“I felt like we really controlled the first half and I thought to Northwestern’s credit they never gave up,” Milton-Union head coach Katie Roosh said. “They beat us scoring-wise in the second half ... but we did get the lead back up to 15 points late. It’s always good to get a tournament win.”
It was the third postseason win in four seasons for Milton-Union (17-6) and helps forget last season’s two-point heartbreak to Valley View.
“It’s something that we’re working to build our successful seasons, but when it comes to the postseason we want to continue to build our success rate and three out of the last four is a step in the right direction.”
Milton-Union’s full court pressure displayed signs of methodically breaking down Northwestern in the early minutes, but it wasn’t until the second quarter when it really began to turn the dial up with success.
A 13-2 run to begin the quarter quickly extended the Bulldogs’ lead to 28-10.
Northwestern (10-13) gathered itself and began to close the gap after halftime. Milton-Union’s lead was reduced to 41-32 with 2:18 left in the third. Consecutive baskets by freshman Stella Blackburn and junior Michaela Firks got the Bulldogs lead back to double-digits and they were not challenged down the stretch.
“Our girls fought hard and they fought back, and they truly believed they were in it the whole time,” Northwestern head coach Lynn Cochran said. “We just didn’t have the manpower to get the offense and keep up. But I could not be more proud of this team.”
Junior Addi Case led a balanced effort with 15 points for the Bulldogs. Three scored in double figures, including senior Kate Copp with 12 and freshman Layla Fulton with 11.
Northwestern was led by a pair of sophomores, getting 15 points by Lilly Bushey and another 13 from Peyton Roseberry.
The Warriors saw its season end after more than doubling its win total of four from last year. Northwestern did not have a senior on its roster this season.
Credit: Steven Wright
Credit: Steven Wright
Waynesville defeats Shawnee 68-36
There was much to be happy about in Waynesville’s opening win of the tournament against Shawnee.
Head coach Kelley Bricker even liked that the game wasn’t a complete blowout.
“I think it’s always good to have a little bit of pressure,” she said. “You don’t want to get too confident at the beginning and you want to make sure that you’re still working and getting better.”
The Spartans were hardly challenged in dispatching the Braves, but the game didn’t enter a running clock until the final minutes as Shawnee kept up enough to keep Waynesville playing.
A three-point barrage by Waynesville senior Katie Berrey, making six on the night as part of an 18-point game, was simply too much for the Braves to overcome. She hit three shots from beyond the arc during an impressive shooting second quarter in which she and fellow senior Maggie Stephenson took over the game.
“We also got really nice play in the paint from Amelia Bunch and Grace Cordery,” Bricker said. “Katie had a great night shooting and Maggie got downhill to the basket. And when Kloe [Frankenberg] went down early, Maddie Kolaczkowski and Bella Bradley both stepped up.”
Stephenson led the way with a season-high 23 points. Kolaczkowski also scored 12 to set her best total of the season.
Frankenberg went down in the opening minutes of the game and had to be assisted off the court without putting pressure on her left leg.
Shawnee (5-18) and its youth with primarily freshman and sophomore getting minutes didn’t look out of place against Waynesville’s senior-laden group. The Braves were led by nine points by junior Lily Wilson and freshman Hadley Mattern, respectively.
Waynesville (17-6) will play Milton-Union in a district semifinal game at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Trotwood.
“They extend their zone and their press, so we’re going to have to keep the ball moving against that 1-2-2,” Bricker said. “We’re going to have to be a lot more refined in how we rotate and be more disciplined.”
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