Lady Redskins’ season ends with loss
MILLBURY — Playing a Catholic school during Lent can be interesting.
Notre Dame Academy did not give up many points as they defeated Wapakoneta 52-22 in a Division I girls basketball district semifinal on Thursday.
The loss brings the Lady Redskins’ 202021 season to an close, with their final record at 8-15.
Notre Dame took the initial lead, then expanded it with a run midway through the first. Then then scored 11 in the second, while completely shutting out Wapakoneta.
The second half was more balanced on each end, but the Lady Eagles remained in control.
Coach Rusty Allen of Wapakoneta pointed to the high amount of turnovers committed by his team, with many the result of ND’S ability to disrupt or intercept passes.
“We just didn’t keep our composure,” Allen
said. He noted there were bright spots at times and if they had gotten a couple of stops, it could have been a closer game at the half.
Regarding the team’s two senior members, Casey Minnig
and Taylor Jenkins, Allen said, “They’ve played hard all year. They have done a lot for this program. Each of them brings something to the team.”
The Lady Redskins will have eight juniors returning next season,
including point guard Addy Allen, who missed most of the season due to an ACL injury. Sophomore Reagan Courter and freshman Elisabeth Good also saw significant time this year.
Notre Dame was led by 6-2 junior Grace Vanslooten, who has drawn interest from several major college programs. Vanslooten scored 20 points on the night. Olivia Sims had 12 and Dekota Smith scored 10.
Good lived up to her surname, scoring eight points for the Lady Redskins. Katie Lisi had five and Jenkins scored four. Casey Minnig (two), Allie Wilson (two) and Reagan Courter (one) rounded out the team’s scoring.
The Lady Eagles took a 6-0 lead in the opening minutes, getting the first basket from Aly Ray and the next two from Smith.
The first Wapakoneta score came on a shot by Good with 4:55 to play. Notre Dame answered with threes by Sims and Vanslooten, with two foul shots by Smith in between. That pushed the lead up to 14-2.
Lisi connected on a long-distance shot. After Vanslooten drove for a bucket with two minutes left things stayed the same for a while, Good made a three pointer with about 20 seconds left, but the Lady Eagles got a lastsecond response by Sims for a 19-8 lead.
Vanslooten scored her squad’s first two baskets of the next quarter, the second being from 3-point range.
The Lady Eagles would get six more points over the remainder of the first half.
As for the Lady Redskins, they struggled to work the ball through ND’S defense. When they did, they missed some opportunities from short range. As Allen pointed out, that could have kept the game closer going into the break. When the horn did sound, the hosts led 30-8.
Wilson scored on the opening possession of the third for the Lady Skins. Good then drew a foul, and made one of two shots.
After an exchange of baskets, with Minnig hitting the shot for Wapakoneta, Notre Dame went on an 8-2 run. The Lady Redskins score was a result of a well-timed pass from Jenkins to Lisi.
Courter got into the scoring column near the end of the frame with a free throw.
Going to the fourth, the Eagles led 40-16. They then scored nine more points, including Vanslooten’s final two scores of the night, before pulling the starters with about three minutes to play.
Jenkins made a pair of her shots as her final time in the red and white uniform wound to a close. The final points of the season came from one of the Redskins’ future stars in Good.
The Eagles had gotten a free throw and finished off the win with a score by senior Alex Wolfe.
Notre Dame Academy advances to the district final, which will be played Saturday at 1 p.m. They will face the winner of the night’s second game between Start and Fremont Ross.
Score by quarters Wapakoneta 8 0 8 6 -- 22 Notre Dame Acad. 19 11 10 12 -- 52
WAPAKONETA (22)
Katie Lisi 1-1-0-0-5; Abby Metzger 0-00-0-0; Taylor Jenkins 2-0-0-0-4; Nikane Ambos 0-0-0-0-0; Allie Wilson 1-0-0-0-2; Elisabeth Good 2-1-1-2-8; Casey Minnig 1-0-0-0-2; Reagan Courter 0-0-1-2-1; Makenzie Schroeder 0-0-0-0-0; Alyssa Harrod 0-0-0-0-0; TOTALS 7-2-2-4-22.
NOTRE DAME ACADEMY (52) Tialyn King 0-0-0-0-0; Olivia Sims 3-20-0-12; Natalie Chryst 0-0-0-2-0; Vaeh Cable 0-0-0-0-0; Emma Hoyt 0-0-2-2-2; Katie Bissell 0-0-0-0-0; Julia Nester 0-0-1-2-1; Sydney Orians 0-0-1-2-1; Jailynne Hitt-swartz 0-0-0-0-0; Dekota Smith 4-0-2-2-10; Aly Ray 2-0-0-0-4; Tia Maly 0-0-0-0-0; Alex Wolfe 1-0-0-0-2; Grace Vanslooten 6-2-2-4-20; TOTALS 16-4-8-14-52.