Hardwood Heroes Sports
Lady Tomcats Defeat Belpre to Clinch Conference Title
By: Jake Motta
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GLOUSTER, Ohio- The Trimble Lady Tomcats and the Belpre Lady Golden Eagles left it all out on the floor Monday night as a lot was at stake for both teams. Trimble was playing to win the TVC-Hocking outright, and Belpre was playing to earn a chance at a share of the TVC-Hocking. In the end, the Lady cats came out victorious, 50-41.
In the first quarter both teams were battling hard. The scoreboard read 14-14 at the end of the quarter, and that symbolized just how even this game was. Both teams played sloppy in the first, committing six combined fouls and eight combined turnovers. At this point in the game, there was no clear favorite for who was going to come out on top.
The second quarter was all about the Lady Tomcats’ defense. They held The Lady Golden Eagles scoreless for five minutes and 59 seconds. However, Belpre’s offense was not giving up and they ended the first half on a 6-0 offensive run.
The Lady Tomcats started to run away with this game in the third quarter. They were making crucial shots when they really needed them, and they capitalized off of Belpre’s mistakes. They had many steals, and they forced Belpre to rush passes and shots in equal measure, causing multiple turnovers. Trimble distanced themselves with a score of 40-29.
The Lady Tomcats took care of business in the fourth quarter despite carless turnovers, and Belpre’s effort to stage a comeback. They ended the game with a final score of 50-41 claiming their first TVC-Hocking title in 15 years.
Brianna Orsborne balled out for the Lady Tomcats. She finished with 17 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Her effort was not just on the offensive end, she played great defense and she hustled until the clock hit zeros. Coach Richards commented on her defense after the game.
“She is our motor,” Richards said. “She can guard 1-5, point guard, shooting guard, center, she was all over the floor with those steals”.
Emily Young also added 14 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals to the box score. Jayne Six had eight points and nine rebounds, and Laikyn Imler had seven points, but Laikyn’s lack of buckets does not reflect the effort that she put into this game. She was the floor general tonight for Trimble, slowing the team down from the point, and leading them in fast breaks when the time was right to run the floor.
Belpre was led by senior guard Kyna Waderker, she had 18 points and grabbed two rebounds in her impressive performance on the night. Kaitlyn Bush also had nine points on the night.
Overall, it was the adjustments made at halftime that led the Lady Tomcats to this victory. The game was close at the half, but the coaches saw the adjustments that they needed to make, like running different plays on offense, and mixing in zone defense in order to slow the Lady Golden Eagles’ push. The Lady Tomcats claimed their first TVC-Hocking title in 15 years. They got to cut the net in front of their families, friends, and fans, and it is a moment that the players, coaches, and fans will not forget for a long time.