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WELLSTON — After South Gallia fell short of winning a district title last season, all the Rebels have thought about for the past year is getting back to that stage.
They came into Tuesday night’s Division VII district semifinal against Southern looking to make a statement and earn a shot at redemption, and it didn’t take long for that statement to be made.
The Rebels (19-5) came out swinging and forced Southern to turn the ball over 13 times in the first quarter. They used that momentum to rip off a 21-0 run and create a lead they’d never surrender, cruising to a 59-34 rout of the Tornadoes and punching their ticket to a third straight district title game.
CREDIT: Sam Walsh/SOSA
“I was pleased with our effort on the defensive end in the first half. I couldn’t have asked for anything more from our kids,” South Gallia coach Corey Small said. “We got a little complacent in the second half, but we were OK with our big lead. It’s all about survive and advance in the tournament, and any win in the tournament is a good win. We’re looking forward to Saturday and getting our rematch against Green.”
“I think we played really good team ball and we played really good defense,” South Gallia senior Emma Clary said. “Our pressure really stopped them and we rebounded well. Some of our shots didn’t fall in the second half, but we came out and played well as a team.”
The hot start for the Rebels was present on both sides of the ball.
Coming out of the gate, South Gallia played suffocating defense the length of the floor, resulting in many changes of possession.
The Rebels, in turn, capitalized on the 13 turnovers they forced in the opening period, knocking down three triples and picking up an eight-point boost from senior Emma Clary — leading to a 21-0 run to begin the game, a lead they took into the second quarter.
“Whenever we start in our press, we have really good energy, and the energy comes from the bench and the crowd,” Clary said. “That gets us hyped inside, so I feel like that helps us get a good start to all of our games.”
Though it was still early, South Gallia never looked back.
Southern (11-13) eventually graced the scoreboard on its first possession in the second, thanks to a bucket from Kiersten Rose.
But South Gallia kept its foot on the gas and held Southern in check defensively. This led to more scoring opportunities on the offensive end, which the Rebels took advantage of. Six different names would put points on the board in the first half, and Sydni Hornsby capped it off with a 3-pointer as the horn sounded.
At halftime, the Rebels led 39-12 and were in full control.
“I think it’s easy for us, because we tell our kids in practice that to win in the tournament, you’ve got to play good defense and to rebound. That’s exactly what we did in the first half. We played good defense, we rebounded, and we gave ourselves a nice cushion,” Small said. “I’m happy with how we came out and its led us to a chance to win a district for the second time in three years.”
With the lead looking all but insurmountable, Southern could have packed things up early.
PHOTOS: Images from South Gallia’s district semifinal win over Southern
However, that’s not the route the Tornadoes decided to take.
South Gallia extended the lead to 43-15 in the opening minutes of the second half, but that’s when things finally began to click on offense for Southern.
The Tornadoes connected four times from beyond the arc, three of which came from Jaylynn Hupp, and put together a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 43-28 with less than four minutes left.
This didn’t bother South Gallia, though.
The Rebels once again added to the lead, going ahead 47-28, and carried that lead to the end of the third.
From there, SG regained its focus and got things going again offensively. The Rebels held Southern in check on defense, limiting the Tornadoes to just two field goals in the fourth to cap off a 59-34 victory.
“Having a good start is very important in games like these, because it’s hard to come back when you’re down by so much. I think we’ve been sharing the ball really well,” South Gallia’s Sydni Hornsby said. “It was a little rough at the beginning [of the season], but we’ve finally learned to trust each other.”
Clary led South Gallia in both scoring and on the glass, posting an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double. Ryleigh Shafer followed with 12 points while Hornsby knocked down three triples on her way to a nine-point showing. Jacie Boothe also contributed with eight points on the evening.
For Southern, Hupp led the way with nine points while Nevaeh Camp and Sydney Stout each put up seven points for the Tornadoes.
The Rebels will now meet with Green, a 59-50 winner over Symmes Valley, in a Division VII district final. That contest is slated for a 5 p.m. start on Saturday, back at Wellston High School.
South Gallia met up with Green in its season opener, way back on Nov. 26 — a 48-43 win for the Bobcats.
“It’d be great to win another district title, but we know it’s not going to be easy,” Small said. “We know Green’s a great team with great players, and they’re well-coached. I expect a battle, and I’m sure they’re expecting the same thing from us. All I know is come Saturday at five o’clock, it’s going to be a showdown between two really good teams.”
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