The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Arcs unbeaten in WRC
Brush captures title outright in its last year in the league
The Brush girls basketball team wanted an undefeated league record this season.
With a 56-44 win over host Chardon on Feb. 6, the Arcs accomplished that goal.
After trailing early to the redhot Hilltoppers, who had won five in a row heading into the game, Brush dominated the second half to pull off the double-digit win.
“It’s been along journey, starting late because of COVID, going through a pause and then coming out a little slow,” said Coach DeMarris Winters. “We’ve really improved as the season’s gone on. We worked really hard for this. Winning the league championship was one of our goals.”
The last step in the undefeated league crown didn’t come easy for Brush. The Hilltoppers held an 11-6 lead after one quarter and a 26-19 lead at the break, controlling the pace of the game with an outstanding defensive effort.
Brush’s depth and pace began to wear on Chardon in the second half, though. A 16-8 third quarter gave the Arcs the lead, and then Winters’ squad took over the fourth.
“It’s tough to stay active with us for 32 minutes because of our length and depth,” Winters said. “Chardon is a very good team and they’re well-coached. I think we just wore the down.”
Kayla White and Taylor Johnson-Matthews each had 15 points. Post players Zennia Thomas and Asia Nicholson had nine and six, respectively.
Brush (14-5, 7-0 WRC) is idle until Feb. 13, when it hosts Solon in a Division I sectional game.
Chardon (14-7, 4-3 WRC) was led by Jo Janda and Emily Noerr, each of whom had 12.
Had Chardon won, Brush and Kenston would have shared the league title with one loss each.
Brush’s victory means the Arcs keep the title for themselves, their first since 2016. It’s also their last for the foreseeable future because Brush is leaving the WRC to become an independent at the end of the school year.