On a bitterly cold Saturday afternoon, the Miami Trace Lady Panthers visited Washington High School to take on the Lady Blue Lions.
Trailing at one point by as many as 15 points, Washington battled back to pull to within three points with just over six minutes remaining in the game.
The Lady Lions could not catch the Lady Panthers as Miami Trace went on to post a 39-32 victory.
Miami Trace improves to 11-0 on the season, 7-0 in the SCOL.
Washington falls to 3-6 overall, 2-4 in the SCOL.
Miami Trace was led in scoring by junior Victoria Fliehman with 12 points. She also led her team in rebounds with seven.
Junior Tanner Bryant scored nine and freshman Shaylee McDonald scored eight points.
Washington Sophomore Hannah Haithcock was the game’s leading scorer with 13 points. She turned in a double-double with a game-high 14 rebounds.
Shooting was a concern for both teams Saturday, as Miami Trace made 14 of 46 field goal attempts for 30 percent. Miami Trace was 0 of 10 from three-point range.
Washington converted 14 of 39 field goal attempts for 36 percent. From behind the arc, the Lady Lions were 2 of 13 for 15 percent.
Free throws and turnovers were key in this close game.
Miami Trace was 11 of 18 from the line for 61 percent, while Washington went 2 of 6 at the foul line for 33 percent.
In the turnover department, Washington had 27 to 15 for Miami Trace.
Miami Trace led 10-2 at the end of the first quarter.
At the half, the Lady Panthers were up, 22-10.
The Lady Lions made inroads in the second half, outscoring Miami Trace 12-8 in the third quarter to trail, 30-22.
Washington had a 5-0 run to start the fourth, with three points from Haithcock and a bucket by Wallace.
Miami Trace responded with five points from Fliehman, Lovett and Bryant to push the lead back up to eight points.
Kassidy Hines scored and Taylor hit a three-point basket, cutting Miami Trace’s lead to three (35-32) with 3:05 to play in the game.
Miami Trace milked the clock down to under 1:20 to play before Bryant scored. Shaylee McDonald hit two free throws to make the final score 39-32.
“Our kids work extremely hard 12 months a year,” Miami Trace head coach Ben Ackley said. “We were extremely disappointed today with a lot of things, from execution to overall effort. Our transition defense was awful and, you know what, 99 percent of that lies on me.
“I didn’t have them ready to play,” Ackley said. “Our shoot-around today was too lax. We’re going to get back to what we do best Monday at practice.
“I was very proud of the way we responded when they cut the lead to three,” Ackley said. “We didn’t show any panic. Credit coach (Samantha) Leach and her staff and the Washington Court House kids. They never gave up. It would have been easy to give up. I thought we really dominated midway through the first quarter and into the second quarter.
“We had a commanding lead,” Ackley said. “It’s been the root of our issues all year long; we’ll get (the lead) up to over 14 and we’ll really struggle five or six possessions to execute and do the right things. The kids just weren’t engaged and again, that comes down to (me).
“I don’t think we were focused at the right times,” Ackley said. “I have to do a better job of keeping them reigned in to what we’re doing.”
“The first half killed us today,” Washington head coach Samantha Leach said. “That’s why you play four quarters. We had 19 turnovers in the first half.
“My girls came out fired up in the second half,” Leach said. “We had a different mind-set. It was a battle and that’s why I love this rivalry. There is a reason they are undefeated. They execute very well on offense and defense and they played a great game.
“We struggled boxing out in the first half,” Leach said. “Even in the second half, we missed some key box-outs. Hannah does a great job on the boards. She had a double-double for us today. We’ll continue to work on our rebounding.
“Bre’s been playing well for us off the bench,” Leach said. “She’s been coming in looking to score.
“Savannah Wallace has been playing tough for us,” Leach said. “I don’t believe she came off the floor in the second half. She was battling and making things happen. I was proud of her effort this afternoon.
“I told my girls today, just go out there and play with no fear,” Leach said. “We had nothing to lose, they have everything on the line. I saw signs of that in the second half.”
After a game Monday at Madison Plains, Washington returns to SCOL play at Chillicothe Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Miami Trace hosts Clinton-Massie Wednesday and Wilmington Saturday, the action starting at 5:30 p.m. with the j-v game.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
MT 10 12 8 9 — 39
W 2 8 12 10 — 32
MIAMI TRACE — Cassidy Lovett 2-2-6; Hanna Reisinger 1-0-2; Shaylee McDonald 2-4-8; Morgan Miller 0-0-0; Victoria Fliehman 5-2-12; Tanner Bryant 3-3-9; Samantha Ritenour 1-0-2. TOTALS — 14-11-39. Free throw shooting: 11 of 18 for 61 percent. Three-point field goals: none. Combined field goal shooting: 14 of 46 for 30 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 0 of 10. Turnovers: 15. Rebounds: 29 (10 offensive). Assists: 6. Steals: 17.
WASHINGTON — Rayana Burns 1-0-2; Maddy Garrison 0-0-0; Bre Taylor 1 (2)-0-8; Kassidy Hines 2-0-4; Savannah Wallace 1-1-3; Tabby Woods 1-0-2; Shawna Conger 0-0-0; Hannah Haithcock 6-1-13. TOTALS — 12 (2)-2-32. Free throw shooting: 2 of 6 for 33 percent. Three-point field goals: Taylor, 2. Combined field goal shooting: 14 of 39 for 36 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 2 of 13 for 15 percent. Turnovers: 27. Offensive rebounds: 6.
Miami Trace wins j-v game against Washington
In the j-v game Saturday, Miami Trace defeated Washington, 29-23.
Miami Trace’s j-v team is now 9-2 overall, 7-0 in the SCOL.
Washington is 4-5 overall, 2-3 in the league.
Miami Trace’s Becca Ratliff poured in 16 points to lead all scorers. She hit one three pointer and was 5 of 5 from the foul line.
Also for Miami Trace, Tori Evans scored seven, Olivia Wolffe and three points and Aubrey McCoy had three points.
For Washington, Raven Haithcock was the game’s leading scorer with nine points.
Halli Wall and Shawna Conger both scored five and Kassidy Hines and Bre Taylor both added two points.
