The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Elyria Catholic rolls through first round
Elyria Catholic couldn’t have asked for a better start to its Division II playoff run.
The 13th-seeded Panthers got up early and everyone contributed in a 7820 first-round victory over (53) Clearview on Feb. 21.
They advance to a sectional final on Feb. 24, when they will host (36) Orange.
“These girls work every day at practice, so it’s good to see them out there and getting playing time,” Elyria Catholic coach Eric Rothgery said. “There were two starters out today, so one started for the first time ever. Just win and move on, that’s what tournament time is all about.”
EC (16-7) was already without Lexi Rodriguez, and Nevaeh Sawyer also wasn’t available for this game. The Panthers didn’t let that affect them as they forced 16 turnovers in the first quarter and led by 25 after the opening eight minutes. All 13 Panthers scored and played solid minutes.
Elyria Catholic continuously got hands in driving and passing lanes, resulting in easy layups on the other end. The half-court offense featured plenty of ball moment as the girls executed no matter who was in the game.
“The players that don’t usually play, it’s super exciting to go out there and see that everybody scored tonight. That’s great,” Elyria Catholic senior Isabelle Niederst said. “Our team really likes to share the ball with each other, even the JV players that we brought up for tournament time were able to get out there and score baskets. It’s really exciting to see.”
Niederst didn’t play in the second half, but it didn’t stop her from scoring a game-high 14 points. Camara Ogletree also finished with 11 points in the first half. Juliana Cerny played throughout and finished with 12. Seven players scored multiple baskets.
This was the second-tolast home game for the Panthers’ seniors. This weekend’s game against Orange will be their final game in the Coliseum. As she was able to watch her teammates continue to play well in the second half, Niederst had a lot of time to reflect. She’s trying to soak it all in during this playoff run.
“It was a really exciting game just for all of us to be able to be out here and play together in one of my last games with my team,” Niederst said. “It’s really special to have our first two tournament games here, so I’m really grateful for that.”
On the flip side, it was a tough one for Coach Nick Dimacchia and his crew. The Clippers finished with a 5-17 record, but they also finished it by playing hard to the final whistle.
Annie Green led Clearview with eight points, followed by six from Nevaeh Berrios and five from Adrianna Comley.
“This has been the story all year. We play hard, we’re just undersized and outmatched,” Dimacchia said. “I have kids that play hard, but it’s challenging when we can’t match up. Obviously (Elyria Catholic) has a history of being a great girls basketball program. When you come into the Coliseum, you know what you’re getting. I thought my kids did the best that they could.”