SHELBY — The Lexington girls’ basketball team has improved a lot since last season – so much so its foe at the Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge was stumped.
Lady Lex used that mystery and a dominant defense to defeat Tiffin Columbian 35-29 on Saturday afternoon at the Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge.
“Lexington hustled,” Tiffin Columbian coach Erin Reed said. “I’ll tell you what, we played them last year and this was not what they did last year. They didn’t hustle like that, they didn’t give up. Their coach is doing a great job.”
The Tornadoes opened the game with an 8-0 run. Meanwhile, Lexington didn’t score its first points until 3:25 remained in the first quarter. But a stingy effort at the other end of the floor kept Lex in it, until the offense found its footing.
“I thought our defense was really good, our rotations were fast. We just couldn’t buy a basket,” Lex head coach Nate Lautzenhiser said. “We shot 12 percent in the first half. We were getting point-blank, uncontested layups we just couldn’t put in the basket.
“I just told them to fix the finish. We started getting better in the second quarter.”
Olivia Kearns, who led her team with 12 points, pushed Lexington on top for the first time in the third quarter.
“She’s one of our hybrid players,” Lautzenhiser said. “She can take you inside or go outside. She’s a great player.”
As the game continued, the action got physical. In the third quarter, Lex’s Abigail Adams and Columbian’s Madalyn Brisendine got tangled up with the latter earning a technical.
“That’s our captain,” Reed said. “She has got to do a better job keeping her cool.”
Brisendine registered a team-high 12 points, but the foul total and free throws were instrumental for Lexington.
“We didn’t buy into that kind of game,” Lautzenhiser said.”We were able to make our free throws down the stretch and get the win.”
Gabby Stover, a Lex freshman, finished the game with nine points.
Lautzenhiser said he was impressed with his point guard’s ability to distribute the ball.
“She’s assumed her role. I still want to get her to score a little more. She wants to be the distributor and dump the ball off. But I told her, when you turn the corner and she has those gaps, she should take them. She creates match-up problems. She’s tall for a point guard. She’s a weapon.”
Lexington finished the game with 15 of 24 free throws. Columbian made 7 of 15, and that nine-point difference was enormous in deciding the contest.
Events such as the The Richland Source NOL-OCC Challenge do not happen without tremendous partners. The NOL-OCC Challenge is presented by Mechanics Bank Be the Change scholarship program in partnership with The Holden Agency and Marco Photo Service. Supporting sponsors include Olive Garden, North Central State College, Rinehart Walters Danner Insurance, Prospering Life Events, Best Buy, TextLoyal, The Vault Wine Bar, The Ohio State University at Mansfield, and Lantz Star Graphics.
