Hardwood Heroes Sports
Lady Tomcats Overcome Halftime Deficit to Defeat Eastern
By: Adonis Fryer
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REEDSVILLE, Ohio – In their second game of the season, the Eastern Lady Eagles were looking for redemption. They dropped their opening game by five points to the Nelsonville-York Lady Buckeyes, and came determined to avenge their previous loss. Unfortunately, Monday’s game did not play to that script.
The Lady Eagles started the game superbly. The first half was only shaky in the immediate aftermath of the tipoff, but after the Lady Eagles found their footing, they ran the show. The passes were crisp, the defensive pressure was present, and their hours spent practicing were evident.
In the first half, the Lady Eagles were led in scoring by Erica Durst. Her eight points were a result of her astute offensive positioning, and her teammates’ ability to draw defenders away from her in the paint thus giving her space.
She did not carry the scoring burden alone. Jenn Parker and Sydney Reynolds hit crucial shots in the second quarter to create a 27-18 lead at halftime. The Lady Eagles spent their dominant first half asking questions that the Lady Tomcats could not answer.
That is, until Brianna Osbourne arrived.
If the first half was the story of a team playing to its strengths, the second half showed the power of an individual as Osbourne immediately made an impact. In the first two quarters combined, she scored six points, but in the third alone; she put up eight.
Osbourne proved to be the answer that the Lady Tomcats needed alongside improved defensive positioning, and quick transition buckets from Larkyn Imler who scored seven points in the third.
After an impressive 23 point rally from the Lady Tomcats in the third quarter, they coasted for the rest of the game. The Lady Eagles tried to reassert themselves, but either from a lack of energy or enthusiasm — they were not able to recover and lost the game 45-57.
All is not lost though. The Lady Eagles started the game with more than enough panache and organization to showcase the talent on their roster. One must remember that over half of the roster are only freshmen so they have not reached the pinnacle of their abilities.
That being said, the Trimble Lady Tomcats played to their strengths and overcame the halftime deficit to secure the win.
A burning question for the next game is: How will the Lady Eastern Eagles adapt their system to keep their stars engaged for the entire game?
This question will be answered in their next game when they play the Miller Lady Falcons in Corning, Ohio on Thursday.