Tecumseh clinches share of title behind Quisenberry

It’s been 18 years since the Tecumseh Arrows girls basketball team last claimed a league championship. Coincidentally, that’s about the time senior Bianca Quisenberry was born.

A league title 18 years in the making took another step forward Wednesday night behind Quisenberry’s 43 points — one shy of her school record set last season — in a not as easy as it sounds 73-59 win over Tippecanoe.

“It’s weird to think of because that was the year before the seniors were born,” said Quisenberry, who put the game away with a stunning 11-point outburst in a 41-second span late in the third quarter. “It’s something you always dream about, winning league.”

The Arrows clinched a share of the Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Division title and can clinch it outright with a win over Stebbins on Jan. 26. Tecumseh, 16-1 overall, 8-0 in the league, holds a two-game lead over Bellefontaine (4-2) and a three-game lead over Tipp (4-3).

Tipp outhustled Tecumseh early and led 23-14 with 5:49 left in the first half. Quisenberry scored Tecumseh’s final 11 points of the second quarter to salvage a 27-27 tie at the half. The Arrows’ lead never went higher than four in the third quarter, and they even trailed twice, before Quisenberry took over. She sandwiched two 3-pointers between a steal and lay-up in the final 35 seconds of the third quarter. She then opened the fourth with another 3-pointer for a 51-39 Arrows’ advantage.

“I thought she played well in the first half, but she took it to a whole new level in the second half. She was amazing,” Tecumseh coach Danielle Thomas said.

Megan Christmann’s consistent play netted 16 points for Tecumseh and Brittany Frappier’s defense helped slow down the Red Devils.

Tipp (9-7), meanwhile, never got the deficit below double digits again. Erica Comer led the Red Devils with 17 points, Halee Printz added 16, Chelsea Clawson 11 and Carly Clodfelter 10.

“We had hands in her face and doing our best to slow her down,” Tipp coach Aaron Jackson said. “(Tipp) played hard, it’s just sometimes little mistakes like turnovers hurt you.”

Tipp had won as many as nine straight games in the series dating back to 2007, but Tecumseh has taken the last three.

“You gotta knock (Tipp and Kenton Ridge) both off to win the league title,” Thomas said. “We had to get it done today.”

About the Author