Lady Whippets cruise past Rossford to advance in state playoffs
Shelby Lady Whippets rolled past visiting Rossford 61-18 in their tournament opener Thursday night.
Shelby jumped out to a commanding first-quarter lead in the Northwest 2 sectional semifinal contest and never looked back.
No. 3 seeded Shelby outscored 15th seed Rossford 29-6 in the first quarter to pretty much put the game away after the opening quarter.
Charlie Niese scored on a layup, Serena Ramsey put back an offensive rebound, Eve Schwemley hit two free throws and Ramsey hit a jumper to make it 8-2.
After a Rossford layup, Ramsey hit another jumper, Schwemley scored on a layup and Rossford was forced to call a timeout with four minutes left in the first quarter and Shelby leading 12-4.
Shelby then blew the game open, outscoring Rossford 17-2 the rest of the first quarter. Ramsey swished a halfcourt buzzer-beater to give Shelby a 29-6 lead after the first period.
The Lady Whippets didn’t let off the accelerator in the second quarter. Shelby outscored Rossford 18-4 in the quarter, taking an insurmountable 47-10 lead into intermission.
“We played good team ball,” Shelby coach Natalie Lantz said. “Our defense was solid, and we played tough. Just all around good win.”
With the running clock to begin the third quarter, Shelby freely substituted players throughout the second half. Shelby outscored Rossford 14-8 in the final two quarters.
“A lot of girls contributed again,” Lantz added. “And we had great energy and communication.”
Shelby shot 25-45 for a sizzling 55% from the field, handed out 14 assists and had 22 steals.
Ramsey led the Lady Whippets in scoring with 12 points. Charlie Niese also hit double digits with 11 points. Niese also dished out 3 assists.
Eve Schwemley scored nine and grabbed a team-high 6 rebounds and 5 steals.
Maggie Bogner scored seven points and handed out 3 assists. Natalie Kennard and Sophia Long both scored five. Lexi Mohn and Sarah Reiser scored four apiece. Mallary Gundrum and Trinity Baker each hit a bucket.
Shelby now 18-5 on the season, hosts a tough Toledo Central Catholic team Saturday night for the section championship. The 6th-seeded Fighting Irish sports a 16-6 record after thumping Lake, 63-23, in their sectional semifinal contest.
Tip is set for 7 pm.
“We are excited to play for another sectional title Saturday. One game at a time,” summed up Lantz.