It’s all good: Lots of hardwood success for area hoops teams
The West Holmes Knights have shown great unity all season and have seen plenty of success including wins over Mansfield Senior and Mt. Vernon recently.
While West Holmes improved to 8-8 overall with a 58-50 victory over Mansfield Senior on Feb. 1 in The Dungeon at West Holmes high School, its 5-4 mark in Ohio Cardinal Conference play keeps the Knights in the hunt for a title in the wide-open chase for the crown.
In securing the win courtesy of a huge start, this Knights team did something no Knights team has done before, beating both the Tygers and Wooster twice in the same season.
WHHS got out to an early 14-2 lead, led by Blake Morrison, and never really gave up the cushion it built. An 18-6 first-quarter lead stayed steady at 30-18 at the break. By the end of the third quarter, the Knights carried a 13-point spread at 48-25 into the final period and cruised home to victory.
Morrison paced West Holmes with 15 points, Channer Wells added 11, Zevin Proper popped in nine and Brock Zimmerly added eight in the win.
Earlier West Holmes earned a 62-48 win over Mt. Vernon by systematically pulling away from the Yellow Jackets. Wells led the way in scoring for the Knights with 20 points while Zander Shultz added 14 and Morrison pitched in with nine.
Hawks return to victory lane with win over Cards
After suffering its first defeat of the season, the Hiland boys basketball team took to the road to get back on track and did so in a big way, cleaning up Sandy Valley in a 63-32 win on Feb. 2.
Hiland edged out to a 14-8 lead through one quarter, led by Chris Shetler’s five points. The Cardinals hit three treys in the second quarter to keep it close at 31-21 at intermission, but Mark Schlabach’s crew took its defense to a whole new level and buried Sandy Valley in the third period. Hiland outscored the Cardinals 16-2 in the quarter, with Caden Miller scoring seven points in the frame.
Hiland finished off a strong scoring night with a solid final quarter, where Phin Killy and Carson Habeger each scored four points. Miller and Dylan Weaver ended the evening with 14 points apiece, Shetler scored 12, Tony Yoder added seven, and Killy notched six in the victory. Sandy Valley got a team-high 11 points from Kaiden Mastri.
Lady Knights near an OCC title with two wins
West Holmes crept to within one game of sole possession of the Ohio Cardinal Conference crown with a strong 56-24 thrashing of Mansfield Madison on Jan. 29.
After a tight first quarter that saw the Lady Knights lead 12-8, WHHS broke the game wide open with a 20-point second quarter that pushed its lead to 32-14. A 15-5 edge in the third quarter put even more distance between themselves and the Rams, and the Lady Knights rolled.
Melanie Fair scored a season-high 19 points to pace WHHS while Ella McMillen scored 15 points, grabbed five rebounds and added four steals. Zaylie Shultz added six points; Allie McMillen notched four points, three assists and three steals; Keegan Uhl scored four points and added three steals; Nealie Fair scored four points; Kinsey Patterson added two points and three steals; and Claire Reynolds chipped in with two points.
WHHS defeated Ashland 42-28 in a strong defensive effort. Ella McMillen led the way with 12 points, Reynolds added 11 points and five rebounds, Shultz and Alli McMillen both added seven.
Lady Pirates down Indian Valley 40-30
Jan. 29 saw the Garaway Lady Pirates ramp up the energy in the second quarter to take charge in a tied game, one Garaway eventually won 40-30 over the Indian Valley Braves.
In the first, third and fourth periods, the game was a back-and-forth affair, with just one point separating the two teams. However, Garaway outscored Indian Valley 11-2 in the difference-making second quarter.
It was a balanced attack for the Lady P’s, who were led by 12 points from Kenadi Yoder while Marlie Metzger and Meghan Schwartz each added 10. Rylee Putt added a great all-around game, scoring six points to go with nine assists, four rebounds and four steals. Yoder also had a day on the defensive end, where she collected 11 rebounds and added four steals to her stellar effort.
Garaway girls topple Claymont 44-30
Garaway raced to a 19-point first quarter and never looked back in downing Claymont 44-30. Putt scored 15 points and added five assists in the win, Metzger tacked on 13 points, Makayla Sitzlar scored seven points and grabbed six rebounds, Yoder had four points and five boards, and Schwartz recorded five points, seven assists and three steals.
Lady Hawks trounce Claymont, IV
Hiland improved to 12-5 overall and 8-1 in the IVC South division to remain in a tie for the league title with a 50-30 win over Claymont on Jan. 29.
Jenna Troyer set the tone with a pair of first-quarter 3-pointers as Aila Miller added six points in the opening frame and added two triples in the second quarter to keep the scoring rolling for Hiland.
Miller led Hiland with 14 points, Mallory Stutzman added 11, and Ashley Mullet and Troyer scored nine.
Two days earlier Hiland dealt Indian Valley a 51-16 defeat. Mullet connected on five 3-pointers in the contest to rack up 17 points while Joplin Yoder set a career high with 15 points, hitting on two 3-pointers while dropping all seven of her free throw attempts. Stutzman added 13 points in the win.