Elida’s Leah Ramirez drives toward the basket for a layup against Lima Senior during Thursday’s Vicki Mauk Holiday Classic at the Elida Fieldhouse.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
ELIDA — Elida changed from a winless girls basketball team to a defending champion in the course of just two nights.
The Bulldogs held Lima Senior’s score to exactly three points for 10 minutes of game time in the first and second quarters and jumped out to a 19-3 lead Thursday night. They held on from there for a 50-37 win in the championship game of the Vicki Mauk Holiday Classic at the Elida Fieldhouse.
“We built a lot of confidence, especially winning that first game (Wednesday),” said Oliveah Sanders, who came off the bench to score 13 points, including eight in the second quarter. “It just kind of boosted our confidence for this championship game, seeing what it takes to win.”
For the Bulldogs (2-7), who also won the tournament on their home court last year, it meant lots of balance. Three players scored in double figures, and five players scored at least six points.
Sanders and Lilly Sifrit led the way with 13 apiece, with Sifrit also collecting 10 rebounds. Jojo Knight added 12 points and five steals, applying maddening defense to disrupt Lima Senior’s plans.
“I’ve always loved defense,” Knight said. “I think I’d rather play defense than offense. You don’t score as many points that way, but it’s what I’m best at and why I feel so comfortable.”
Lima Senior (6-7) came out shooting cold, hitting just 16% of its shots. They warmed up, eventually hitting 25% of their shots, compared to Elida’s 48%. The Spartans also had 11 of their 16 turnovers by halftime.
“That first quarter and that first half of the game kind of sunk our boat,” said Lima Senior coach LaKeisha Sigman, who said her team seemed to be shooting fine in a shootaround earlier in the day.
Amiyah Coleman paced the Spartans with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Mallory Gipson added eight points and 13 rebounds. Maisie Strawser, usually one of the Spartans’ top scorers, finished with eight, but four of them were in the fourth quarter with the game’s script already written.
Now Elida’s playing with a newfound confidence that comes with winning and selfless play. Elida coach Elisa Jenkins, who said she was “relieved” after the first win Wednesday, now said she felt an “excitement” about the team’s chemistry.
“They’re really playing very unselfishly,” Jenkins said. “You can see it on the scoreboard because we’re very balanced in scoring. That’s just really good to have because it could be anybody’s night. I’m just really proud of the girls.”
Elida 50, Lima Senior 37
Lima Senior 3 6 12 16 0 0 — 37
Elida 16 10 12 12 0 0 — 50
LIMA SENIOR
Amiyah Coleman 13, Maisie Strawser 8, Ke’Asia Jones 2, Anya James 4, Mallory Gipson 8, Jaislynn Ingram 2. Totals: 14- 5- 37.
ELIDA
Leah Ramirez 6, Jojo Knight 12, Lilly Sifrit 13, Alexis Ward 0, Oliveah Sanders 13, Emma Mitchell 6. Totals: 21- 2- 50.
Van Buren 45, New Knoxville 35
ELIDA — Van Buren took third place at the 2023 Vicki Mauk Holiday Classic with its win against New Knoxville.
Van Buren (5-6) got a 20-point outburst from senior Anna Durliat, while 6-foot freshman Brooklyn Wilkins chipped in 12 points.
New Knoxville (1-9) turned to Addi Albers for 18 points, and Brynn Egbert contributed 11
Durliat and Albers were both named to the all-tournament team, selected by coaches and media members.
