Botkins Girls Fall at AE

HARROD – The Allen East girls basketball team swarmed visiting Botkins 53-31 to win a non-conference contest Saturday afternoon.

Injury-plagued Botkins finishes its regular season 12-10. AE improved to 13-6 after the win.

Mustang junior wing Savana Brooks scored 22 points to pace AE.

“Brooks shot the ball well,” said Lady Trojan head coach Tyler Carson. “We missed some easy shots early, and once we got behind it became a snowball effect. Allen East did a good job with their defensive pressure.”

AE led 8-2 after the first period. Brooks scored nine points in the second stanza as the hosts built a 23-12 halftime edge. The Mustangs stretched the lead to 20 with a 16-7 third period.

“We knew they like to shoot the ball from three, so we made a priority to really make them attack and hopefully our size advantage would be able to alter some shots,” explained AE head coach Aaron Montgomery.

Jana Metz led Botkins with eight points. Camdyn Paul and Sophia Braun each netted seven, while Kennedi Doseck added six markers.

AE canned 20 baskets, hitting 15 twopointers and five treys. The Mustangs converted eight of 14 foul shots (57 percent).

The Trojan girls connected on 10 baskets, hitting nine deuces with one triple. Botkins converted 10 of 12 tries from the charity stripe (83 percent). Botkins is seeded fourth in the 14-team Div. IV Sidney sectionals, and will play 10th seed Franklin Monroe (4-17) Monday, February 13.

“I’m hoping this extended break will give us a chance to get healthy and get back Delana Pitts (ankle) and Janel Platfoot (hand),” said Carson.

If Botkins beats FM they will have a likely rematch with third seed powerhouse Mississinawa Valley (19-3) in the sectional finals Feb. 18. MV won at Botkins 40-28 earlier this season.