Girls Best of the Week: RV, Pleasant play big MOAC game Friday
A big one looms on Friday night. With River Valley picking up a couple of wins and Pleasant knocking off Shelby last week, the two Marion County girls basketball teams will square off in a key Mid Ohio Athletic Conference game.
River Valley is alone atop the standings at 13-3, 8-1, while Pleasant is next at 14-3, 7-2. Shelby is 10-4, 7-2 and Clear Fork 10-5, 6-3. A Viking win keeps the team alone atop the standings, while if the Spartans can pull off the home victory, they can pull themselves into a potential three-way tie for first place with RV and Shelby.
The Marion Star already reported on last week's Pleasant-Shelby encounter, while the Vikings got to this week's showdown by beating Clear Fork 45-28 and Ontario 50-27. Against the Colts, Brooklyn Mosher had 12 points and Eva Moran nine, while against the Warriors, Mosher posted 18 points, Hecker 12 and Megan Clausing nine.
Pleasant topped Highland 41-25 to keep pace as Whitney Waddell scored 12, Lexie Olt 11 and Avah Steele nine for the Spartans. Bryleigh Young had nine points for Highland.
In the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference, Northmor shook up the basketball standings after a 49-47 win over Mount Gilead. Riley Johnson knocked down six 3-pointers and ended with 20 points for the Golden Knights, while Lauren Johnson had 13 points, Madison Simpson 11 rebounds and six assists and Emilee Jordan seven rebounds. Northmor also beat Centerburg 48-43 earlier in the week with Lauren Johnson getting 17 points and five steals and Simpson 14 points and five steals.
As a result of the Northmor-Mount Gilead game, Cardington is atop the standings at 8-5, 6-1, while the Knights are 8-4, 6-2 and MG is 11-3, 6-2.
Cardington earned a 38-29 win over Fredericktown with Madison Caulkins scoring 18 and Genevieve Longsdorf getting 12.
Here are some other highlights from around the area for girls winter sports teams and athletes:
∎ Ridgedale picked up its second win of the season with a 41-36 victory over Seneca East. Lauren Leslie led the Rockets with 11, Lilly Ruth had 10, and Hannah Cook and Hannah Murphy had nine each.
∎ Elgin beat Calvary Christian 46-33 as nine Comets scored. Sam Girton scored 12 and Gracie Isler eight for Elgin.
∎ Ontario tripped up Highland 46-39. Kameron Stover had nine points and Guinevere Jackson eight for the Scots.
∎ Marion Harding was within 29-23 at halftime, but Shelby pulled away in the second half for a 64-34 victory as Kamarice Jackson put up 11 points for Harding. The Presidents toppled Galion 61-21 with Jackson getting 16 points and 10 steals, Aniya Mitchel 15 points and five assists and Paige Powers three blocks.
∎ North Union got 24 points and four assists from Abbey Price, 12 points and seven steals from Kennedy Harrah and seven rebounds and four assists from Allison Price during a 61-25 win over Kenton Ridge. In a 55-38 win over Urbana, Audrey Benedict had 13 points, Abbey Price 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals, Allison Price eight points and Zoe Wedding five assists.
∎ Marion Harding took out Shelby 1,756-1,575 in a bowling match at Cooper's Bowl. Kenzi Vaught led the home team with a 177-210 387, while Hannah Mullennix added a 172-172 344, Megan Adamson a 255 series and Jhmia Windham a 231 series. Against Highland at Colonial City Lanes, Harding won 1,648-1,387. Vaught went 212-153 365, while Windham had a 293 series, Niyemah Dixon-Melton a 262 and Peyton Apthorp a 247. Ryleigh Dewart led Highland with a 153 game, and Shelby Michaels added a 141.
Harding competed at the Sweet 16 Shootout in Centerville and ended 15th, knocked out of the Baker series matches 3-1 by Middletown. Vaught was fifth with a 158-200 358, while Apthorp was 38th and Windham 59th.
∎ Highland dropped the Presidents 1,690-1,601 at Cooper's Bowl in a return match. Elyssa Reigles led the Scots with a 161-200 361 series and Michels chipped in with a 175 game. For Harding, Vaught shot a 204-185 389 and Adamson a 251 series. Highland was fourth at the Cougar Classic, competing on a college-level oil pattern. Michaels was ninth, Reigles 10th and Jo Burson 11th in the standings.
∎ In its tightest match of the season, River Valley fell to Galion 1,738-1,731 at BlueFusion as Alexis Manning led the Vikings with a 201-190 391. In a 1,568-1,170 win over Gilead Christian, Laurie Ann Cox posted a 192 game for RV, while Olivia Morrison had a 157 game for the Eagles. RV also beat Elgin 1,828-1,561. Manning scored a 215-214 429, while Elgin's Bethany Strong led everyone with a 235-221 456.
∎ Montana Donohue had a 346 series in North Union's 2,110-1,935 loss to Northwestern. Donohue was eighth with a 468 series at the Warrior Classic D2 Preview at HP Lanes in Columbus. The Wildcats were fifth at the event with a 2,786.
∎ Three River Valley wrestlers earned places at the Heart of Ohio Invitational in Mechanicsburg. Lila Mencer was runner-up at 135 pounds, while Shayla Pappert was sixth at 125 and Kylee Sardina eighth at 130
Coaches and statisticians are encouraged to send their results to the Marion Star's Rob McCurdy at rmccurdy@gannett.com, 419-610-0998, Twitter @McMotorsport and Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star.
VOTE: Marion Star Girls Best of the Week Performer Poll
Pleasant swimmer Jenna Hollenbaugh took first in the 50-yard freestyle and second in the 200 individual medley at Colonel Crawford's Eagle Sprints.
River Valley wrestler Lila Mencer earned second place at 135 pounds at the Heart of Ohio Invitational in Mechanicsburg.
Elgin bowler Bethany Strong rolled games of 235 and 221 for a 456 series against River Valley.
Marion Harding bowler Kenzie Vaught was fifth at the Sweet 16 Shootout with a two-game 358 series.
Northmor basketball's Riley Johnson scored 20 points with six 3-pointers in a win over Mount Gilead.
Cardington basketball's Madison Caulkins scored 18 points in a win over Fredericktown.
Voting continues through early Sunday morning at MarionStar.com and its app.
In last week's poll, Highland basketball's Shelby Conley who made five 3-pointers and scored 17 points in a win over Centerburg, earned 537 of 1,180 votes (46 percent) to win it. Other nominees were Marion Harding basketball's Kamarice Jackson, River Valley swimmer Karis Beineke and Northmor basketball's Riley Johnson.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Girls Best of the Week: RV, Pleasant play big MOAC game Friday
