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WAVERLY — Most programs would, and understandably so, suffer a fall from grace after losing the amount of talent like Portsmouth West has.
It’s not easy replacing three-and-four-year starters, and starting over with a group mostly consisting of freshmen and sophomores.
Yet, that’s exactly what the Senators are doing. They haven’t stopped winning. They adapt to any style of play and Thursday was a perfect example.
Waverly brought a tough, physical battle and fought until the end. But West made more plays down the stretch to earn a 49-44 victory in SOC III play.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“I’m really proud of the way we fought and battled. Waverly is a really good team. They played very physical and we knew coming in that we’d have our hands full with [Waverly’s Caris] Risner and [Paige] O’Bryant,” West coach Larry Howell said. “We’ve lost some tight games this season, but they’ve all been learning lessons about how to finish games and I thought our girls did a great job dealing with the adversity and coming out the other side with a tough road win.”
Brayleigh Pistole and Macey Whisman may be still young. But performances like they enjoyed in the win are why the Senators sit at 11-4 on the season
Pistole, a freshman guard hit timely shots, found herself in the right places at the right times and didn’t shy away from the big moments, finishing with a near double-double of 18 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, Whisman used her 6-foot frame just as well as anyone in the area. Her size is a mismatch on most nights, allowing her to corral rebounds at a premium rate for second chances opportunities for herself, or her teammates.
She muscled her way to 13 points and 13 rebounds.
“Brayleigh plays so hard on both sides of the ball and plays with such an attacking mentality. She’s always staying after practice to get more shots up and work on her game, so I’m blessed to have her for the next four years,” Howell said. “Macey brings a calming presence to the team and that allows everyone else to just play their game. She dominates on the glass and we’re not even in this game without her. I’m really proud of how her game has grown this year.”
PHOTOS: Images from West’s win over Waverly
West shot out like a cannon behind Whisman and Pistole, jumping out to a quick 9-2 lead. However, Waverly’s Sadie Royster responded with a personal 7-0 run that tied the game. Both teams stayed neck-and-neck, but a Whisman bucket gave the Senators a 14-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.
O’Bryant got in some foul trouble in the first, which limited her impact. But she went on a tear once she retook the floor. With West leading 20-14, she spearheaded a 9-0 run with seven quick points that put the Tigers (8-8) ahead 23-20.
But the Senators responded with back-to-back buckets from Pistole and Hailey Carver, claiming a 24-23 lead at halftime.
“We turned the ball over a lot in the second quarter, and that’s been a huge problem for us this season,” Howell said. “There was still a lot of game left, and we talked about protecting the basketball, playing tough defense, boxing out, making them come get us and being mentally tough since we knew it was going to be a battle.”
Pistole had seven points in the first half, but she was about to completely take over the game. With one bucket after another, she began to help West build separation as she single-handedly outscored the Tigers 9-8 in the third.
Aided by a triple from Ally Buckner and a bucket inside from Ava Potters, the Senators won the frame 14-8 to take a 38-31 lead into the fourth.
Waverly, however, wasn’t finished battling yet as Risner, Royster and O’Bryant all hit shots to bring the deficit to 42-39. Although the Tigers were attempting to make a final push, Potters was a force on the glass while Carver, Pistole and Buckner connected from the floor to seal the deal on a Senator victory.
“Ava was huge for us, especially when we lost a couple players late in the game. She’s the only senior on the team, and she played like one when we needed her the most,” Howell said. “We call her ‘Mama Bear’, and she does a great job of leading these young kids. She’s learned from two great senior classes before her, and has really sold the vision to these kids about buying into what Senator basketball is all about.”
Following Whisman and Pistole’s totals, Buckner finished with 10 points for West. O’Bryant had a game-high 19 points for Waverly, followed by 12 points for Risner and 10 for Royster.
West returns to action on Monday for conference action at Valley, while Waverly travels to Wheelersburg that same evening.
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