To a T: Wynford sticks to the script, takes down Colonel Crawford in D-III sectional final
MONROEVILLE — Wynford's seniors had been waiting for this moment their entire high school basketball careers.
After losing in the sectional finals each of the last three seasons, the No. 7 Royals executed their game plan perfectly Saturday night at Monroeville High School to beat No. 3 Colonel Crawford 40-35 in a Division III sectional championship. It's the program's first since the 2018-19 season when Wynford was Division IV.
Wynford advanced to play No. 1 Margaretta in a district semifinal at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Polar Bears beat Galion 72-17 in the sectional semifinals and followed that up with a 62-23 win over Crestview in the championship.
“I think all of our kids did their absolute best to fulfill their roles today, which it was very clear what they needed to do," coach Amy Taylor-Sheldon said. "I’m just super happy for these kids. It’s their first championship and it has been a while since the program had one. I’ve learned to not take things for granted. We want to enjoy the now and make the most of it.”
Having met twice in the regular season and splitting — Wynford won 36-32 at Colonel Crawford on Jan. 27 and the Eagles won 29-26 on the Royals' home floor — it was impossible to predict how their tournament matchup would go. But if there's any two teams that know each other's strengths (and weaknesses), it's Wynford and Crawford.
The Eagles led 11-7 at the end of one quarter, capitalizing on a late Wynford turnover to push their lead to four. But then in the second the Royals offense came to life, outscoring Colonel Crawford 13-4 — and easily could've made it a 15-2 quarter were it not for an offensive foul with just seconds remaining on the clock — to lead 20-15 at the half.
“The team maybe played a little guarded," Colonel Crawford coach Zac Bauer said about the second quarter. "We got good looks, they just didn’t fall. That has been us all year — we’ve gotten looks but don’t finish. That’s going to be a point of emphasis in the offseason. What are we going to do when teams sit down and really guard? We’ve been fortunate to be the better defensive team than a lot of our opponents. Wynford matched that tonight and out-offensed us.
"We didn’t make baskets when we needed to.”
The cold spell on offense lingered into the third for Colonel Crawford, which scored just five points, but the Eagles' clamped down on defense and held the Royals to just four for a low-scoring quarter. The teams entered the fourth with Wynford ahead 24-20.
With the season on the line in a heated rivalry game, both teams battled throughout the final quarter, combining for 31 points when they had totaled 44 up until that point. Wynford scored 12 of its 16 fourth-quarter points from the free-throw line, and two layups by freshman Maradath Engler when the team desperately needed a bucket were the only field goals.
“We had some looks," Bauer said. "(But) credit to Wynford. An experienced team makes free throws late and made plays when it was time to make plays. That’s what championship teams do … we did all we could to take it away from them, but they just came out and made plays.”
Wynford was 12 of 17 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, which allowed Colonel Crawford to keep the game within reach up until the final seconds. Reese McGuire's free throw pushed the lead to three (38-35) and, after she missed her second attempt, senior Katie Wagner grabbed the offensive board and was immediately fouled with 5.8 seconds remaining.
Wagner made both of her free throws to ice the game and secure the five-point win. She finished with a team-high 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Engler added six. Senior Grace Stucky (nine points, four rebounds), senior McGuire (five points, two steals), senior Alexis Stevely (four points) and junior Zoe Whitmeyer (two points) all contributed.
"She did a good job handling the ball, defending on the perimeter and taking it to the basket," Taylor-Sheldon said of Engler. "(And) I’m super happy with that finish from Katie Wagner at the free-throw line, taking care of the ball late, she had a big rebound."
Colonel Crawford is a team that likes to slow down play and keep scoring low. The Eagles average 37.8 points on offense and hold opponents to a Northern 10-best 28 points per game. Wynford knew possessions would be limited for both teams and making the most out of each one was imperative.
“I felt like if we could contest — they eat up the clock and are patient with great shot selection — we just tried to maintain that and make buckets," Taylor-Sheldon said. "Ultimately they hurt us on the boards, but that’s a credit to their level of intensity. We were able to do enough good things often enough to hold them off.”
The Eagles dominated the glass by a 27-19 margin, 14 of them offensive rebounds that led to a number of second-chance opportunities. But the ball was just not falling for them when they needed it most.
“We get to the glass and we know we have to if we’re not going to make shots," Bauer said. "But offensive rebounds aren’t going to give you points on the scoreboard. We have to find ways to get passes when things get tight and when the going gets tough.
"We were lucky to have Mira Holt tonight, and I’m glad to have her back for two more years. But we need to continue to develop and work this offseason to make sure we make that load easier on her.”
A sophomore, Holt scored a game-high 19 points, seven of them in the fourth quarter as her team attempted to mount a comeback. She had to step up as Wynford held the Eagles' first- and third-leading scorers, junior Allison Weithman (8.3 points) and senior Mallory Plesac (6.5 points), to just six points combined.
“Katie and Grace both played Plesac well," Taylor-Sheldon said. "She had some offensive rebounds but only three points in the first half. In the second half we made a switch defensively.
"And on Weithman, Maradath has done a great job. She guarded Siesel and shut her down, and she guarded Weithman on the perimeter. Stevely took a huge charge for us because she was the help defender. Our kids knew their assignments and did everything possible to fulfill them.”
Sophomore Gabby Roston (seven points, four rebounds), Plesac (four points, 11 rebounds), Weithman (two points), junior Ayla McKibben (two points) and junior Lexi Rush (one point) rounded out scoring.
The loss brings an end to Colonel Crawford's season, and it was one they'll ultimately view as successful once the sting of losing to a rival in the tournament wears off. It was Bauer's first season at the helm, and though the Eagles didn't make it three consecutive sectional titles, they grew more than any other team in the area and boast a roster full of talented youth.
“We’re very fortunate to have a lot of our kids back," Bauer said. "We lose one senior in Mallory Plesac, and my heart breaks for Mallory to not get her a championship her senior year with as loyal as she has been to our program. I feel like I failed her a bit, and that’s going to hurt me for a long time.
"But we do have a lot of kids coming back and our younger kids have gotten better. Allison Weithman has improved her all-around game, Ayla McKibben works on her off-the-dribble game and gets us a big layup late. We have kids back, it’s just a matter of whether or not they’re ready to use this adversity we’ve faced to improve and grow like we should. How do you move on from this?”
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Wynford girls beat rival Colonel Crawford for D-III sectional title
