Three-peat! Crestview clinches Firelands Conference girls basketball championship with win over South Central
OLIVESBURG — It is not often a high school basketball game is won and lost in the first two minutes of the game.
But on Saturday afternoon that was exactly when Crestview defeated South Central.
After jumping out to an 11-0 lead just two minutes into the game, the Cougars used that fast start to cruise to a 50-39 win over the Trojans to net Crestview its third consecutive Firelands Conference championship.
The Cougars (13-3, 11-0) have a three-game lead in the league standings with three games left, so they can finish with no less than a share of the FC title. They used a full-court pressure defense early and often against the Trojans, forcing turnover after turnover and converting those miscues into points to force a South Central timeout.
"It was so key because we have been struggling for the past couple of games offensively," Crestview junior Emma Aumend said. "We got our defensive intensity back tonight, and our full-court pressure started working like it did at the beginning of the season and we hope this is just the beginning."
Aumend led all scorers with 19 points, including eight in the first quarter, as the Cougars jumped out to a 19-5 lead at the end of the first eight minutes to set the tone for the rest of the game.
"We have been stressing so much lately about being ready to go right from the jump," Crestview coach Amy Bays said. "We are known for our defense and we take so much pride in our effort on that end of the floor, and for us to come out strong, do what we were supposed to do, take the next pass away and be that person to give a little extra, that allowed us to get out to that quick start."
After the first two minutes of the game, the Trojans matched Crestview point for point the rest of the way. Although South Central coach John Vogel admitted his team turned the ball over, it also didn't help itself by missing four easy opportunities on the offensive end.
"We are down 11-0 and we've missed four layups," Vogel said. "You take that away and it is a tight ballgame. I wanted it to be close like it was over at our place but, unfortunately, we just didn't get the basketball to fall in the hoop when we needed it to. We didn't execute on defense the way we should."
After grabbing the early lead, Crestview dictated how the rest of the night played out. The Trojans were forced to go small to compete with the Cougars' five-guard offense and had to abandon a game plan that focused on using their size.
"We have size on our team, but when we got down early we were forced to play a lineup that we didn't necessarily want to," Vogel said. "I have bigger players, but when they are trying to play against five guards, it makes it tough with our defensive matchups. They went very small and we had to adjust.
"If that first quarter was tighter or we could have gotten a lead, we could have dictated how to play the game by going big. We just never got it."
The Cougars do not have play anyone taller than 5-foot-7, with a majority in the 5-5 range, but what they lack in size they make up for it with heart and hustle. It also helps when every player on the court handles the ball well and can break down pressure off the dribble.
"Almost every one of my starters was a point guard at some point or another in their Crestview careers," Bays said. "They have all played that role, and to have that caliber of athlete at our disposal is huge. It lets us control the game when we need to and push the pace."
Aumend, who is the tallest starter at 5-7, said she loves playing the run-and-jump style.
"It is so much fun," she said. "We graduated so much size last year, and I don't know if you can tell but half-court defense isn't exactly our thing because we are so small. So we want to play fast like that because it suits us with our speed."
The Cougars came into the year having graduated two 6-footers in Kenedi Goon and Kylie Ringler, so no one gave them a chance to three-peat as league champions. Yet, here they are, sporting a small lineup and using speed and athleticism to run wild through the FC.
"People said before the season that we lost all of our talent, and I always disagreed," Bays said. "We lost all of our size, yes, but we still have some extremely talented players. This team has learned to believe in itself and its abilities, and the girls are playing well right now.
"It is huge for this program and this team. We've had so many doubters early on and, even now, we still do. It is huge for these girls. They put a huge chip on their shoulder when people counted them out and they just came out, played for themselves and played for the team."
Vogel and the rest of the Trojans could do nothing but simply tip their caps to the champs.
"First off, you have to give a ton of credit to Crestview," Vogel said. "They graduated a lot of leadership and talent, and to come back the next year, have Amy step in and win it, is very impressive. That staff and that team deserve a lot of congratulations. They play extremely hard and do not make a lot of mistakes."
For Aumend and the rest of the Cougars, goal No. 1 is checked off. The three-peat is the second in program history — the Cougars also won three FC titles in a row in 1994-97.
"It is amazing," Aumend said. "We were in the locker room cheering because we just accomplished our first goal for the season. Now, we just want to keep it up and keep this thing going."
Frankie Dinsmore and Mary Leeper added nine points apiece for Crestview while Skylar Ramsey had six, Anna McFarland five and Georgia McFarland two.
The Cougars are back in action on Thursday at home against Loudonville.
Kendyl Beverly scored 16 points and Claire Osborn 13 for South Central (7-9, 5-6), which hosts Mansfield Christian on Thursday. Grace Lamoreaux added six points and Angela Williams rounded out the scoring with four.
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: The Crestview Cougars have three consecutive FC titles to their credit
