Addy Tweed (10) hits a basket for the Lady Monarchs during a game against Hilliard Darby. Tweed came off the bench and tallied five points during MHS’ 54-26 triumph.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Marysville girls basketball coach Klarke Ransome said his team’s 54-26 victory over Hilliard Darby was pretty enjoyable for a few reasons.
Of course, it was the team’s 15th win in 18 outings, but there was another reason the coach liked what he saw.
The blowout victory allowed him to use everyone in uniform.
“That was a good thing,” he said. “We were able to see girls on the floor with different lineups and that was a lot of fun.”
The first six or seven players in the MHS lineup pretty much sat and watched for a good portion of the second half.
That, however, didn’t mean those athletes weren’t in the game.
“I saw the starters – after they left the game – buy into what the other girls were doing on the court,” said Ransome. “They were cheering on their teammates.”
A few MHS subs were able to get into the score book before the contest ended.
The Panthers took an early lead after a basket by Tayen Brown.
JoJo Eberhart converted a pair of steals into a layup and two free throws that gave MHS a 4-2 lead.
Alyssa Strahm hit a three-pointer to push the Lady Monarchs (who will play at Dublin Jerome on Friday) out to a 7-2 advantage.
Marysville was never seriously challenged the rest of the way.
MHS made life miserable for Darby on its offensive end of the floor.
The swarming, in-your-face defense that has become a Lady Monarch trademark, limited the visitors to just four points during the opening eight minutes of action.
Other Marysville standards – excellent ball movement and unselfish play – were also highlighted.
An example was Ava Wilkerson’s assist on a basket by Ava Krutowskis that pushed MHS up 9-2 as the opening period reached its midway point.
Krutowskis added another basket, while Cam Lee hit a pull-up jumper along the baseline for a 13-4 spread.
Darby finished an empty possession as the timer neared its conclusion.
Gab Lee swished a trifecta right before the horn, sending Marysville into the second period with a 16-4 margin.
Eberhart and Abri Schmutz tallied baskets that upped MHS’ lead to 20-4 during the early minutes of the ensuing quarter.
The Lady Monarchs then tickled the twine on three-balls from Strahm, Krutowskis and Leah Brown that elevated the advantage to 29-5.
Wilkerson scored on an assist by Gab Lee.
Krutowskis converted a steal into a layup to send the Lady Monarchs into the turn with a 37-11 margin.
Marysville kept up its dominance once the third quarter got under way.
Wilkerson tripled home a bucket and then scored in transition.
Another basket from Krutowskis gave MHS a 44-13 lead within the first three minutes of the third stanza.
Ransome began working substitute players into the lineup more often at this point.
A free throw by Abby Williams gave the local team a 45-19 lead with 2:33 left in the quarter.
Brown worked the ball to Cam Lee for a basket that helped send Marysville into the final period with a 47-20 advantage.
Addy Tweed came off the Marysville bench and hit a basket with a little more than five minutes to play in the game.
That pushed MHS out to a 49-23 margin.
The Lady Monarchs had some decent looks at the basket over the next several minutes, but couldn’t get the ball to drop.
Grace Groves did hit a pair of free throws for a 51-25 margin with a little more than three minutes to play.
Both teams came up with empty possessions as the clock continued to wind.
Tweed stole the ball, raced in for a layup and drew a foul.
Her free throw with 48.8 ticks on the timer gave MHS its final margin of victory.
“Addy got off to a good start this season, but is just now coming back from a knee issue,” Ransome said of the sophomore. “She is very athletic and has a bright future with us.”
Marysville
Krutowskis 5-0-11, Wilkerson 3-0-7, Brown 3-0-7, Eberhart 2-2-6, Strahm 2-0-6, Tweed 2-1-5, C. Lee 2-0-4, G. Lee 1-0-3, Schmutz 1-0-2, Groves 0-2-2, Williams 0-1-1, Hansen 0-0-0. Totals 21-6-54.
Three-point goals: Strahm 2, Krutowskis 1, Wilkerson 1, Brown 1. G. Lee 1.
Hilliard Darby
Powers 1-6-8, Cox 1-4-7, Brown 2-2-6, Finley 1-1-3, Goff 1-0-2, Bruns 0-0-0, Baird 0-0-0, Goudy 0-0-0. Totals 6-13-26.
Three-point goal: Cox 1.