East rallies for first Div. I victory

By Tom Williams

ALLIANCE — The East High girls basketball team overcame a sluggish start and some unusual seating arrangements to earn their first Division I tournament victory.

Panthers starters Reshayla Taylor, Chelsea Bennett and Lesa Monet Oliver missed the first quarter of Wednesday’s 59-57 victory over Louisville for disciplinary reasons.

Senior Briana Dawson carried on in their absence, scoring East’s first 12 points before foul trouble had her sitting during key moments of the second half.

And Coach Taniesha Franklin, who likes to direct her defenders as she patrols the sideline, received a technical foul early in the second quarter and had to watch the rest of the game from her seat.

Despite those issues, the Panthers (14-7) rallied from a 10-point deficit late in the first half to earn a sectional final date on Saturday at 3 p.m. against North Canton Hoover (16-5).

“I’m happy — my senior season isn’t over,” said Dawson, a University of Akron recruit. “I almost did a backflip.

“We fought back, we didn’t break down,” said Dawson who finished with 14 points, five rebounds and two steals. “That’s what Coach talked about, keeping our composure.”

With 1:42 to go, Panthers senior guard Bethany Hines fouled out. Mackenzie Storlie’s free throws put the Leopards ahead, 56-53. After Alex Hines hit a jump shot, Storlie made another free throw for a 57-55 lead.

Dawson tied the game when she drove to the basket and scored.

After a Leopards’ turnover, Taylor broke the tie with 11 seconds remaining with her third basket of the fourth quarter.

“It’s a great win,” said Taylor who led the Panthers with 15 points nine rebounds and three steals. ”Coming in here, we didn’t know which way the game would go. We kept pushing hard. It’s great to continue our senior season.”

The Leopards (13-8) took advantage of the absence of Taylor, Bennett and Oliver by jumping out to a 16-8 lead. When Alyssa Jones sank the two technical free throws, the lead grew to 20-12.

The lead was 30-20 when the Panthers responded with a 3-pointer by Bethany Hines and a rebound and basket by Taylor for a five-point deficit at halftime.

Franklin said sitting was a tough assignment.

“I always consider myself the sixth man out there because I’m directing, telling them what passes are coming and what to look for, and I was unable to do that tonight,” Franklin said. “So it was extremely hard for me to sit down and watch, but I had a good seat.

“Briana played well in the first half,” Franklin said. “The ball was in her hands to keep us in the game.”

Dawson picked up her fourth foul in the final minute of the third quarter. She finished the fourth quarter with a basket and two free throws

“It was hard, I had to play careful,” Dawson said. “If you have discipline, you can play with four fouls. I just knew I couldn’t swat at everything or go for every steal.”

“They played together,” Dawson said of her teammates. “They didn’t fall apart toward the end.

Oliver scored 10 points while Bennett contributed eight points, 11 rebounds and three steals.

Franklin is happy that the Panthers get to make a return trip.

“This is a tough bracket, so it speaks volumes when you are able to compete and win at Alliance,” said Franklin, who was pleased with the Panthers’ efforts under fire.

“They stepped up and I was impressed,” Franklin said. “Throughout the season, they’ve been tested and they continue to impress me finishing games.”

For Louisville, senior guard Jessica Lairson scored 21 points while Jones contributed 10 and four rebounds.

williams@vindy.com