Alyssa Strahm (43) goes up for a layup as a Thomas Worthington defender attempts to block her shot. Straham tallied 14 points to help the Lady Monarchs win, 57-47, and advance to the Division I Central 2 District title game. (Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
Marysville’s girls basketball team (the No. 16 seed) had its ups and downs against No. 28 Thomas Worthington during a Division I district semifinal game on Wednesday.
Solid shooting by the Lady Monarchs gave them boost they needed to win 57-47 and move on the Division I Central 2 District title game.
It is the first time in recent memory that an MHS girls hoop squad has advanced to the district finals.
The marksmanship came from a run of six consecutive three-pointers.
Tinley Graves got Marysville on the board with a pair of treys from the wing.
Alyssa Strahm followed up with a pair of three-pointers from the same spot, lifting MHS to a 12-9 lead.
The Lady Monarchs struggled to find a lane to the rim, forcing them to take shoot from the perimeter.
Ava Wilkerson obliged with a three from the top of the arc that sent Marysville into the second quarter with a 15-10 lead.
Marysville’s hot hand continued into the second quarter.
Cam Lee swished a three pointer for an 18-10 advantage.
Worthington answered with a solid inside game from Jocelyn Ramos-Chears. She hit early layups before MHS began to double-team her.
The strategy led to Monarch fouls that put the Lady Cardinals at the free throw line.
That’s where Worthington tallied the bulk of its points.
Marysville, however, continued to zizzle from the outside.
MHS went 10-12 from beyond the arc, leading to a 36-21 halftime lead.
Marysville coach Klarke Ransome said his team shot with confidence during the first half.
“Luckily we made quite a few shots,” he said. “They shot with confidence, which I was proud of. We have girls whocan knock down shots.”
The second half was a different story.
Learning from its lesson in the first half, Thomas Worthington switched to man defensive coverage, pressuring the ball once it got across half court.
This opened the lane and low post for Kass Lee.
She caught multiple passes in the low post and converted one while drawing a pair of fouls.
The Lady Monarchs, though, struggled to find the bottom of the basket due to Worthington’s tight pressure.
Ransome said his team will have to do better dealing with pressure going forward.
“I think our girls want to do the right thing, but we are still learning how to understand time and score situations,” he said. “They have to understand when to attack, when to break the press and when to run our stuff.
“I felt we didn’t make great decisions,” he said. “Hopefully we learn and grow from it and get a little better.”
The Lady Monarchs held on to a 44-32 lead going into the final stanza.
Worthington opened up with a press against which the Monarchs struggled.
MHS turnovers allowed the Lady Cardinals to pull within Marysville at 49-43 after Reld Dunbar’s trifecta.
Marysville answered with Wilkerson’s trey that pushed MHS out to 52-43 with two minutes left in the game.
Ransome said his team was able to find a way to sink baskets when they needed them the most.
“They scratched and clawed their way back into it,” he said. “When we needed a basket we got one.
“ I’m definitely proud of the way we handled that.”
With time running short, the Lady Cardinals started to foul Marysville.
Graves and Kass Lee combined for five free throws in six tries to hold Worthington at bay.
Marysville will face No. 2 seeded Dublin Coffman in a district title game.
Ransome said his team is ready to go.
“Anything can happen,” he said. “When we play well, when we play our game, I’m taking those girls against anybody.
“We are a good basketball team and we are not here by mistake.”
The contest is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. at Dublin Coffman High School.
Marysville
Graves 3-5-14, Strahm 5-0-14, Wilkerson 5-0-13, C. Lee 2-0-6, K. Lee 2-2-6, Krutowski 2-0-4. Totals: 19-7-57.
Three-point goals: Strahm 4, Graves 3, Wilkerson 3, C. Lee 2.
Thomas Worthington
Ramor-Chears 5-6-16, Tinnerello 3-2-9, Sellers 3-1-7, Dunbar 2-0-5, Gamer 2-0-4, Geeber 1-2-4, Laakio 1-0-2. Totals: 17-11-47.
Three-point goals: Tinnerello 1, Dunbar 1