 |
|
|
|
|
| 2/28/2010 10:40:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article | Ada girls swarmed by Waynesfield in sectional final
By Cort Reynolds
Ada Herald writer
LIMA BATH - It never really was a contest in the girls Div. IV sectional basketball final between Ada and Waynesfield-Goshen Saturday night at Bath.
The athletic Tigers overwhelmed the Lady Bulldogs with intense defensive pressure and physical play, and never trailed in posting a 51-29 blowout victory.
Waynesfield improved to 17-5 with the win and advance to the district semifinals Thursday, March 4 at Lima Senior vs. Marion Local. Ada finished its season 8-13.
"The intensity level was so one-sided," noted Ada coach Neal Dumbaugh. "They just came out and ate our lunch. I feel bad for our seniors."
W-G immediately attacked Ada at both ends of the floor as the referees put the whistles away. Diminutive junior guard Shelby Gilroy nailed a right corner trey just seconds into the game and the Tigers jumped right into an aggressive fullcourt press that disrupted the Bulldog offense completely.
Ada had implemented a new spread offense in an attempt to pull 6-2 post Brooke Shaw out from the hoop, yet the Bulldogs could not generate any offense against the quicker, more physical Tiger man defense. Four weeks ago Ada lost a double overtime classic at Waynesfield so they had hopes for an upset, but they were completely outplayed in the tournament.
After a scoreless stretch, W-G sophomore Kaylee Patton stole the ball and scored a layup for a 5-0 lead 3:06 into the fray. Patton then tallied a layup off a nice pass from Shaw, and Ivy Horn converted a steal and layin to make it 9-0 with 2:30 left in the first period.
Senior guard Nikki Grzybowski got Ada on the board with two foul shots at the 1:48 mark. But two more Patton drives and a one-footed lane runner by Gilroy lengthened the margin to 15-2 after one quarter.
Senior Sam Fell finally scored the first Ada basket on a baseline pull-up shot 37 seconds into the second stanza. She then added another left baseline jumper moments later to pull the Bulldogs within 17-6. Yet Shaw scored on a stickback and Gilroy converted an old-fashioned three-point play.
Two foul shots and a 16-footer by Patton increased the lead to 28-7 with 2:10 left in the half. Ada freshman Taylor Willeke posted up and netted a left-handed layup off a Malary Dumbaugh lob, but W-G scored the next four points to go to intermission with a commanding 31-9 cushion.
Patton scored 14 points in the first half while the Bulldogs mustered just three field goals against the rugged Tiger defense.
"They're athletic," Dumbaugh admitted. "Patton made us look slow."
Malary Dumbaugh got going in the third period, scoring on a three-point baseline drive, but the speedy Horn sliced the defense for two driving bankers. Dumbaugh scored inside yet Shaw answered with a putback.
Gray converted a turnover into a drive off glass and Waynesfield led 43-15 after three quarters. Dumbaugh scored all six Ada points in the penultimate period as the Tigers kept up their intense pressure defense.
Dumbaugh then swished a 17-footer and bounced in a right wing triple to make it 43-20. However, the speedy 5-3 Gilroy nailed a trey to build the lead back to 28. Yet Ada didn't concede and ended the game on a 9-3 spurt to win the fourth period, 14-8.
Sam Fell made a fast break layup and freshman Chelsea Cheney scored a layup off an in-bounds pass. Promising sophomore Kenzie Fell knocked down a right baseline 12-footer and drained a left corner triple just before the buzzer to provide the final margin.
Point guard Patton led all scorers with 16 points and played a fine floor game. Gilroy added 11 markers and was a pest on defense. Gray added eight markers and solid defense.
"I thought we did a nice job on Horn," Dumbaugh offered, searching for positives. "We talked all week about how they are feast or famine on defense, and about ripping the ball through against their pressure. We were able to do it some early but just couldn't finish when we did."
Speedy southpaw Horn scored 16 points in the first meeting and was limited to eight this time. Shaw only scored six points but was a force inside on defense and the boards, and passed well. The burly senior post helped set the tone with physical help defense, as did the quick quartet of Gilroy, Patton, Gray and Horn behind their aggressive pressure.
The Tigers have gone undefeated since the return of Shaw from a broken foot suffered at the end of volleyball season. W-G also eliminated Ada in the sectional finals in volleyball this past fall.
Dumbaugh topped Ada with a dozen points while Sam Fell added six.
It was the final game for Bulldog seniors Dumbaugh, Fell and Grzybowski. "I don't want the seniors to dwell on this game," coach Dumbaugh added. "They have got some good memories, but this isn't one of them."
After starting out 7-6 highlighted by two spectacular comeback wins, Ada finished the season on a five-game losing skid and dropped seven of its last eight.
Waynesfield 51 (17-5)
Patton 6 4-6 16, Horn 3 2-4 8, Shaw 3 0-0 6, Gilroy 4 1-1 11, Gray 4 0-0 8, Watts 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21/7-11/51. 3-pointers: Gilroy 2.
Ada 29 (8-13)
S. Fell 3 0-0 6, Jolliff 0, Willeke 1 0-2 2, Grzybowski 0 2-2 2, Dumbaugh 4 3-5 12, Simmons 0, Rouch 0 0-1 0, K. Fell 2 0-0 5, Cheney 1 0-0 2. Totals: 11/5-10/29. 3-pointers: Dumbaugh 1, K. Fell 1.
1 2 3 4 F
W-G 15 16 12 8 51
Ada 2 7 6 14 29
|
|
|
|
|
|
