HOLMES TOWNSHIP — Trust and confidence were two key factors in Bucyrus’ 54-49 upset of rival Wynford in a girls Division III sectional semifinal Thursday night.
The Lady Red never trailed in the game and led by as many as 10 in the second half in getting their first post-season victory in 8 years.
“All the credit to the girls. We had a couple rocky games to end the regular season there and you weren’t quite sure what we were going to bring tonight. We worked on the 1-3-1 defense all three days,” head coach Brian Seybert said.
“To start off the game Addy Ricker and Kendra Blizzard were crucial to what we needed right away. I told the girls, ‘You’ve earned this. You’ve went through a lot.’ They deserved this type of game and victory.”
Wynford started off ice cold going 1-of-11 from the three-point line in the first half. The result was Bucyrus taking a 12-6 lead after one quarter and holding a slim 25-22 advantage at halftime.
Ricker had 7 points in the first quarter and Blizzard hit the game’s first basket, a three-pointer. Each finished with 9 points. Ricker added 3 rebounds and Blizzard 3 steals.
“We go into halftime and our leading scorer (Dennison) had 5. That’s a credit to the girls. Brook and Addison trusted their teammates. That’s a key word we’ve been working on all year is trust. Trust your teammates. Trust yourself,” Seybert said.
Brook Dennison led the way with 16 points, including a clutch 8-of-10 foul shots in the final quarter. The senior added 4 rebounds and 5 assists.
“We go as she goes. Everybody plays off her. She’s able to penetrate and drive and capable of making the right pass. Everything goes through her, and everybody knows it,” he said.
This marked the first post-season win for the girls’ basketball program since Feb. 17, 2016, when the Lady Red topped Galion 49-23 in a D-III semifinal at Lexington High School.
“You don’t even understand. We’ve been playing so much as a team. Always communicating,” Dennison said.
“Coach Seybert said both teams are going to go on runs. That’s going to happen in a game. I feel like we played through that and fought back and knew this was our game.”
To beat Colonel Crawford, Dennison said another strong effort will be required.
“Communication is key always. Staying as that team. Just really caring about the seniors and caring about each other. We’ve got to play together and play for each other,” she said.
The Lady Red (9-14) visit Colonel Crawford (17-5) on Saturday at 7 p.m. with a sectional title on the line. The Lady Eagles won 49-31 and 47-44 in the two regular season meetings.
“Trust your passing. Tonight, we executed that. Both teams I thought had some nerves to start out. Those fade away,” Seybert said.
“We knew (Caroline) Sheldon is a tough guard and (Brooke) Frombaugh is a tough guard and (Zoe) Whitmeyer, you knew she was going to start getting hot in the second half.”
Wynford (14-9) was led by the freshman Frombaugh with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Whitmeyer added 10 and Sheldon, after a slow start, ended up with 7 points, 4 rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
Senior Kenna Caldwell also added 10 points and 4 rebounds.
Lady Royals head coach Amy Taylor-Sheldon said the slow start and poor shooting hurt her team.
“Everybody had to be on the same page. We made some mistakes, but certainly not for lack of effort to execute. They were 7-of-15 from 3 and had a great night shooting. Addy Ricker starts it off and Brooklyn Dennison finishes it off with free throws down the stretch,” she said.
“They had a great offensive night and made things happen for themselves by knocking down big shots and making extra passes. We shot poorly from the perimeter, and we weren’t able to get them on defense with the press. They did a great job taking care of the ball.”
Bucyrus had 16 turnovers to Wynford’s 17.
Wynford rallied in the third quarter after falling behind 32-22. Five points from Whitmeyer and a Frombaugh basket cut it to 34-33 heading into the final 8 minutes.
“Our main focus is to take Caroline away … and if you don’t, they will open a big lead on you before you know it. I thought Marissa Middleton played a heck of a game guarding her,” Seybert said.
Addison Kemery had just 4 points but added 3 rebounds and had the task of guarding Frombaugh.
“We didn’t want to front her, but Addy was doing it a little bit on her own. They love to throw that lob into her, and they were executing it tonight. The last time we played, they weren’t as good at executing that. Addy got a couple of early fouls and we had to buy her time in the first half.
“We stayed behind her and made her (Frombaugh) work for it. She’s going to finish. She’s going to be a beast the next three years,” Seybert said.
Junior Malina Rowland also stepped up in the fourth quarter for Bucyrus, hitting a big three-pointer and scoring 5 points.
“That was huge. Malina probably has the purest shooting form on the team. She’s just been very reluctant coming out and taking a shot when we need it. She was comfortable stepping into that with her rhythm.
“She’s capable of doing that and we’re going to need her Saturday at Crawford. Hopefully, Kimmy (Burling) is ready to go. Not sure if she has a broken nose,” Seybert said.
Burling chipped in 5 points before exiting with a bloody nose after taking an inadvertent elbow at halfcourt.
“I’m just so happy for the girls. We’ll come in and practice tomorrow and get ready for the game Saturday.”
Taylor-Sheldon loses two seniors in Caldwell and Whitmeyer.
“It’s always hard to say good-bye. When you think of Zoe, she’s played every single position from point guard at jayvee then went to a 3 and a 4. She’s done everything we’ve ever asked without complaining. A great worker, a leader by example and just a very special person,” she said.
“Kenna worked a lot on her shooting this year and became one of our best defenders on the ball. That was a role change for her as well. Our kids are sad because Kenna and Zoe are some of their favorite people and they’ll be really missed.
“To lead a really young team, sometimes they didn’t have the spotlight, but they were great team players and brought their best every day to practice and with a great attitude,” Taylor-Sheldon said.
She will return Sheldon, Frombaugh, Maradath Engler, Briana Westrick, Maggie Ridge, and Rylee Robinson as the nucleus of next year’s team.
Box score
Bucyrus 12 13 9 20 — 54
Wynford 6 16 11 16 — 49
Bucyrus (9-14): Shots 17-38; 3-pt. shots 7-15 (Kendra Blizzard 3, Brook Dennison 2, Kimmy Burling, Malina Rowland); Free throws 13-16; Rebounds 23 (Marissa Middleton 4, Brook Dennison 4); Turnovers 16. Scoring: Kimmy Burling 1 2 5, Addison Ricker 4 1 9, Kendra Blizzard 3 0 9, Brook Dennison 3 8 16, Addison Kemery 1 2 4, Marissa Middleton 3 0 6, Malina Rowland 2 0 5.
Wynford (14-9): Shots 18-48; 3-pt. shots 5-26 (Zoe Whitmeyer 2, Kenna Caldwell 2, Caroline Sheldon); Free throws 8-11; Rebounds 28 (Brook Frombaugh 12); Turnovers 17. Scoring: Caroline Sheldon 3 0 7, Zoe Whitmeyer 4 0 10, Maradath Engler 1 2 4, Brook Frombaugh 7 3 16, Kenna Caldwell 2 4 10, Maggie Ridge 1 0 2.