Sports
Lady Buckeyes Pull Away In 4th To Spoil Athens’ Upset Bid
By: Nick Ursini
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Crosstown rivalries bring the best out in both teams, the Athens Lady Bulldogs (2-15, 1-8 TVC-Ohio) played their most complete game of the season, but the Lady Buckeyes (11-5, TVC-Ohio) prevailed 55-44 in a physical matchup at McAfee gymnasium.
Sitting at second to last in the TVC-Ohio, Athens was the clear underdog, but that did not stop them from leaving everything they had on the court.
Right from the tip, the Lady Bulldogs controlled the possession of the ball for most of the first quarter. Working the ball around, cutting to the hoop and getting to the free-throw line showed the determination on the faces of the Lady Bulldogs.
Still, Nelsonville-York held the advantage on the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter, 15-7.
The second quarter was an absolute slugfest with tenacious defense by both teams. Athens was getting open shots, but they were not falling.
Athens held Nelsonville-York star Jessie Addis to just 3-12 from the field in the first half for eight points.
The half ended 21-13 Lady Buckeyes, an even six points for both teams.
The intensity continued to rise in the third quarter. A back-and-forth contest saw Athens outscore Nelsonville-York 18-12 in the quarter but remained down by two points, 33-31.
With the fourth quarter remaining, the Lady Buckeyes buckled down and started the quarter on a 6-0 run, increasing their lead to eight. Athens did not score their first points of the quarter until 5:15 left in the game.
The Lady Buckeyes’ experience played a crucial role as they resorted to their full-court press to force turnovers and easy buckets. Nelsonville-York outscored Athens 22-13 to earn the victory.
Addis finished with 23 points, shooting 8-23 from the field.
Laura Manderick led Athens with 22 points, followed by Kaylee Stewart with 15 points.
The Lady Bulldogs look to snap their nine-game losing streak on Monday as they welcome Marietta to McAfee gym.