ADAMS TOWNSHIP – Name a superlative and it probably applied to Clinton-Massie standout Miquela Santoro’s night Thursday versus Clinton County and South Central Ohio League rival Wilmington.
Santoro, who will play at Winthrop next year, saved her best for last, pouring in a career-high 36 points on 14-of-21 shooting in her last game on Lebanon Road, a 70-42 victory.
“What do you do? They were on a mission, after we beat them the first time,” Wilmington head coach Mark Short said, referring to Dec. 12 when the Hurricane handed the Falcons their first loss of the season. “They responded. We didn’t have an answer. We especially didn’t have an answer for No. 10 (Santoro).
“It was a phenomenal show. I just wish I wasn’t on the (other) end of it.”
The show started early. Santoro hit her first three shots to help Massie (18-4, 11-3) to an 8-0 lead midway through the first period.
She hit double-figures in the first minute of the second quarter when she hit her fifth of seven field goal attempts. Santoro eclipsed the 20-point mark on her ninth field goal in 13 attempts and the 30-point mark in the first minute of the fourth quarter on her 12th field goal in 18 attempts.
“I think people, on both sides, really enjoyed what they saw,” CM head coach Carlos Roberts said. “She put on a great show.
But Santoro wasn’t the only Falcon scorching the nets. The team was 27-of-45 from the field (60 percent). CM only missed seven field goal attempts in the first half in building a 40-16 cushion.
The coldest Massie was from the field was a 1-for-5 stretch at the end of the third period that helped allow Wilmington (10-11, 6-8) trim CM’s 49-22 lead to 52-35.
“We we got a lead (tonight), and we told them ‘We had a lead before. And we gave up a 12, 13-point lead, and they got us. Don’t do it this time,” Roberts said, harkening back to the Dec. 12 meeting. “They cut it to 17. That’s when I thought we hit that wall. But they just played through it. It worked out well. I’m so proud of them.”
The only thing the Falcons hit was their next seven shots to build their largest lead of the night, 68-37 midway through the final quarter.
Santoro’s classmate Madison Purkey also cracked double-figures with 10 points.
Faith Sanderson led Wilmington with 14 points. Suzannah Johns chipped in with 12.
Clinton-Massie now heads to the post-season where it will face another county rival, Blanchester, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Division II sectional at Lebanon High School.
Wilmington finishes the regular season Saturday at home versus Cincinnati Christian. The Hurricane then will open the postseason in the Division II sectional at 11 a.m. Feb. 13 against Chaminade-Julienne, also at Lebanon High School.
In the JV game, Massie won 34-12. Madilyn Newton had nine for the Falcons. Heather Fryman had five for the Hurricane.
SUMMARY
Feb 4, 2014
@Lebanon Road gym
Clinton-Massie 70 Wilmington 42
W 07.09.19.07…..42
C 18.22.12.18…..70
(42) WILMINGTON (fg-ft-tp) S. Johns 4-2-11, Sanderson 6-0-14, Jamiel 2-2-7, Jackson 2-0-4, Stewart 0-2-2, J. Johns 0-0-0, Quallen 0-0-0, Fryman 0-0-0, Frisco 1-2-4, Total 15-8-42. 3-point goals: 4 (Sanderson 2, Jamiel, S. Johns). FTM-FTA 8-11, 73 percent.
(70) CLINTON-MASSIE (fg-ft-tp) Santoro 14-4-36, Theetge 1-4-6, Rose 1-1-3, Purkey 4-1-10, Myers 2-0-4, Cottrell 0-0-0, Fisher 1-0-2, Cloud 0-0-0, Leary 1-0-2, Ireland 0-0-0, Newton 3-0-7, Total 27-10-70. 3-point goals: 6 (Santoro 4, Newton, Purkey). FTM-FTA 10-15, 67 percent.
