Bexley girls make a statement, shut down top-seeded Granville

BEXLEY ― It's not often a team with just three losses considers itself a big underdog, but that's the feeling Bexley's girls took into Tuesday night's non-league clash with once-beaten Granville.

After all. The visiting Blue Aces were the top-seeded Division II team in the Central District for the upcoming tournament and a two-time defending district champion, while the Lions were a third seed.

But Bexley (18-3) took it to heart on its home floor, using physical, aggressive defense and patient offense to stun Granville 48-28, forcing 22 turnovers by the Blue Aces (19-2) and holding them to just 8-of-32 shooting for 25 percent.

"It was exciting. We jelled well and everyone executed," said Sydnie Smith, niece of Ohio State great Katie Smith and one of four senior starters for the Lions. "Yes, I would say we made a statement."

"We considered ourselves underdogs, and we played maybe our best game of the season," senior guard Mikayla Williams said. "Sometimes, we act like we don't belong, but I did not sense that attitude tonight."

The Lions pressured the perimeter and wouldn't let Granville get the ball inside to junior star Harper Annarino. They were up just 10-7 late in the first quarter when Smith drove for a 3-point play, drawing Annarino's second foul and touching off a 9-0 run. The cat-quick Williams, headed to Navy to play lacrosse, then set the tone with a steal and breakaway starting the second quarter. Madison Ingram, a 5-foot-10 senior wing, then did the same and followed that up with a score inside, sending Bexley ahead 19-10.

The Blue Aces looked poise for a comeback. Ava Gossman drilled a 3 from the right corner, then Annarino scored in transition and on a move in the lane as they chopped the deficit to 19-14 with 3:10 left in the half. But Sofia Sheridan, another 5-10 senior wing, made another steal and breakaway as Bexley built a 26-14 halftime lead.

Williams opened the second half with a steal and 3-point play, then fed Smith, headed to Iowa on a track scholarship, for a layup as the margin grew to 31-14 and the Blue Aces never got closer than 12 again. Granville missed its first 10 shots of the second half and didn't have a second-half field goal until 2:39 left, on Aliyah Moore's 3-pointer.

"We knew they liked to throw lobs, but we pressured the ball and didn't give them time to think to get the ball inside," said coach Bryce Baugh, who has two four-year starters and two three-year starters. "They didn't send people across, like we had seen them do. They just stood, so we were able to jump their people outside and get those breakaways."

"We pressured them, and all of us locked down on each player," said Williams, who led the way with five steals and also had three assists.

"The past two days, we drilled on their plays, so we watched for the lob and were able to get back on their shooters," added Smith, who led the scoring with 15 points. Granville had only two 3s.

Ingram added 11 points and Sheridan eight for Bexley, which scored mostly around the basket and finished a stellar 16-of-29 from the field for 55 percent, including 11-of-16 in the first half. The Lions were 15-of-21 at the line for 71 percent.

"We played free. The pressure was not on us," Baugh said. "They're still a great team and they were expected to win. "The only people who thought we were going to win were the people in that locker room."

Gossman tallied nine points and Annarino was limited to eight points and six rebounds for the Blue Aces, only 2-of-14 from the field over the final two quarters. The defense did force the Lions into 15 turnovers. Ella Hoover had three steals.

"A lot of credit to Bexley. They're physical and their coach did a great job," coach Tate Moore said. "Smith is physical and a great athlete, and they were able to roll out multiple physical, athletic players. They out-physicaled us in just about every category. They punched us in the mouth early, and we didn't respond."

Moore said perhaps the Lions put more emphasis on the game than the Blue Aces.

"This was clearly a big game for them," he said. "They had the band, the students and the energy. We have to use this as a wakeup call, and we have to wake up quickly. It didn't affect our two main goals, winning the league and winning the district, but let's not think this wasn't an embarrassing thing in any way."

Granville had run off 12 consecutive wins since losing 45-34 to Watterson, and Moore said both games had similarities.

"Watterson was physical and pushed us around, and so did Bexley," he said. "We responded after Watterson by playing some of our best basketball of the season, and we need to respond again."

dweidig@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: NEW gbb Granville Bexley