'Defense is how we win': Chelsea Overbeek, West Ottawa dominate way to regional final
HUDSONVILLE - "Defense is what allows us to overcome teams."
Overcome, as West Ottawa's Magaly Lemus said, and overwhelm.
Sure, the Panthers have a Miss Basketball finalist who has scored the most points in Holland-area history in Gabby Reynolds.
Sure, they have the school's all-time leader in 3-pointers in Chelsea Overbeek.
But make no mistake, defense is what has the Panthers one win away from a regional championship.
West Ottawa started Monday's Division 1 regional semifinals against Kenowa Hills with three consecutive steals. The defense was so good it didn't allow a single basket in the first quarter of a 45-19 win at Hudsonville.
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The Knights, who lost 51-35 to the Panthers earlier in the season, looked rattled from the opening tip.
"We played tremendous in the first half. We were dialed in defensively," West Ottawa coach Paul Chapman said. "You just want to survive and advance, but we played as good as we could defensively. We will need that again."
West Ottawa will have a rematch with Byron Center, which beat Lowell 55-36 in the other semifinal. They will play for the regional title at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Hudsonville.
Sophomore Taylor Catton had two steals in the first two minutes of the game, then nailed a 3-pointer to put the Panthers up 13-2 after one quarter as the Panthers kept the Knights from even getting a shot off in the first three-plus minutes.
"The team has really uplifted me and that desire to win pushes me to be the best I can," Catton said. "We played the best defense we could have in the first half. It was everyone wanting to win for each other."
Brooke Pedersen also had three steals during the opening stretch.
Kenowa Hills first field goal came with 3:30 to go in the second quarter as West Ottawa built a 23-4 lead as Lemus whipped a pass from under the basket outside to Overbeek for a 3.
"We had to come out and play hard. We didn't want to get upset. We knew we had to come together to play well defensively because our defense is what wins," Overbeek said. "That really makes a difference. This was the best start of a game we have had all year. Knowing we can play that hard and that well to grind the other team down, that is big moving forward."
Overbeek led the Panthers with 18 points, just one fewer than the Knights. Reynolds had 13, while Catton and Lemus each had five.
Lemus grabbed nine rebounds and Pedersen had seven.
"We didn't play that well in the second half, but Chelsea was huge. She knocked down just about every open shot she had," Chapman said. "Brooke and Mags were good on the boards, too."
Miss Basketball finalists showdown
Not only does West Ottawa get a rematch with Byron Center after a narrow win earlier in the season, but Reynolds will get a showdown with fellow Miss Basketball finalist Lily Zeinstra of the Bulldogs - a rare head-to-head matchup.
"Lily is a great player and does a great job of distributing the ball, not just scoring. We will have our hands full. That is what you hope for in a regional final," Chapman said.
Reynolds is looking forward to the rematch.
"She is a really good player," Reynolds said. "It is a way for both of us to prove ourselves - and for our teams to."
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'Defense is how we win': West Ottawa dominates way to regional final
