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Rebels, Reserve advance in D-IV sectional
By Lowell Spencer
BEAVER TOWNSHIP
The Crestview High girls basketball team watched a 17-point advantage disappear, but found a way to re-group and escape with a hard-fought 58-44 win over Jackson-Milton on Thursday in the Division IV tournament at South Range High.
The win sets up a rematch of an early season contest between the Rebels (16-6) and Western Reserve, a game the Rebels won.
The Blue Devils (19-3) advanced by ousting Southern, 45-25.
The Rebels looked like they were going to win easily as they stormed out to a commanding 22-5 lead early in the second quarter.
But the Blue Jays had other thoughts as they fought back. Led by 3-point shots from Katherine Santor, who scored a team high 18-points, and Erica Hughes, the Bluejays went on a 19-2 run to tie the game up at 24-24 with 1:34 remaining before halftime.
“In between the first and second quarters we were real positive,” Crestview coach Rick Gates said. “We were like, ‘don’t let up’.
“We thought we had a pretty decent first half, we executed like we wanted to,” Gates said. “Then for the first four or five minutes of that second quarter, it was like we quit playing hard and just didn’t do the right things on offense.”
The Rebels closed the half with a 7-2 run.
“We were hitting the baskets when we were making the comeback,” Bluejays coach Pat Keney said. “Then we couldn’t get the ball to fall again.”
The Rebels regained their might in the second half with an 18-6 run. Geraldyne Sickle helped to power the Rebels cause, scoring 10 of her 12 points in the third quarter.
“I was mad because I had three fouls in the second, so I was trying to get my points,” Sickle said.
Ashley Harrison led the Rebels with 21 points while Annie Hardenbrook and Marissa Leon each pulled down eight rebounds.
Western Reserve grabbed an early lead and kept control.
Blue Devils’ coach Josh Scott felt the win was not anything to brag about. “We call it ugly; we didn’t have a great shooting night,” Scott said. “It’s just tough when you’re trying to find a rhythm and can’t get it.”
Guard Colleen Kennehan led the Blue Devils with 13 points.
“Sometimes we just lack in intensity, but we won so that’s all that matters right now,” Kennehan said.
The Indians were ice cold in shooting, making seven of 51 attempts. Three were 3-pointers.
“When Rachael Coil is our leading scorer averaging 10 points, and she only had five, that kind of hurts,” Southern coach Cory Leek said. “We couldn’t get her going.”
Kati Hipsley led the Indians with nine point. Coil and Jennah Phillips grabbed eight rebounds apiece.
The Devils surged out to a 26-9 halftime lead.
“It’s awesome, it’s the first step and now we just have to take care of Crestview,” Kennehan said.