Classic in the Country Day 1: West Holmes falls to Margaretta
A nonstop day of action started with a double-digit win for Tuscarawas Valley and followed with several close contests to fill out the eight-game card.
Game 7
Margaretta 35, West Holmes 26
West Holmes did everything its coach asked with the exception of hitting all their shots, which led to a 35-26 defeat at the hands of the Margaretta Polar Bears.
"I thought we played really hard. We battled on the boards," West Holmes coach Lindsy Belden said. "We battled hard for 32 minutes. We played really hard and we got rebounds. Those are the things we talked about, so we those things, but it came down to making shots.
You don't win a lot of basketball games scoring 26 points," the coach continued. "We gave up 35, and our goal is to keep opponents under 40. They did exactly what I asked them to do."
Everything but make shots. West Holmes shot 9-of-41 from the field, making only five of 26 shots from inside the arc, while canning 4-of-15 from 3-point range.
Briar Cline hit a pair of 3-pointers in the opening quarter to help West Holmes open up an 8-6 lead. The Bears outscored the Knights 11-10 in the second stanza and trailed 18-17 at the break.
Margaretta clamped down on the defensive end in the second half, holding the Knights to one field goal in the third to open a 26-21 lead after three.
The Bears closed out the game going 4-for-4 from the foul line to secure their 12th win in 13 tries win. The Knights dropped to 8-5.
"We've got to play through that," Belden said. "We play again in 48 hours, so we have to move on and be ready for another physical game like this one on Monday."
Margaretta coach Ray Neill expected a tough, physical contest and that's what his girls got. And they were up to the challenge.
"We watched them in person and on film and expected a rock 'em, sock 'e, type game," he said. "Our M.O. is playing tenacious D, and tonight we showed that. We played really well in the half-court defense and we rebounded well."
West Holmes won the battle of the boards 36-34, Aveona Yoder leading the way with nine to go with her six points. Cline paced the Knights offensively with 14.
Ellyse Schaefer paced the Polar Bears with 16 points. Reagan Heck muscled down 10 rebounds.
Game 1
Tuscarawas Valley 52, Western Brown 39
Tusky Valley jumped out to a big lead and then rallied late to post a 52-39 victory over Western Brown in the tip-off game of the Classic in the Country Challenge XXI Saturday morning at Hilanbd High School.
Led by the one-two punch of Leah Bourquin and Laleigh Norris, along with a couple 3-pointers from Lacie Levengood, the Trojans jumped out to a 19-8 lead after the first quarter and held a 28-14 lead at the break.
The Broncos battled back to outscore TV 18-12 in the third quarter, and trimmed the lead as close as six points, but the Trojans pulled away down the stretch to secure the victory.
Bourquin scored 14 and Norris added 10 for the winners. Levengood finished with nine. Hadley Jones paced the Broncos with 13 points and Olivia Fischer added 11.
Each team connected on five shots from beyond the arc, and it was fairly equal from in close 12-10, but a 13-4 advantage from the foul line proved to be the difference for the Trojans.
Game 3
Sheridan 54, Fort Loramie 42
A back and forth battle between the Sheridan Generals and the No. 1 team in D-IV Fort Loramie led to the first loss of the season for the Redskins.
North Florida commit Jamisyn Stinson drilled six 3-pointers on her way to a game-high 20 points. Nora Saffell scored 12 and Halle Warner added 11 for the winners.
The Generals led 16-15 after the first quarter and stretched the lead to 29-23 at the half. Sheridan outscored Fort Loramie by three in each of the final two quarters to secure the win.
Sheridan hit 8-of-15 shots from beyond the arc, while the Redskins managed only one of nine from beyond the arc.
Game 4
Wadsworth 30, Toledo Notre Dame 24
Defense was on display as both teams shut down the other's outside games.
The Grizzlies got one of their two 3-pointers of the game in the first quarter to take a 7-6 lead after the opening eight minutes of action.
The Eagles hit both of their triples in the first half, both by JayLynn Nicholson and led 11-9 at intermission. Nicholson led all scorers with 14 points.
Emily Nagel scored eight points to pace the Wadsworth attack. Natalie MNcDermitt chipped in with seven for the winners, who notched their 11th win of the seaosn against four defeats.
Game 5
Archbishop Hoban 45, Teays Valley 38
A 15-8 blitz in the third quarter ignited by Niera Stevens proved to be enough for the Knights of Archbishop Hoban to hold of Teays Valley in a clash of Div. I titans.
Stevens scored 10 points to pace the Knights. Finley Kennedy added nine points and Mckenzie Edingburgh scored eight for the winners.
Kennedy Younkin and Alyssa Horsley scored 14 points apiece to pace the Vikings.
Game 6
Lakota West 65, Tol. Central Catholic 56
Katie Fox erupted for 28 points and ripped down 12 rebounds, while Lily Johnson and Caroline Bayliff pitched in 13 points apiece to lead the Firebirds past the Irish.
Central jumped out to a 21-14 lead after the opening quarter before Lakota West went on an 18-4 run in the second quarter to take a 32-25 lead into the locker room at the half.
Corniya Clay led the way for the Irish with 23 points, and Brooklynn Vayghn added 18
The two teams matched up evenly the rest of the way to lift the Firebirds to victory.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Classic in the Country Day 1: West Holmes falls to Margaretta
