(February 28th, 2015) – PAULDING: North Central battled hard to earn their way into thr Sectional Finals, and a match-up with Ayersville was their reward.
The Lady Eagles weren’t able to replicate the performance that carried them past Hilltop in the opening round of post-season play, falling to the Pilots 68-24.
The girls of Pioneer began trailing the Lady Pilots early in the contest. By the first quarter’s conclusion, they were down 15-5. The second period went similarly, as the Lady Eagles were outscored 17-6. This put them down 32-11 going into the locker room.
The second half was also difficult for the North Central girls. With their best offensive output of the game, they put up 11 points in the third frame. Yet they couldn’t slow down the Pilot attack, as Ayersville racked up 16 more points. In the fourth quarter, North Central was outscored 20-2.
Turnovers are what really killed North Central’s chances of victory. They turned the ball over a stunning 35 times against the pressure of the Lady Pilots. Compared to the 10 possession-costing mistakes made by Ayersville, the Lady Eagles handed their opponent an additional 25 possessions. It’s very difficult to win with such a disadvantage.
Alyssa Swank, a sophomore, served as lead scorer for the Eagles, offering up 10 points to the North Central effort. Senior Rachel Oxender contributed 8 points in the loss. Another senior, Sabrina Pickford, managed 4 points, while Mikayla Hayes, another second year player, put up 2 points.
