ONE-HANDED HOOP… Pettisville’s Lilly Weimken puts up a one-handed basket over the Edon defense. The Lady Blackbirds put up 22 third quarter points in a 56-41 win. (PHOTO BY JOHN SHELL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: John Shell
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
In a Thursday night BBC girls basketball matchup, the Edon Lady Bombers hosted the Pettisville Lady Blackbirds.
Edon came into the game having just broken an eight-game losing streak with a nonconference victory over Ottawa Hills last week, while Pettisville was just served their first loss in seven games by Wauseon earlier this week.
The first quarter went back and forth for each team until Pettisville senior Amanda Grimm put down a three-ball that swished through the net to go up by five points with three minutes remaining in the quarter.
On the next possession, Edon sophomore Grace Ripke replied with a long three of her own. This sparked the Lady Bombers’ offense who was able to put up eight points in the final two minutes of the period.
Additionally, a strong rebounding performance and several key steals by Edon prevented any more points by Pettisville in the quarter.
A very well executed inbound pass-shot combination by Edon freshman Nevaeh Smith just before the buzzer sounded put the Bombers up 10-7 at the close of the 1st quarter.
Both teams found the hoop throughout the second quarter with success which kept the game within a basket the entire period.
A steal-breakaway layup by Grimm and a layup-and-one play executed by junior Olivia Miller highlighted the Blackbird scoring in the quarter.
The Bomber offense again closed the quarter with a strong shooting performance as sophomore Genna Ripke hit a triple and senior Jaycea Craven put down a mid-range jumper.
Even with a buzzer-beating layup by Edon sophomore Adison Briner, Pettisville was still left clinging to a one-point lead going into the half by a score of 22-21.
The third quarter scoring from the Blackbirds was far and away the most influential factor that led to their victory. They came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders.
A steal-breakaway-layup-and-one by junior Madison Remmington, layups by seniors Lily Weimken and Holly Klopfenstein, as well as four points from the foul-line by Grimm all came in the first 90 seconds of the quarter.
What was a one-point game at the half had quickly shifted to Pettisville enjoying a ten-point lead.
Even though the Bombers were able to get some points with a pair of layups by sophomore Maddy Ogden and jump shots by Smith and Briner, the Lady Blackbirds more than doubled Edon’s scoring in the quarter.
In all, six players contributed to an outstanding 22-point third quarter performance. Key contributors to this scoring show were Miller who added three points on a layup-and-one play and then later hit a long three-point shot.
Also notable was the 6-6 free-throw shooting by Grimm who ended up shooting perfect from the line throughout the game. The well-rounded Blackbird offense put them up by 15 points with a score of 44-29 going into the final quarter of play.
At the onset of the fourth quarter, there was a clear shift in how each team began to play. Pettisville slowed down their pace in an effort to eat as much clock as possible while Edon stepped up their defensive pressure in an effort to force more turnovers.
Those opposing strategies led to the Blackbirds going to the free throw line eight different times in the quarter and adding another ten points.
Olivia Miller had eight points from the free-throw line in the quarter and ended up the game’s leading scorer. Edon’s Genna Ripke hit a quick three off an in-bounds pass and Briner added six by making a layup, a jump shot, and a pair of free-throws to help their team match Pettisville’s scoring in the quarter.
However, the fourteen-point differential the Lady Blackbirds (11-6, 4-0 BBC) established in the 3rd quarter proved to be too wide a margin for the Lady Bombers (3-12, 0-3 BBC), as Pettisville was able to hold their lead for the 56-41 win.
PETTISVILLE (56) – G. Remington 0; Hastings 0; Miller 20; Grimm 14; Fox 0; Weimken 8; Crawford 5; Stauss 4; M. Remington 2; Klopfenstein 2; Bennett 1; Blosser 0; Totals: 14-2-22 – 56
EDON (41) – Derck 0; Briner 15; Ogden 8; Warner 0; Smith 7; Ge. Ripke 6; Gr. Ripke 2; Craven 3; Totals: 11-3-10 – 41
PETTISVILLE 7 15 22 12 – 56
EDON 10 11 8 12 – 41
JUNIOR VARSITY: Pettisville 45, Edon 31
