HOLMES TOWNSHIP — Neither team broke the 30-point barrier, and each had just one double-figure scorer as two Northern 10 Athletic Conference and county rivals met here Thursday night.
Obviously, defense was the key ingredient, and, in the end, Colonel Crawford edged Wynford 29-26 in the Dr. Michael A. Johnson Gymnasium. The Eagles avenged a 36-32 loss at home on Jan. 27 to move its record to 16-5, 8-5 in the N10.
A slow start saw the contest tied 5-5 after the first quarter and the Lady Eagles taking a 12-8 halftime advantage. But Wynford, which trailed up until 5:45 remained in the game, fought and clawed its way back.
The Lady Royals (12-9, 6-7 N10) tied it at 23-23 on a Reese McGuire to Zoe Whitmeyer basket. The 5-foot 6 junior sank the ensuing free throw to give the hosts a 24-23 lead.
Alexis Stevely’s only points of the night extended it to 26-23 before Colonel Crawford’s defense took over.
“That’s what we talk about in the timeouts there. We’ve got to get stops like we’ve done all year. And we did that,” head coach Zac Bauer said.
“They are always good at keeping it in front of them and taking care of the task at hand. That’s the way you have to be in close games, and we’ve played enough of them that they’re ready for that.”
Wynford head coach Amy Taylor-Sheldon wasn’t surprised by the tempo.
“It’s the type of defense Colonel Crawford has played all year. They hold their opponents average in the 20s. They were really good defensively and we couldn’t make shots.”
Mira Holt scored 9 points in the first half and added 8 more in the fourth quarter, including 4-of-4 from the free throw line, to secure the victory.
“That’s a tribute to our players. Mira Holt, Allison Weithman, Gabby Roston passed up threes and drove to the basket and put their bodies on the line,” Bauer said.
“We discussed that in practice. If they’re not falling you’ve got to find a way to get your basket. Stepping up to the line and making free throws.”
Weithman added 5 points and Roston 4.
Bauer credits Holt’s work ethic for her success.
“As hard as Mira works on her own, it’s good to see her get her shots to fall and make some plays and carry us. She is a talented player, and she works at it. That’s what it takes. To see her game grow from the beginning of the year until now, it’s because she puts time in on her own. She’s in the gym a lot and that’s what happens when you put time in.”
Wynford committed 13 turnovers to CC’s 16 with several unforced by both teams. It was a physical game as players from both schools were fighting for loose balls on the floor and were involved in collisions.
“That’s something we’ve worked on in practice, going against physicality and having a strong, wide base,” Bauer said. “There’s nothing you can do about physicality except to keep your composure and be on balance and look to finish strong. We’ve gotten a lot better at that.”
Katie Wagner led Wynford with 11 points and Whitmeyer added 6.
“In general, they worked on some things to make us uncomfortable,” Taylor-Sheldon said. “Their defense was really good and that’s why they’ve been able to be in the top half of the league all year.”
The veteran coach said the Lady Royals didn’t play well offensively, but their defense kept them in the game.
“When you don’t shoot the ball well and turn it over, you’d better play defense to have a chance to win. We got some good minutes and got some good post play. We had our chances, but just didn’t shoot very well.
“We want to be able to turn around and play here strong on Saturday (against league champion Buckeye Central) and get ready for the sectionals.”
Colonel Crawford still has goals to attain, Bauer said.
“We want to be competitive every game we play, whether it’s for an N10 championship, which obviously is not going to happen, or in the sectional tournament. We’ve got another tough test with Upper Sandusky on Saturday,” he said.
“If I know the competitors we have in our locker room they’ll get ready tomorrow after school because one day again and another game plan. Those kids will be ready.”
Box score
Colonel Crawford 5 7 6 11 — 29
Wynford 5 3 8 10 — 26
Colonel Crawford (16-5, 8-5 N10): Shots 8-24; 3-pt. shots 3-13 (Mira Holt, Allison Weithman, Ayla McKibben); Free throws 10-17; Rebounds 24 (Gabby Roston 3, Mira Holt 3, Lynae McKibben 3); Turnovers 16. Scoring: Gabby Roston 0 4 4, Mira Holt 6 4 17, Allison Weithman 1 2 5, Ayla McKibben 1 0 3.
Wynford (12-9, 6-7 N10): Shots 10-24; 3-pt. shots 1-13 (Reese McGuire); Free throws 5-11; Rebounds 22 (Zoe Whitmeyer 5); Turnovers 13. Scoring: Zoe Whitmeyer 2 2 6, Maradath Engler 1 0 2, Reese McGuire 1 0 3, Grace Stucky 1 0 2, Alexis Stevely 1 0 2, Katie Wagner 4 3 11.