Lady Flyers top Minster for district title
WAPAKONETA — The Flyers took a little bit to get warmed up, then broke through in the end.
Marion Local battled Minster on Saturday night for a district title in Division IV girls basketball, with the Lady Flyers winning 43-33 to advance.
Marion Local improves to 22-4, while the Lady Wildcats close out the season with a record of 14-11.
Both teams started out with some jitters, as there were plenty of unforced turnovers, and they combined for just 11 points.
Minster had a run in the second quarter, with Marion Local surging back in the stretch before halftime to take a three-point edge.
In the second half, the Flyers remained in front and kept Minster from making any big charges.
Marion Local had three players in double figures, with 12 from Avae Unrast, 11 by Hanna Rose and 10 from Chloe Ronnebaum.
Coach Beth Streib said, “We challenged our seniors at halftime.” She noted that they responded to the challenge to help extend the Flyers’ postseason run.
Minster coach Mike Wiss noted “what an environment” for the district final featuring two schools from the Midwest Athletic Conference.
“Both communities should be proud of all the kids,” Wiss said. “Those kids laid it all on the line.”
He added that Saturday was the 101st day of the season for the Wildcats, and that getting to 100 days means good things.
Kaycie Albers had 13 points to lead Minster’s offense, and Lilly Barhorst scored eight.
Unrast hit a shot with just under a minute gone by to begin the scoring.
However, it would stay 2-0 for several minutes, with a combination of missed shots and turnovers.
Albers hit a 3-pointer with 3:45 to go for the first Wildcats’ score. Unrast drew a foul and made one of two to tie it shortly thereafter.
After a couple more minutes of stalemate, Lydia Mescher made a short jumper for Minster. Ronnebaum put the Flyers back ahead 6-5 with a long-distance shot in the final 10 seconds.
Minster had the edge in the early part of the second stanza, getting a free throw by Addi Inskeep, and two scores by Albers to take an 11-6 lead. That led to a Flyers timeout with five minutes left.
Albers set up a score by Barhorst with 3:25 to go.
From there, it was all Blue and Gold. Unrast had aa three-point play, then a rebound and score. Two free throws by Ronnebaum tied it. Rose, one of the Flyers’ five seniors, splashed a 3-pointer with about four seconds to go, giving Marion Local momentum to take into the locker room at the break.
Rose hit another trey to open the third quarter before Minster got baskets by Morgan Sparks and Inskeep.
Marion Local then went on a 7-0 burst, ending with a three by Ronnebaum to make it 26-17.
Barhorst hit a couple of shots for the Wildcats, but Marion Local got answers from Rose and Jenna Knapke to take a 30-21 advantage going to the fourth.
Marion Local then had another surge, outscoring Minster 10-4, getting five baskets from four different players.
Minster connected on threes by Albers and Lyndi Hemmelgarn, plus a score by Barhorst to get back within seven.
Marion Local then ran off the remaining time, and made three free throws to account for the 10-point margin of victory.
Game Notes
Great enthusiasm from both student sections.
Finishing their careers for Minster were seniors Katie McClurg, Chloe Thien, Kaycie Albers, Morgan Sparks, Lyndi Hemmelgarn, and Kennedy Korte.
Marion Local (22-4) faces Tri-Village (26-0) in the Region 16 semifinals on Thursday at Butler. They will play at 6 p.m., followed by Fort Loramie (24-2) and Russia (22-4) at 8 p.m.
Score by quarters Minster 5 8 8 12 -33
Marion Local 6 10
14 13 -- 43
MINSTER (33) Katie McClurg 0-0-0-00; Brooke Clune 0-0-0-0-0; Kaycie Albers 2-3-0-1-0-13; Lydia Mescher 1-0-0-0-2; Morgan Sparks 1-0-0-0-2; Lilly Barhorst 4-0-0-1-8; Sadie Niemeyer 0-0-0-0-0; Lyndi Hemmelgarn 1-1-00-5; Kayla Lamm 0-0-0-00; Addi Inskeep 1-0-1-2-3; TOTALS 10-4-1-4-33.
MARION LOCAL (43) Jenna Knapke 1-0-0-02; Avae Unrast 4-0-4-5-12; Stella Huelsman 1-0-2-2-4; Nora Eckstein 0-0-0-0-0; Chloe Ronnebaum 1-2-2-310; Lindsey Koenig 2-0-00-4; Allison Dirksen 0-0-00-0; Hanna Rose 2-2-1-2-11; TOTALS 11-4-9-12-43.