GIRLS' BASKETBALL - Western reaches regional final

By MICHAEL GRECO
Reflector Sports Editor
mgreco@norwalkreflector.com

LEXINGTON — The Western Reserve girls’ basketball team reached new territory with a trip to the regional tournament.
The Lady Roughriders will continue on in the postseason after posting a 45-37 Division III semifinal win over North Union Wednesday at Lexington High School.
Western, 23-2, is scheduled to play at 1:30 p.m. Saturday against Findlay Liberty-Benton also at Lexington with a trip to the state tournament on the line.
“It's a great honor,” Lady Roughrider senior guard Francesca Dore’ said.
Rebounding and free-throw shooting helped Western past the Lady Cats.
The Lady Roughriders owned a 37-27 advantage on the glass, including a 13-9 edge on the offensive boards. Ten points were off putbacks.
Casey Molesky picked off eight rebounds and Erica Jenkins corralled seven.
“Rebounding has been strong in the tournament,” Western coach Brenda Friend said.
The Lady Roughriders also converted 19-of-25 from the free-throw line, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to 3-of-9 for North Union.
Junior Kelsey Wyant helped put the game away for the Lady Roughriders by going 5-of-6 in the fourth quarter.
“We've been up and down,” Friend said. “In the tournament, we've done a much better job. We started doing more pressure drills.”
The Western defense limited the Lady Cats to single digits in both the first and third quarters.
“Defense is of No. 1 importance,” Friend said. “In the tournament, you have to be disciplined on the defensive end.”
Western built a 23-12 lead midway through the second quarter on a Molesky bucket, before settling on a 25-19 halftime lead.
In the third quarter, though, the Lady Cats started off with four of the first five points to bring the deficit to 26-23.
But the Lady Roughriders closed the third with six straight points to take a 32-23 advantage entering the final eight minutes.
“I thought we needed to pull it out,” Friend said. “The biggest fear was they are so quick. They like to dribble drive in the lane.”
In the fourth, North Union closed to within 34-31 with 5:16 left, but Western sealed the game with free throws.
Seven players scored the Lady Roughriders, but none reached double digits.
Erica Jenkins and Theresa Jackson both put in nine points and Wyant and Molesky each netted eight. Wyant drained 8-of-10 free throws for the game.
Western Reserve shot 13-of-40 from the field with 13 turnovers.
Reagan Stofcheck paced North Union with 12 points and Shanda Ridgeway added 11.
The Lady Cats were 18-of-61 from the field, including 2-of-13 from three-point range with 10 turnovers.
“No. 3 (Stofcheck) is deadly on top,'' Friend said. “We wanted to be a half step off her defensively.”
First-year North Union coach Natalie Herring also cited the free throws and rebounding differential.
“They were taller than us,'' she said. “That made it difficult for Reagan and Shanda to get open. Whenever you're outsized that makes a difference. They made their free throws and we didn’t make ours.”


Boxscore
Western Reserve 45
Jenkins 3-3-9, Jackson 4-1-9, Wyant 0-8-8, Molesky 3-2-8, McHenry 1-3-5, Dore' 1-1-3, Patrick 1-1-3. Totals: 13-19-45.
North Union 37
Stofcheck 5-0-12, Ridgeway 4-3-11, Parrott 4-0-8, Conrad 1-0-2, McMahan 1-0-2, Nauman 1-0-2. Totals: 16-3-37.
W. Reserve    12    13    7    13 — 45
North Union    8    11    4    14 — 37