Trimble bounces back from early deficit to defeat Monroe Central
By: Cameron Knupp, Tyler Stevens
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Thursday night presented a fierce battle between the Monroe Central Lady Noles and the Trimble Tomcats. A win for either of these squads would advance them to the Elite 8 to face the winner of the Waterford-Berne Union game.
Out of the gates early, the Lady Noles showed off their defense as they forced the Tomcats into many turnovers. The fast break from these turnovers created many opportunities for Monroe Central as they led after the first quarter 9-7.
A massive 7 point run in the first 2 minutes would set up the Lady Noles up with a 16-9 lead, but Trimble would find their shooting touch. With a combination of free throws and taking advantage of easy baskets, the Tomcats headed into the locker rooms up 23-21.
Out of the halftime break, the Tomcats exploded on offense as they found rhythm quick. Briana Osbourne started this with her getting steals then converting from the 3-point line. Trimble with her efforts would go into the 4th quarter holding a 40-37 lead.
Jayne Six became a dominant force down low in the 4th quarter. She went 4/5 in the second half and converted her last 3 buckets, which all came in the final quarter. She also obtained a double double as she got 10 boards, which were crucial down the stretch. The Tomcats would pull through and advance to the Elite 8 with a 56-49 win over Monroe Central.
Next up for the top seeded Tomcats is a familiar foe, the Waterford Wildcats. After a dominant defensive performance against Berne Union, we will get to see the ultimate rubber match on March 5th. These two teams shared the TVC-Hocking title and split a 2-game series, as Waterford took the last meeting between the two in dominant fashion. In what is a huge game for both squads, it should be a battle between the two TVC-Hocking powerhouses.