The Miami Trace Lady Panthers and Washington Lady Blue Lions ushered in the new year when they met for the second time this season Saturday night at Miami Trace High School.
A large post-holiday crowd was treated to a very entertaining game, one in which Miami Trace was able to hold on for a 37-34 victory.
The Lady Panthers are now 12-2 overall, winners of nine in a row. Miami Trace is now 7-1 in the SCOL and sits atop the SCOL standings, one-half game ahead of Clinton-Massie.
Washington is now 6-7 overall, 3-5 in the SCOL.
Junior Samantha Ritenour was the game’s leading scorer for Miami Trace with 13 points. She also led the team with nine rebounds.
Sophomore Tanner Bryant had nine points for Miami Trace and junior Hanna Reisinger scored seven.
Freshman Hannah Haithcock and junior Savannah Wallace led Washington, each with eight points.
Senior Wendy Hawk scored seven, and seniors Alexis Gray and Jaycie McRoberts each contributed five points.
The game may well have been decided at the free throw line, a place where both teams struggled Saturday.
Miami Trace made 5 of 10 from the line for 50 percent, while Washington was 9 of 20 for 45 percent.
Both teams likewise struggled shooting the ball from the field.
Miami Trace made 15 of 50 field goal attempts for 30 percent, while Washington made 11 of 37 field goals, also for 30 percent.
Turnovers were comparable, with 14 for the Lady Panthers and 16 for the Lady Lions.
“Miami Trace did a good job of getting after us,” Washington head coach John Persinger said. “For some reason, when teams get after us, we kind of panic. It throws our timing off. No one’s willing to drive; everyone catches the ball and stands straight up; we fall backwards, throw the ball away and take bad shots.
“I can’t believe the score was that close,” Persinger said. “I felt Miami Trace out-played us. We kept a good attitude and kept fighting and fighting. We had three possessions at the end to tie it or get closer. They were good shots, they just didn’t fall.
“Our free throw shooting was so frustrating,” Persinger said. “I haven’t seen the numbers yet, but, we had to be under 50 percent.”
“We’re young at all our skill positions,” Miami Trace head coach Ben Ackley said. “The kids that we expect to make big plays. Tonight we struggled shooting the ball. I did think we had open looks.
“We ran the stuff we wanted to run,” Ackley said. “I thought Sam Ritenour was very effective early.
“Give Washington credit,” Ackley said. “We were really concerned at the half. We just couldn’t pull away. We had shots from five or six feet and they just wouldn’t go in.
“Our kids found a way to win,” Ackley said. “We’ve won three games by one point and this one by three. Usually, no matter what (percentage) we shoot from the line, we’re better late. Tonight, we weren’t. That’s something we’ve struggled with the last two or three weeks and we’ve just got to get better.”
After a bucket to get the scoring underway from Wallace, Ritenour stepped out and hit a three-point field goal and then, on the next trip down the floor, she had a rebound, stick-back bucket and was fouled, converting the old-fashioned three-point play for a 6-2 Miami Trace lead.
Miami Trace extended its lead to 9-2 with a free throw from Victoria Fliehman and a basket from Reisinger.
Gray hit for two and Haithcock showed her range with a three-point basket to make it a 9-7 game with two minutes to play in the first quarter.
Ritenour scored again and converted another free throw to give her nine points for the period and Miami Trace a 12-7 first quarter lead.
Miami Trace outscored Washington 7-3 to begin the second quarter with a 19-10 lead.
McRoberts and Wallace scored for Washington and Ritenour scored again just before the buzzer sounded to give the Lady Panthers a 21-14 halftime lead.
The game played out in very close fashion in the second half.
Washington was able to pull to within four points, while Reisinger grabbed a loose ball and scored at the buzzer to give Miami Trace a 31-22 lead.
The Lady Lions came out with a run to start the fourth quarter, with baskets by Haithcock and Wallace, a free throw from Gray and a three-pointer from Haithcock after Bryant scored to make it 33-30 with 5:25 to play in the game.
Freshman Cassidy Lovett chimed in with what turned out to be her only basket of the game and Fliehman backed that up to give Miami Trace some breathing room at 37-30 with three minutes remaining.
McRoberts made a free throw and after both teams came up empty twice on the offensive end, Hawk hit a three-pointer to make it a one possession game, 37-34, with 47 seconds to play.
