Waterford defeats Mogadore to advance to state final
By: Ty Carpenter
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DOVER, Ohio (WOUB)- The Waterford Wildcats (26-1) traveled to Dover on Friday to take on the Mogadore Wildcats (23-5) in the state semi-final and won 48-34 to advance to the state finals.
Waterford started the game on fire, going up 8-1 off the backs of strong defense by Avery Wagner, who notched three blocks in the first quarter, as well as a three-pointer by Kendall Sury. Mogadore would fight back, with scores by Julie Tompkins pushing Mogadore within a possession to end the quarter, 9-6 Waterford.
Waterford would shut down Mogadore’s momentum to open the second quarter, with two quick scores by Ava Hurley and back-to-back three-pointers by Elsie Malec assisted by Kendall Sury. Waterford would continue this dominance throughout the quarter and head into the half up 23-9.
Opening the second half, Waterford would keep their momentum, heading up 28-9 with six minutes to go in the third. However, Mogadore would start to rally back, with Amelia Morris and Kasey Bolyard scoring, but would still head into the fourth quarter down 35-18.
Waterford would open scoring in the fourth quarter, but the floodgates would soon open for Mogadore. Thanks to three-pointers by Amelia Morris and Julie Tompkins, Mogadore would storm back, down only 39-28 with about four minutes to go. Mogadore would be in foul trouble however, and after two starters fouled out, their momentum would begin to disappear. Waterford would score eleven points off of free throws in the quarter and go on to win 48-34.
After a slow start to the game, Waterford found a spark to open the second quarter, and Waterford Head Coach Jerry Close attributed that success to Avery Wagner’s dominance inside. “We were a little upset early on because we weren’t getting the ball inside. We were settling for threes,” said Close. “Once we started getting the ball inside, then we hit three after three. That was the plan—to hopefully get Avery involved.”
Top performers for Waterford included Avery Wagner, who notched 13 points, eight rebounds, and five blocks, as well as Elsie Malec, who contributed 12 points and three three-pointers in the win. Julie Tompkins had 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals for Mogadore.
Looking ahead, Waterford will face Fort Loramie in Dayton for the state finals.