Johnstown girls basketball beats Licking Valley to keep piece of first
JOHNSTOWN — Scott Helmke admitted he “lost his mind a few times” Wednesday, but more importantly, his Johnstown girls basketball team never lost its lead.
Johnstown saw its 23-point lead slashed all the way down to one, but the Johnnies locked back in. Johnstown beat Licking Valley 56-46 in Licking County League play.
"I kept telling the team to take a deep breath, calm down, handle the pressure and just get it over the half-court line," senior Brooke Barb said. "A win like this really boosts our confidence and sends a message to the league and the Central District that we can beat a team like Licking Valley. It really brings us closer together."
Johnstown (9-6, 7-4) remained in a first-place tie with Newark Catholic in the Cardinal Division and added a strong win to its resume before Sunday's Division III tournament draw. The Johnnies visit rival Northridge on Saturday and host the Green Wave next Wednesday.
Johnstown led 38-15 early in the third quarter. That lead became 43-42 midway through the fourth, but the Johnnies did not allow a field goal the rest of the way while sealing the win at the foul line.
"We've been talking a lot about confidence and playing stronger mentally and physically," said Helmke, whose team recently lost five of six but never by more than 10 points before beating Lakewood 42-29 last Saturday.
"I called a few timeouts, but ultimately, it's up to them to figure that out," he added. "Luckily, we got it stopped and got our lead back up. It was good to see them grow from that."
Valley (10-5, 8-3) made just one field goal in the game’s first 13 minutes, but improved offense late in the second quarter carried into the second half. Senior Kylee White started attacking the basket, and the Panthers picked up their intensity on defense, too.
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The Panthers cut the deficit to 42-30 after three quarters. A pair of 3-pointers from Tori Mooney and a trio of White layups in transition pulled the Panthers to an eyelash of completing a memorable comeback.
"We dug ourselves too deep of a hole, and I told the kids teams are going to start taking (White) away. We have to find someone who can score," Valley coach Duane Wood said. "The second half we played great. It was just a couple breaks here and there. We probably should have pressed more starting out, but with some of the lineups, it's more difficult."
Possessing a significant size advantage at multiple positions, Johnstown carved up Valley’s zone early. Kylie Sharp, a 6-foot-1 freshman, scored eight of the Johnnies’ first 11 points in the paint.
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With Valley beginning to sink toward the basket, Barb hit three of her four 3s in the first half. She finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.
"Hat's off to Johnstown," Wood said. "Barb had a heck of a game. She killed us."
Sharp piled up a career-best 20 points. She scored 12 in her varsity debut two months ago, but she then missed several games because of illness.
"(Sharp) is finally back to the point she can play a lot of minutes, and with her in the game with her size and athleticism, it really gives us a third solid option for scoring," Helmke said. "She was aggressive. She played strong, and that's what we have been really on her about. She was probably the difference in the game."
White continued a recent scoring binge, totaling 22 points. Mooney added 11 and senior Sophia Crabtree six for the Panthers, who host Watkins Memorial on Saturday and await to see how a competitive Division II tournament draw shakes out on Sunday.
Sophomore point guard Abigail Adkins had 15 points for the Johnnies, who received a transition basket apiece from senior Lauren Terry and junior Michaela Perfors. Perfors also had four assists, and senior Lily Scarberry provided athleticism for a defense that got the Johnnies to the finish line.
"(The seniors) have had a tough time beating Licking Valley before I was in high school, so I needed to work hard to score," Sharp said. "I am not really big on scoring. I usually tell myself to get open and even if it doesn't go in, I keep pushing myself. I knew the seniors would be happy to win this game."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Johnstown girls basketball beats Licking Valley to keep piece of first
