Third-quarter outburst sends New Lex past Philo
PHILO — New Lexington coach Jay Chadwell admitted fitting three freshmen into the lineup and rotation has had its challenges.
Yet, he saw glimpses of its promise in the second half, as the Panthers pulled away during a 62-38 victory over host Philo in Wednesday's Muskingum Valley League crossover at The Power Plant.
Freshman Gracie Newlon hit a 3 before to cap a 16-3 third for New Lex (5-0, 3-0), while classmates Chloe Dick, the fifth starter, and Makenzy McCoy added seven and six points, respectively.
Chadwell hopes his team can build on this effort. The Panthers made 14 of 24 shots in the second half, including 5 of 10 behind the arc.
"Last year, we had a six-girl rotation, and this year, we have three freshmen with four starters back so we're not where we want to be yet," Chadwell said. "We know what we're going to get from our upperclassmen. They carried us in the first half, but the second half was the best half we've played this season."
Both teams struggled with possession in the first half. Philo (0-4, 0-3) scored the game's first eight points, but New Lex followed with 12 straight, thanks to four Electric turnovers.
Aubri Spicer had four points during that run and scored 10 of her 21 in the first frame, putting the Panthers up 18-14 going to the second.
Philo never got closer after 11 turnovers and 1-of-11 shooting in the second quarter, but New Lex was only 3 of 10 from the field with Spicer scoring five and Trinity Cook hitting a 3 for a 27-16 halftime advantage.
The Electrics trailed by double figures the entire second half. They committed eight turnovers in the third, which allowed New Lex to find its offense. Abby Wilson had seven of her 11 points in that frame, including a 3, as the Panthers' advantage grew to 43-19 going to the fourth.
Chadwell gave credit to Philo for its effort, especially in the first half, but this was valuable experience for his squad.
New Lex had only four second-half turnovers after 11 in the first half, while Cook contributed eight points in a balanced effort.
"Coach (Dan) Hilty's teams play hard, and their kids deserve credit for their play, especially on defense," Chadwell noted. "We want to play fast, but we also want productive shots. We've struggled with that so far, but we did a better job of that in the second half."
Turnovers haunted the Electrics, who finished with 24. They were also held to 14-of-49 shooting, including 6 of 17 behind the arc.
Olivia Dement scored a team-high 13 points, 10 in the fourth, with four rebounds and three assists. Bailey Dement added eight points with three steals and Olivia Winland chipped in seven and four boards and Caitlin Rose grabbed five rebounds in the loss.
Hilty saw some positives as his team looks for consistency.
"From scouting them, we knew what they want to do. They're a well-coached, physical team," he said. "They want to play fast, and we showed glimpses of success when we gave ourselves good opportunities.
"This group is hungry and wants to get better. We'll continue to learn and play hard, and the results will follow."
New Lex reserves won 36-18 behind 15 points from Olivia Beaulieu, and Jenna Lytton had five points for Philo.
bhannahs@gannett.com; @brandonhannahs
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Third-quarter outburst sends New Lex past Philo