Washington had fouls to give, three in fact, before Miami Trace would be in the bonus. So, the Lady Lions set about fouling the Lady Panthers until they achieved their seventh team foul with 36.9 seconds to go.
Miami Trace missed the front end of a one and one, but Washington missed a shot from the field on its end.
Washington fouled again and again Miami Trace left the door open with a miss on the front end.
Washington went down court, and missed another field goal attempt.
The scenario repeated itself one final time as Washington fouled to stop the clock with 5.3 seconds to play and Miami Trace again went to the line and again missed the first of the one and bonus.
Washington got a three-point shot off at the buzzer that was no good, leaving Miami Trace with a 37-34 victory.
Miami Trace is back at home Wednesday to take on East Clinton at 5:30 p.m.
Washington goes on the road to Wilmington Wednesday, also with the j-v tip at 5:30 p.m.
Miami Trace will play at Clinton-Massie Saturday with the j-v going at noon.
Washington will host Chillicothe Saturday with the j-v game beginning at 5:30 p.m.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
MT 12 9 10 6 — 37
W 7 7 8 12 — 34
MIAMI TRACE — Kyla Johnston 0-0-0; Cassidy Lovett 1-0-2; Hanna Reisinger 2 (1)-0-7; Harmonee Napier 0-0-0; Victoria Fliehman 2-2-6; Tanner Bryant 4-1-9; Alexis Schwartz 0-0-0; Samantha Ritenour 4 (1)-2-13. TOTALS — 13 (2)-5-37. Free throw shooting: 5 of 10 for 50 percent. Combined field goal shooting: 15 of 50 for 30 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 2 of 14 for 14 percent. Three-point field goals: Reisinger, Ritneour. Turnovers: 14. Rebounds: 34 (11 offensive). Assists: 6. Steals: 6.
WASHINGTON — Alexis Gray 1-3-5; Jaycie McRoberts 1-2-5; Savannah Wallace 3-2-8; Kassidy Hines 0-0-0; Tabby Woods 0-0-0; Maddy Jenkins 0-0-0; Hannah Haithcock 1 (2)-0-8; Wendy Hawk 1 (1)-2-7; Taylor Smith 1-0-2. TOTALS — 8 (3)-9-34. Free throw shooting: 9 of 20 for 45 percent. Combined field goal shooting: 11 of 37 for 30 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 3 of 9 for 33 percent. Three-point field goals: Haithcock, 2; Hawk. Turnovers: 16. Offensive rebounds: 12.
Lady Lions beat Lady Panthers in j-v game
In the j-v game Saturday night, Washington defeated Miami Trace, 31-23.
Washington improved to 10-2 overall, 6-2 in the SCOL with the win.
Washington was led by a trio players, Tabby Woods, Ally Funari and Delaney Greer, each with six points.
Tori Evans led Miami Trace (now 10-4 overall, 6-2 in the SCOL) with eight points.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
MT 4 4 3 12 — 23
W 8 3 6 14 — 31
MIAMI TRACE — Kaylee Hauck 0-0-0; Becca Ratliff 1-2-4; Olivia Wolffe 1-1-3; Morgan Miller 1-1-3; Krissy Ison 0-1-1; Tori Evans 0 (2)-2-8; Rachael Campbell 1-0-2; Jessica Camp 1-0-2; Lena Steele 0-0-0. TOTALS — 5 (2)-7-23. Free throw shooting: 7 of 13 for 54 percent. Three-point field goals: Evans, 2. Combined field goal shooting: 7 of 25 for 28 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 2 of 8 for 25 percent. Turnovers: 24.
WASHINGTON — Raven Haithcock 0-0-0; Maddy Garrisopn 0-0-0; Breanna Taylor 0-2-2; Savanna Davis 1-1-3; Victoria Jones 0-2-2; Tabby Woods 0-6-6; Tahja Pettiford 1-0-2; Maddy Jenkins 1-2-4; Ally Funari 2-2-6; Delaney Greer 1-4-6. TOTALS — 6-19-31. Free throw shooting: 19 of 34 for 56 percent. Three-point field goals: none. Combined field goal shooting: 6 of 26 for 23 percent. Three-point field goal shooting: 0 of 12. Turnovers: 17.
