Wapakoneta holds off Ashland girls in physical game to earn Division I sectional title

ASHLAND − It came down to survival of the fittest.

The Wapakoneta High School girls basketball team withstood a second-half comeback by Ashland to earn a 55-47 win in Arrow Arena Saturday afternoon as the Lady Redskins captured the Division I sectional title.

Wapakoneta (12-12) now moves on to district play with Ashland ending its season at 9-14.

The game was physically played with plenty of bodies on both teams flying and hitting the floor.

“That was a super-physical game, probably one of the more physical ones I’ve coached in, college, high school, it doesn’t matter,” offered Wapakoneta coach Marcie Alberts. “It was both ways, and I told our kids at halftime it’s a boxing match. The team that can withstand the most punches is going to be the one that comes out on top. I thought our kids were very resilient the whole time, even when things didn’t go their way.”

Ashland coach Renee Holt watched her team fall behind 13-10 and 24-19 after the first two periods, but the Lady A’s battled back in the third quarter to tie the game at 35-35 before they went up 37-36 on an inside hoop by Kennedy Lacey with :54 left in the period.

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“I talked about it in the locker room, we’re at the toughest part of the mountain right now, and that’s the top part,” Hold insisted. “This year we finished 9-14 with a group that is full of freshmen and sophomores, underclassmen. So, we fought in almost every game, they have heart, they want to be here, they have great attitudes, they work together, the future’s bright.”

In the fourth quarter, Ashland pulled to within two points twice when Lacey made a bucket with 3:32 to play to cut Wapakoneta’s lead to 46-44. With 1:49 left, Madison Hoffman sank a free throw to bring Ashland to within 49-47.

But the Lady Redskins were able to make just enough free throws in the final stanza to keep the Lady A’s at arm’s length, especially getting a 6-for-6 showing at the stripe by Wapakoneta sophomore Audrey Welsch, who ended with 16 points.

“The coolest thing about Audrey is she came in as a freshman my first year,” Alberts said. “Audrey has put the time in. When she went to the line, I wanted the ball in her hands or Elisabeth (Good), and Elisabeth was sitting by me (fouled out), so we wanted to get the ball to Audrey because I know what she can do. She has ice in her veins.”

Good led all players with 19 points, including a trio of treys, with six rebounds and a steal.

“It stinks that she’s a senior, she’s grown so much in the two years I’ve gotten to coach her,” Alberts praised. “Her ability to knock down big shots, lead the team, play point, we ask her to do everything, we asked her to guard their best shooter tonight.”

Hoffman (steal) paced Ashland with 12 points, followed by Lacey with 11 points and seven rebounds, then Cameron Cox (7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals), Alex Huckleberry (7 points, 3 boards, steal) and Lauren Green (steal) and Grace Tobias each adding four markers.

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Huckleberry and Gabby Carver are Ashland's only seniors, so the future is bright for the Lady A’s.

“We came back this year from four wins a season to nine, so it’s a big jump, and I love my team, and I’m sad to go and leave them,” Huckleberry said. “But these young girls have grown so much from Day 1; they worked so hard in the gym. I think there’s so much potential coming these next four years, and I can’t watch how it goes.”

Lauded Holt, “I told the seniors they laid the foundation − for them to stick with me these first four years of coaching, that’s heart, that’s toughness, that’s being a leader. I’m proud of them.”

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Ashland girls fall short in sectional final to Wapakoneta