PHOTO BY JUSTPHOTOS.BIZ
Senior Karissa Steffas scored 15 points to lead the Highland Hornets in a losing effort against Green on Saturday night. The Bulldogs beat the Hornets 61-50.
GRANGER TWP., Ohio – Green senior guard Lydia Corle held class for the younger players on her team in the fourth quarter of the Bulldogs’ 61-50 win over the Highland Hornets on Saturday night.
Corle led the Bulldogs with 26 points. But, it was four points that Corle scored midway through the fourth quarter that showed off her senior leadership, crucial to a young team.
Highland grabbed a 43-42 lead with 6:14 remaining in the game on a layup by senior forward Karissa Steffas. It was Highland’s first lead since midway through the first quarter.
Green coach Tracy Miller called a full timeout to calm his team down. Then he looked towards Corle for leadership down the stretch.
“I reminded her to use her teammates, but I told her that she’s still our go-to girl,” Miller said.
Corle got the lead back for Green, at 44-43, by sinking two free throws after she was fouled on a put-back attempt. The next time down the floor Corle drove to the basket, kissed the ball off the glass and in to give Green a 46-43 lead with 4:09 to go in the game. It was a lead Green would not give up.
“Our younger kids feed off Lydia,” Miller said. “She’s the first player in the gym and the last one to leave. She’s always working on her jump shot.”
“It pumps me up knowing that the other players are looking at me,” Corle said. “If they’re excited, it makes me play better and makes them play better. I knew it was our game to take. And all of the team was on board with that.”
Another sign of Corle’s leadership was free-throw shooting in the fourth quarter. Her overall numbers from the line were not impressive, 6-for-13. But, in the final eight minutes of the game, Corle was 5-for 6.
Among those younger players following Corle’s lead was freshman forward Julia Guyton, who scored 10 of her 18 points in the fourth quarter. Included in those 10 points was a 3-pointer, a layup and 5-of-7 free throws.
Corle is hopeful that Green can finish in first place in the Suburban League.
“We just have to take it one game at a time in the League and the get ready for the State Tournament,” she said.
Highland head coach Mike Murphy thought his team may have gotten overly excited once they recaptured the lead.
“We made some plays to get in that position, the excitement took over,” Murphy said. “Their kids made some shots and quite honestly, we didn’t.”
Green – 18 – 11 – 13 – 19 = 61
Highland – 15 – 10 – 15 – 10 = 50
INDIVIDUAL SCORING:
Green: Lydia Corle 9 6-13 26, Julia Guyton 6 5-7 18, Lexi Teodosio 3 0-0 6, Alexa Marciniak 2 0-0 4, McKenzie Black 1 0-0 3, Erika Rector 1 0-0 2, Taylor Sadler 1 0-2 2. Totals: 23 11-22 61
Highland: Karissa Steffas 4 7-10 15, AnnMarie Kirchner 4 0-0 12, Olivia Petek 4 0-0 8, Haley Roddy 2 3-5 7, AnnaRose Wincek 1 2-2 4, Malorie Bush 1 0-0 2, Jessica Peterlin 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 12-17 50
THREE POINTERS: Green 3 (Corle 2, Guyton 1); Highland 4 (Kirchner 4)
In other games:
St. Vincent-St. Mary 52, Berlin Hiland 49 (OT). At Akron, the Fighting Irish hit 7-of-12 free throws in overtime to earn the victory.
St. V-M weathered a 19-8 fourth-quarter rally by the Hawks that sent the game into overtime. Hiland hit three-straight 3-pointers during its fourth-quarter run.
Sophomore Kiley May scored 15 points to lead the Irish (11-2). Shannon Jack and Cassie Jakubick, also sophomores, scored 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
For the game, St. V-M was 21-of-31 from the free-throw line.
Senior McKenzie Miller led all scorers to pace Hiland (10-3) with 22 points.
Field 49, Rootstown 39. At Brimfield Township, junior Morgan Peachey scored 14 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Falcons in both categories en route the victory.
Field (8-6, 4-5) also got 11 points, four rebounds and four assists from sophomore Tiffany Spaller.
Ashleigh Pickens had 14 points to lead Rootstown (6-8).
Garrettsville Garfield 50, Bristol 46. At Garrettsville, the G-Men won their first game of the season behind double-digit performances from Jackie Tabor, Melody Bright and Katie Kaiser.
Tabor led the way with 17 points for Garrettsville Garfield (1-14), which closed with a 17-10 run to earn the victory.
Bright chipped in 15, and Kaiser 11.
Ally Jones led Bristol with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Hudson 49, Kent Roosevelt 29. At Hudson, sophomore Jackie Ulmer led the Explorers with 10 points.
Seniors Laura Mummey and Christie Wade, and junior Hannah Boesinger each scored nine points for Hudson (10-2).
The game was never in doubt as Hudson outscored the Rough Riders 32-11 at the half and 42-14 after three quarters.
Kent dropped to 8-4 with the loss.
North Royalton 49, Strongsville 43. At Strongsville, Abby Miduri scored 12 points to pace North Royalton (9-6).
Lauren Vagt put up 21 points to lead Strongsville (4-9).
Revere 34, Copley 23. At Copley Township, sophomore Marissa Harbath had 11 points to lead the Minutemen (4-10).
Gabby Vitez added eight points for the winning team.
Copley (2-11) was paced by Leah Blachaniek and Courtney Campbell, who each scored six points.
Shelby 86, Barberton 34. At Barberton, Brittany Zepernick led the Magics with eight points in the loss to the seventh-ranked team in the state.
Katelynn Strine led Shelby (14-0) with 19 points. Devon Murray added 18 points, while Emma Hostetler (15 points), Jena Bigler (14 points) and Jen Grove (10 points) also contributed to the win.
Barberton falls to 6-8.
Southeast 64, East 49. At Ravenna, junior Shayna White scored 26 points to lead all scorers and propel the Pirates to victory.
Sophomore Brittany Butcher scored 13 points, while Emily Harsh dropped in 10 for Southeast, which led 16-4 after the first quarter.
Airelle Sibley scored 12 points for East, while Brittany Latham added 11.
Tallmadge 52, Cloverleaf 42. At Tallmadge, senior Anna Vassalotti led the Blue Devils with 13 points.
Cloverleaf’s Haley Ploucha scored 16 to lead the Colts. Senior Shelby Dearth added 11.
Wadsworth 76, Nordonia 31. At Wadsworth, junior Rachel Goddard put up 18 points as the Grizzlies rolled.
Junior Taylore Robinson scored 14 for Wadsworth (11-3), which outscored Nordonia 47-17 in the first half. Senior Jessie Gearhart added 12 points.
Nordonia (5-9) was led by senior Sara Andrasik’s nine points.
Waterloo 61, Springfield 28. At Atwater, junior Jamie Willis went for 17 points, including three 3-pointers, and the Vikings easily defeated the Spartans.
Junior Megan Forney dropped in 15 for Waterloo (5-7), and senior Dani Brannon had 10 points.
Waterloo led 19-7 after one quarter and was up 46-18 after three quarters.
Junior Marissa Lucco led Springfield (3-10) with seven points.