Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — Eastern Brown did everything it could on Monday to oust Portsmouth West.
The Warriors forced 21 turnovers, erased multiple late deficits and kept their feet on the pedal throughout 48 minutes — they even hit a 3 as time expired to further prove that point.
But the hole that West freshman Brayleigh Pistole dug for them — with some help from her friends — was ultimately too deep to climb out of.
Pistole scored a game-high 23 points — 16 in the first half — to lead her Senators (14-10) to a tough-nosed 44-41 victory over Eastern in a Division VI district semifinal at Southeastern.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“When I hit the two 3’s in the first quarter, the energy and everything was perfect,” Pistole said. “My teammates were getting me the ball when I needed it and screens were set so good for me. I just thank my teammates for it.”
While Pistole did the scoring, Ava Potters did the dirty work.
The Senators’ lone senior consistently got herself in position to grab rebounds, which led to second chance scoring opportunities and, eventually, points on the board.
“I know I’m not the tallest post and being 5-foot-5 is kind of hard,” Potters said. “I just know I have to box out and go get the ball no matter what. Macey and I get stuck a lot together. She’s coming over top of me. But we just work together to try and communicate. I just try my best to rebound for my team and do what I can do.”
West started the night with a 6-2 lead, thanks to baskets from Potters and Pistole. But Eastern Brown (16-7) fought back to force a 7-7 tie before Pistole beat the first quarter’s buzzer with a triple, giving the Senators a 12-9 lead going into the second.
Tabby Schumacher led the Warriors’ charge early in the second, scoring at the 6:33 and 4:08 marks to give them their first lead of the evening at 15-13.
But Pistole had had enough of that. She scored to force a tie before dialing long distance twice more, putting West ahead 21-15 with 2:01 to go and, eventually, 22-18 at halftime.
The Senators would unbelievably never trail again.
The Warriors refused to go away quietly, cutting the deficit to two with 3:23 left in the third, thanks to a bucket from Sophia Uhl. When Uhl added two free throws with 2:45 remaining, it was a 27-27 ballgame.
“Coach was just telling us to take care of the ball and slow down because we get really fast and just turn the ball over and over,” Potters said. “So we were just trying to pick each other up and just keep going.”
Macey Whisman put West back on top with two free throws before Potters and Pistole added back-to-back buckets to create some breathing room at 33-27 — an advantage that stayed intact until the beginning of the fourth.
In the final eight-minute stretch, the Warriors did all they could to get over the hump.
With 4:02 left, PW’s Ally Buckner hit a 3 to make it a 36-28 ballgame. But Eastern mounted a 7-2 run that ended with a 3 from Olivia Uhl, cutting the deficit to 38-35 with just 1:25 remaining.
However, time had run out as Pistole and company were able to put the game away from the free throw line, securing their spot in the district championship game.
“Once we start hitting shots, I feel like we get the momentum and we just don’t look back,” Pistole said. “I think that’s another big thing that helped us win.”
Statistically, following Pistole’s 23 points was Whisman with nine points and four rebounds while Potters added six points, a team-high 12 rebounds and three assists. Buckner also chipped in with six points, three boards and three helpers.
Eastern Brown was led by Schumacher, who finished with 12 points and four boards while Sophia Uhl had 10 points of her own. Olivia Uhl finished with eight points and four steals while Clara Martin had nine points.
While the Warriors’ season comes to a close, the Senators look towards the program’s third consecutive Division IV district title game where they’ll meet with Federal Hocking at noon, Saturday at Southeastern.
The Lancers topped Valley on Monday by a 52-24 final.
“We could be better at communicating on defense and on screens,” Potters added. “And we just need to slow down and take care of the ball. We had a bunch of turnovers and it hurt us a little bit. But we came back from that pretty well.”
“I’m the only one that has gone to [the regional tournament] twice,” Potters said. “I think it’s just about keeping your composure when the gym gets really loud and not being scared. Coach [Larry] Howell being with us will also help. We know what his tendencies are.”
BOX SCORE
West: 12-10-11-11 — 44
Eastern Brown: 9-9-9-14 — 41
West: 11-32 FG, 17-22 FT, 5-13 3pt., 22 rebounds (Potters 12), 21 turnovers, 13 assists (Buckner 4). Scoring: Pistole 23, Whisman 9, Buckner 6, Potters 6.
Eastern Brown: 15-38 FG, 7-13 FT, 4-16 3pt., 16 rebounds (Schumacher 4), 20 turnovers, 12 assists (Grimes 3, Yuppa 3). Scoring: Schumacher 12, S. Uhl 10, Martin 9, O. Uhl 5, Yuppa 2, Johnston 2, Grimes 1.
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