LOCO LEADING SCORER … Meara McGee takes a jumper in the lane for Montpelier in the district semifinals at Defiance High School. McGee paced the scoring for the Locos with 11. VIEW ALL PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
sports@thevillagereporter.com
DEFIANCE (February 29, 2024) – The Pilots were just 2/10 shooting in the first quarter but bounced back to go 13/25 the rest of the way to pull out a 39-37 win at Defiance High School.
Montpelier scored the first two buckets of the game to jump out to a 4-0 lead as Kelsie Bumb had a steal and layup followed by Aleigha Hillard scoring on a drive.
Kiersten Manon’s short jumper would get Ayersville on the board, but the Locos would lead 6-4 after a low scoring first quarter.
Lyla Mahan was 1/2 at the line to open the second for the Locos and Meara McGee hit a shot to give the Locos a 9-6 lead.
The Pilots responded with a 7-0 run as Lanie Sheets had a steal and score, Ally Schindler converted a three-point play in the low post, and Manon added another bucket to give Ayersville a 13-11 lead.
McGee countered with two more baskets for the Locos as both teams would spend some time at charity stripe to close out the first half with Ayersville taking a 19-15 lead to the locker room.
Bumb, who had been kept scoreless since her field goal that started the game, got loose inside for a bucket, and added 2/2 at the line to tie the game at 19.
After the teams traded buckets, it was a 5-0 spurt by Ayersville as they went 3/6 at the free throw line and Schindler scored inside to make it 26-21, Pilots.
McGee stopped the run with a hoop to end the third and Hillard hit a runner in the lane to open the fourth to cut the Ayersville lead to one.
Six of the next eight points belonged to Ayersville with Schindler and Sheets recording scores and Schindler would go 2/2 at the stripe to make it 32-27.
McGee kept Montpelier close by draining a three ball from the right wing, but Kendra Waldron had an answer for the Pilots with her own triple from the right side to push the lead back to five, 35-30.
Jada Uribes hit two at the line for the Locos, and Madelyn Hopper scored on an offensive rebound sandwiched around an Ayersville free toss to bring the Locos to within 36-34 with 23.1 to go.
The Pilots (24-1) were able to close things out by going 3/4 from the line and Montpelier’s (17-7) next two possessions came up empty before a Bumb three-pointer at the buzzer provided the final margin.
Each team had one player in double figures with McGee tallying 11 for Montpelier and Waldron notched 10 to lead the Pilots.
MONTPELIER (37) – Bumb 9; Friend 0; Hillard 6; Z. Uribes 0; Mahan 3; McGee 11; J. Uribes 4; Hopper 4; Totals: 12-2-7 – 37
AYERSVILLE (39) – McGuire 0; Manon 4; Waldron 10; Brown 2; Sheets 8; Schindler 8; Craft 7; Totals: 11-1-14 – 37
MONTPELIER 6 9 8 14 – 37
AYERSVILLE 4 15 7 13 – 39
GAME STATISTICS
MONTPELIER: FG – 14/32 (43%); FT – 7/10 (70%); Rebounds – 20; Turnovers – 16; AYERSVILLE: FG – 12/35 (34%); FT – 14/23 (60%); Rebounds – 19; Turnovers – 14
