D2 SECTIONAL SEMIFINAL … Wauseon’s Mackenzie Stasa drives to the hoop in the third quarter of a 45-31 win over Maumee in the sectional semifinals. (PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
WAUSEON (February 22, 2024) – The Indians outscored Maumee 11-0 in the second quarter and held the Panthers to just 32% shooting on the night to get a 45-31 in a Division II sectional semifinal.
Wauseon sophomore Sophia Rupp helped the Indians get off to a good start in a first quarter that featured six lead changes.
Rupp would knock down a triple from the right wing to give Wauseon a 5-4 lead and later dropped one from the left wing for a 10-9 advantage, the final lead change of the night.
Rupp would then convert a fast break layup off a steal and pass from Aizlyn Coronado as Wauseon led 14-11 after one quarter with Rupp recording eight points.
While Maumee would go 0/7 from the field and turned it over seven times in the second quarter the Indians continued to increase their lead.
Coronado hit a runner in the lane, Mackenzie Stasa scored on a drive, and Rupp added another bucket to make it 21-11.
The Indians closed the half with a Stasa layup and Rupp would score again on a run out following a Panther turnover, giving her 12 points in the first half, as the Indians led 25-11 at the break.
Megyn Calopietro ended the Maumee drought with a bucket to start the second half, but Rupp drained a triple from the right corner, her third of the night, to make it 28-13.
LEADING SCORER … Sophia Rupp goes up for a bucket over a Maumee defender. The sophomore topped Wauseon with 17 points, 12 in the first half, as the Indians advanced to the sectional finals.
Calipietro kept Maumee within striking distance with two more buckets, but Johanna Tester hit a three ball after a Wauseon offensive rebound and Stasa went coast-to-coast for a layup after a steal to give the Indians their biggest lead of the night, 37-19.
The scoring was slow for both teams in the fourth quarter as Maumee got an offensive rebound basket by Izzy Yancy and were 5/8 at the line to trim the Indians lead to 40-29.
Wauseon would finally get their first basket of the quarter at the 1:29 mark on a Tester layup after beating the Maumee press followed by Rupp with a transition layup off another Panther miscue to cap off the win.
Rupp finished with a game high 17 points with Stasa adding 10 for Wauseon (13-10), who outrebounded Maumee 26-18 and forced 20 turnovers by the Panthers.
Calopietro and Taylor Smith had eight points apiece for Maumee (13-9).
Wauseon will visit the No. 2 seed Liberty Benton in the sectional finals on Saturday night at 7pm.
MAUMEE (31) – Gugger 0; Janes 3; Porter 2; Smith 8; Hurt 5; Zheng 1; Calopietro 8; Yancy 4; Totals: 10-2-5 – 31
WAUSEON (45) – Stasa 10; Tester 7; Leatherman 0; Pelok 0; Coronado 7; Rupp 17; Tule 4; Totals: 14-4-5 – 45
MAUMEE 11 0 11 9 – 31
WAUSEON 14 11 14 6 – 45
GAME STATISTICS
MAUMEE: FG – 12/37 (32%); FT – 5/11 (45%); Rebounds – 18; Turnovers – 20; WAUSEON: FG – 18/40 (45%); FT – 5/12 (41%); Rebounds – 26; Turnovers – 16