First Posted: 3/5/2015
WAPAKONETA — Ada did a lot of things right against top-seeded Marion Local for three quarters Thursday.
But for one quarter, the Flyers completely dominated and it proved too much for the Bulldogs to overcome as Marion Local won 59-47 in a Division IV district semifinal game at Wapakoneta on Thursday.
The Flyers (22-2) advanced to play Upper Scioto Valley (22-2) in the district championship at 7 p.m. Saturday at Wapakoneta. USV beat New Knoxville 53-35 in the second game Thursday at Wapak.
After Ada’s Tori Wyss sunk a 3-pointer to end the first quarter, the Bulldogs led 12-9. And in each of the third and fourth quarters, both teams scored 16 points apiece.
But in the second quarter, Marion Local lit it up with a 16-1 run to start and an 18-3 edge to finish the half leading 27-15.
“What happened in the first quarter, we weren’t there mentally,” Marion Local coach Treva Fortkamp said. “I was very upset with the amount of points we gave up in the first quarter.
“It was a game of lulls, where we would looked like crap, then all of the sudden for eight-to-10 minutes, we would look spectacular.”
In that second, the Flyers made 8-of-12 field goals while Ada hit 1-of-3 and turned the ball over nine times.
“It was their pressure,” Ada coach Bill Taflinger said. “Right away in the second, they caught us with a couple turnovers … you can’t afford that when they’ve got a player like (Allie) Thobe. They’d get the ball to her and she’d be attacking before you knew what hit you.”
Thobe – a 5-foot-7 senior guard – scored a team-high 20 points while 6-foot junior center Emily Mescher added 17 points – nine in the second quarter – and Lexi Wilker had 13 points.
“Obviously their big girl was a force for them,” Taflinger said. “When you’ve got a great point guard and a great post, it makes it difficult.”
Wyss, a senior forward, finished with a game-high 27 points for Ada and Rachel Wildman had nine points.
And while Marion Local is moving on to the district finals, Ada finishes the season after a massive turnaround. In Taflinger’s first year at the helm, the Bulldogs went from 9-14 a year ago to 20-5 this season.
“I know they had high expectations but even they didn’t expect this,” Taflinger said. “To finish 20-5, at the beginning of the year I’d of signed up right away. I’m very proud to coach these guys and to improve by 11 wins is really successful.”
Upper Scioto Valley 53,
New Knoxville 35
Despite battling team illnesses to its starting lineup, the Rams (22-2) broke away in the second quarter and rarely looked back. USV grabbed a 28-12 halftime lead that extended to 36-21 heading into the fourth quarter.
USV sizzled shooting the ball, making 20-of-41 field goals (48 percent) and 10-of-14 free throws (71 percent).
“We’re shooting 47 percent for the year, and we get to the line a lot,” USV coach Mike Risner said. “We rebounded, that’s been our focus for a week.”
On Feb. 23, USV edged New Knoxville 52-50.
“Our defense was a lot better this team,” Risner said. “We kept them from dribble penetrating a lot and got out on a few breaks. We had a good team effort.”
Emily Patton led the Rams with 16 points, Breann Mullins scored 12 points and Shelby Spradlin added 10 points.
Meg Reineke scored a game-high 19 points for the Rangers (16-8). The senior forward also recorded her 1,000th career point on a bucket late in the third quarter.
