ADAMS TOWNSHIP — Blanchester built a 14-point fourth quarter lead Friday night, then had to hold on late to defeat the Clinton-Massie Falcons 48-41 in the girls consolation finals of the Clinton-Massie holiday tournament.
Playing against a Clinton-Massie team dressing just six varsity players and several reserve players, Blanchester jumped out took the lead midway through the first quarter. Blan would never relinquish it, although there were some nervous moments for BHS fans.
Blanchester led 40-26 with 4:25 left after a Regan Ostermeier basket. However, Clinton-Massie started pushing the ball to the basket and drawing fouls. It allowed the Lady Falcons to edge closer without losing time.
Over the next three minutes, Clinton-Massie scored 9 of 11 points from the foul line to cut the Blanchester lead to 42-37 with 1:18 left.
After the Lady Wildcats missed the front end of the one-and-one, McKenzie Avery scored to pull Clinton-Massie within three, 42-39, with 60 seconds remaining.
Blanchester finally finished the game off at the free throw line, as Elicia Patton made 5 of 6 from the line in the final 50 seconds to hold off a valiant CM surge.
Patton led the Lady Wildcats (4-5) with 16 points and six steals. Dakota Watters added 10 points and six rebounds. Olivia Gundler had 10 points and four blocks. Ostermeier just missed a double-double, scoring eight points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
Johanna Theetge, clearly feeling the effects of an illness, still led all scorers with 19. Theetge had to come out several times in the game due to the effects of that illness. Clinton-Massie (4-6) was a plus-5 in the game with Theetge on the floor.
In addition, Avery added nine points and seven rebounds. Patience Chowning made seven points – all at the free throw line.
SUMMARY
Dec. 22, 2017
@ Clinton-Massie Middle School
Blanchester 48, Clinton-Massie 41
B…14.12.7.15…48
CM…5.11.8.17…41
(48) BLANCHESTER (fg-3fg-ft-tp) Asia Baldwin 0-0-3-3, Olivia Gundler 4-0-2-10, Lana Roy 0-0-1-1, Elicia Patton 4-2-6-16, Dakota Watters 5-0-0-10, Regan Ostermeier 3-0-2-10. TOTALS 16-2-14-48.
(41) CLINTON-MASSIE (fg-3fg-ft-tp) McKenna Crawford 2-0-0-4, Johanna Theetge 5-2-7-19, Emily Ireland 1-0-0-2, McKenzie Avery 3-0-3-9, Patience Chowning 0-0-7-7. TOTALS 11-2-17-41.
FIELD GOALS: B 16/43 (Watters 5/7, Gundler 4/7, Patton 4/12); CM 11/46 (Theetge 5/15)
3 POINT FIELD GOALS: B 2/12 (Patton 2/7); CM 2/10 (Theetge 2/3)
FREE THROWS: B 14/22 (Patton 6/9); CM 17/26 (Theetge 7/10, Chowning 7/8)
REBOUNDS: B 34 (Ostermeier 10, Watters 6, Baldwin 5); CM 38 (Theetge 11, Avery 7, Smith 4)
ASSISTS: B 7 (Gundler 4); CM 4 (Avery 2)
STEALS: B 10 (Patton 6); CM 16 (Ireland 6, Avery 5)
BLOCKED SHOTS: B 7 (Gundler 4, Baldwin 2, Watters 1); CM 2 (Theetge 2)
TURNOVERS: B 24; CM 25
