The St. John’s Lutheran School Lady Jaguars claimed third place in the All-Ohio Lutheran State Tournament. Members of the team are from left, front row, Cami McGinley, Hannah Boehm, Sara Lynch, Adalyn Jenkins-Castle and Avery Gallmeyer; back row, Addison Womeldorff, coach Bob Boehm, Haily Crabtree, Clara Andrews, Mary Elizabeth Grimm, Ava Wirick, Laney Kieffer, Julie Zink and coach Austin Clarridge. Not pictured, Cara Leng, Alyssa Ball and Jade Kover. (Photo submitted)
The St. John’s Lady Jaguars ended their basketball season by taking third place in the All-Ohio Lutheran Girls State Tournament. The event was recently held at Lutheran West High School in Cleveland.
After suffering a heartbreaking 21-17 loss to Bethany, the Lady Jags bounced back and defeated Royal Redeemer 26-11 to claim third place in the state.
St. John’s entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed from the West Division and battled the second-seeded Bethany Trojans in the Final Four.
The Jaguars started off very strong defensively and forced several turnovers.
That led to a 10-2 advantage towards the end of the first quarter.
However, a deep three-point buzzer-beater pulled the Trojans to within 10-5 after the initial stanza.
The Lady Jaguars continued to show strong pressure in the second quarter and limited Bethany to only a field goal and a free throw.
Sara Lynch contributed with a trifecta, followed by a successful drive to the hoop.
St. John’s took a 15-8 margin at halftime and seemed to be in control of the game.
Defense continued to be the strong suit for both teams in the second half.
That resulted in a 17-10 advantage for St. John’s 17-10 after the third period.
The Lady Jaguars struggled with foul trouble for most of the second half.
That, and a defensive switch by Bethany, held St. John’s scoreless during the fourth quarter.
The Trojans continued to claw back and tied the game at 17 with less than two minutes left to play.
Late-game turnovers led to the Jags’ first deficit of the game with just over a minute remaining on the timer.
Bethany sealed its win by making a couple of foul shots.
Mary Elizabeth Grimm was a strong force on the defensive side of the ball for St. John’s. She guarded the taller center from Bethany and held her to only five points.
Lynch led the Lady Jaguars with nine points.
St. John’s took on Royal Redeemer from North Royalton in the game for third place.
It was a slow start for St. John’s due to the Rockets’ aggressive play.
Following a couple of beneficial drives and a fast break layup, St. John’s took an 8-4 lead into halftime.
The Jaguars figured things out in the second half and continued to turn up the pressure with their full-court press.
That led to a couple quick steals and easy putbacks for Hannah Boehm.
St. John’s expanded its upper hand to 16-7 after the third quarter.
The Jags continued to find the basket in the fourth quarter to win 26-11.
The Lady Jaguars were able to clear their bench, allowing some younger players to experience court time in the state tournament.
Julie Zink knocked down a shot at the end of the game as a final exclamation point for the Jaguars.
Boehm led the team with 16 points as the Jaguars finished the season with a 16-2 record.