looked sluggish.

While the Polar Bears kept it close for the most part, they struggled to execute plays the way Butch wanted. After the Generals led 11-10 in the first quarter, the Polar Bears were on the ropes after being outscored 15-6 in the second quarter. The Generals took a 26-16 lead into halftime.

Butch believed the body language wasn’t there, and the Polar Bears were worn down heading into the locker room.

“The first half was a disaster,” Butch said.  “An absolute disaster. The body language was poor, and at halftime, I just said you have come too far to fold against a team that we can play with. It was a very passionate halftime speech and unbelievable (response).”

Jackson turned it on in the third quarter, led by the scoring duo of Megan Campbell and Madison Lepley. Lepley found her rhythm late in the third and early fourth quarter after only putting up three points in the first half. She finished the night with 20 points.

"My shots weren’t going in during the first half,” Lepley said. "At halftime, my teammates told me to keep my head up and keep shooting, and they would fall, and that’s what they did.”

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Campbell, who was battling the flu all week, came up clutch in the fourth quarter, knocking down a 3-pointer from NBA range to give Jackson a one-point lead. The energy changed for the Polar Bears.

While both teams kept exchanging shots, the Polar Bears found a breakthrough when freshman Ashley Helle took a charge that fouled out Elise Bender with a minute left to play. Campbell and Lepley sealed the deal by making four of their final five free throws. Campbell finished the night with 25 points despite battling illness this week.

“I was a little out of shape,” The Tiffin recruit said. "I’m trying to get back into it. I was out with the flu for a couple (of) days, but I’m back and will do anything for my team.”

Jackson is now one win away from punching its ticket to Dayton. Olmsted Falls stands in the way. The Bulldogs beat Fremont Ross 61-41 in the first semifinal. Butch, who continues to live in the moment, has confidence in his Polar Bears.

“This is our third team from that league (Southwestern Conference), so we’re familiar,” Butch said. “I have super top-notch respect for (Olmsted Falls coach) Jordan Eaton. I think he is one of the best, if not the best in the state of Ohio.”

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Jackson girls basketball upsets Anthony Wayne to reach regional final