SUNBURY – A fatigued Big Walnut girls basketball team had enough fuel to come away with a 49-34 win over Marion Harding in non-league play Saturday night.
The Golden Eagles held the visiting Presidents to one field goal apiece in the first and third quarters – a solid defensive effort to be sure.
But they also committed 16 fouls, which led to 21 Harding free throws, which was a sign of fatigue following their 58-37 loss to OCC-Capital-leading Newark the previous night.
“We played a really good Newark team and we played really hard against them,” senior guard Avery Schone said. “Today was a little difficult because of last night. It was ugly, but we still came away with the win.”
Harding took a 2-0 lead before any time even went off the clock after a technical foul was called on BW for not having the scorebook completed in time.
But the snafu didn’t matter as the Eagles scored nine of the next 10 points and never trailed again.
Avery Schone knocked down a pair of jumpers – the latter a three-pointer – to start the second quarter to create some distance. She finished with 11 points and added four assists and three rebounds.
“I thought we came out a little flat, dead-legged, lethargic from working so hard last night,” BW coach Jason Crawford said. “But hand it to Marion Harding. They’re tough and hard-nosed and played really hard undermanned with two of their better players out.”
Payton Carter also had 11 points and four rebounds, Abby Brown had seven points and a couple of steals and Alexis Schone added six points, five rebounds and five steals for the Eagles, who had 11 steals as a team.
“In the second half, I thought Abby Brown really gave us a spark with her energy, pressuring the ball and getting deflections and a couple of steals,” Crawford said. “I thought that really lifted our spirits up a little bit.”
Nicole Flock led the Presidents with 11 points and went 9-for-11 at the foul line. She had four rebounds, three steals and two assists and Justice Steinman-Ross added nine points and five boards.
Next up, BW plays Hilliard Bradley in non-league play Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the Watterson Christmas Classic in Columbus.
NORTH UNION 50, BUCKEYE VALLEY 40
North Union held host Buckeye Valley to four points in the second quarter on its way to a non-league win Saturday night in Delaware.
Dani Grether scored a game-high 15 points for the Barons (5-3), including 11 at the foul line.
Journey Blevins scored 12 points, Madison Amstultz had 11 and Jordyn Hoffman added 10 to lead the Wildcats (6-1).
BV hosts Johnstown in non-league play Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
DELAWARE CHRISTIAN 64, NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN 9
Lyssi Snouffer had 28 points, 14 rebounds and five steals to lead the Eagles to a win on the road in MOCAL play.
Katie Neuhart scored 11 points and Elizabeth Ringley added a career-high 10 points for DCS, which held host Northside to just two free throws after the first quarter.
Taylor Ross had five points and Ashlyn Miller added four for the Lions.
DCS travels to Danville in non-league play Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.
DUBLIN COFFMAN 49, OLENTANGY LIBERTY 34
The host Patriots scored 16 points in the second quarter to pull within two, but couldn’t keep the momentum going in the second half and fell to Coffman in non-league play.
Teegan Pifher led Liberty (4-4) with 14 points and Juliana Burris scored 14 and Imarianah Russell added 10 for the Shamrocks (8-0).
Next up, Liberty takes on Doylestown Chippewa in the Believe Roundball Classic at Wadsworth Friday at 6 p.m.
Also: Westerville North 56, Olentangy Berlin 47
From Sunday: Ironton 52, Olentangy 44
BOYS BASKETBALL
Jagger Barnett scored the first 13 points for the Big Walnut boys basketball team and did it in a little less than four minutes.
But it was a three-pointer late in the third quarter that kick-started an 11-0 run that put the Eagles up for good in a 50-42 win over Marion Harding in non-league play Saturday night.
Barnett showed little ill-effects after missing a couple of games due to an illness. He returned in Friday night’s 56-44 loss at Newark and scored 11 points and followed with a game-high 21 points on the strength of four three-pointers and added six rebounds against Harding.
“I missed a week and a half because of the flu,” Barnett said. “So, I felt like I needed to have that one game click. I think coming out strong like that set the bar. It was a nice feeling.”
Barnett and Caleb Conard proved to be the two-headed monster that led the Golden Eagles (4-3). The duo combined for 35 of the team’s 38 points through the first three quarters with the other three coming off free throws.
Barnett knocked down three three-pointers and Conard added a fourth as BW built a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter and an 11-point lead early in the second.
Conard did a little bit of everything for BW. He finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocks.
The Eagles have been playing short for the last couple of weeks and were without Jackson Podraza, who is battling a leg injury.
The coaching staff hasn’t been immune to it either as head coach Brett Bartlett missed the game due to an illness.
Kegan Hienton and Jared Kreager have picked up a lot of slack this season, but the duo was held to a combined three free throws through the first three quarters.
“It’s all about answering runs,” assistant coach Steve Palmer said. “We started off 3-0 and then lost three to some really tough teams. We had to get back on track and we got back on track by good, solid man defense.”
Kreager knocked down a three-pointer to cap the deciding 11-0 run early in the fourth and Hienton scored six points in the frame to help the Eagles seal the win.
“I think our poise down the stretch really got us through,” Palmer said. “Kegan got going late in the game. It’s time for other guys to step up. Jagger’s been out for a week and a half. We’re still playing short, but we got it done.”
Hienton finished with seven points, nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals and Kreager added five points, six rebounds and three assists for BW.
Mitch Myers had 14 points and added four rebounds and a couple of steals, Caden Morris had 10 points, six boards and two steals and James Netters had three rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists to lead the Presidents (2-3).
BW returns to action Friday night against Mifflin in non-league play. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
BUCKEYE VALLEY 64, BEXLEY 43
Dylan Herbert fueled a hot start from behind the arc and the Baron defense held host Bexley to five points in the second quarter on their way to a win in MSL-Ohio play.
Herbert knocked down three of five BV three-pointers in the opening period. Dylan Thompson led the Barons (6-0, 3-0) with 17 points and Herbert finished with 14.
Damien Davis scored 16 points and Cade Phillips added 10 for the Lions (1-6, 0-4).
Next up, BV hosts Bishop Watterson in non-league play Saturday night at 4:30 p.m.
DELAWARE CHRISTIAN 43, NORTHSIDE CHRISTIAN 26
Nathan Stewart scored nine of his game-high 16 points in the third quarter to help the visiting Eagles pull away on their way to a win in MOCAL play.
Pryce Johnson had 14 points and James Vasek added 11 to lead the Eagles (4-1, 2-0).
Chris Meyer scored nine points to lead the host Lions (0-6, 0-3).
