WELLSTON — The Green Lady Bobcats trailing at halftime was something different, so head coach Melissa Knapp tried something different in the second half.
Knapp’s strategy change paid dividends as the Lady Bobcats rallied from 4 points down to beat the Symmes Valley Lady Vikings 59-50 in the Division 7 district semifinals.
“We changed our defense. We applied more pressure instead of laying back,” said Knapp.
“We kept trying to push the ball to get something going. Then Matti (Hayslip) started hitting 3s and everything seemed normal again.”
The Lady Bobcats rallied in the second half as Abbie Knapp and Hayslip combined for 29 points and Green outscored the Lady Vikings 36-23 in the half.
Green (21-1) will play South Gallia at 5 p.m. Saturday in the district finals at Wellston High School.
Lydia Saunders hit a 3-pointer and scored 9 points and Kaitlin Maynard got 4 points and Brenna Tibbs hit a trey as the Lady Vikings took a 16-13 lead.
Knapp scored 7 points including 5 of 7 at the line with Hayslip scoring 4 points and Elizabeth McBee had a basket for Green.
Saunders scored 5 points and three other players had baskets and the lead was 27-23 at the half.
Knapp scored 6 for Green with Mylee Brown and Hayslip each getting a basket.
Green began its comeback in the third quarter by outscoring Symmes Valley 22-11 to take a 45-38 lead.
Hayslip got hot from long distance as she hit three 3-pointers as she scored 11 points. Brown had a trifecta with Knapp scoring 7 points.
Tibbs hit a 3-pointer and scored 5 points for the Lady Vikings.
The Lady Bobcats extended the lead by outscoring the Lady Vikings 14-12.
Green converted 9 of 12 from the fouling with Knapp making 6 of 8 as she scored 8 points while Hayslip was 3 of 4 at the line and McBee hit a 3-pointer.
Tibbs had 4 points as six different players scored for Symmes Valley.
Knapp finished with a game-high 28 points including 12 of 17 at the line. Hayslip had three 3-pointers as she scored 20 points.
Saunders scored 15 points and Tibbs got 14 to lead the Lady Vikings (10-12).
Sym. Valley 16 11 11 12 = 50
Green 13 10 22 14 = 59
SYMMES VALLEY (10-12): Lindsay Freeman 0 0 0-0 0, Lydia Saunders 5 0 5-5 15, Lexi Freeman 0 0 0-0 0, Kayley Maynard 1 1 0-0 5, Aly Haydon 2 0 1-2 5, Brenna Tibbs 4 2 0-0 14, Aylissa Anthony 1 0 1-2 3, Riley Loudenburg 0 0 0-0 0, Kaitlin Maynard 4 0 0-0 8. Totals: 17 3 7-9 50. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: Saunders, Tibbs.
GREEN (21-1): Addison Blizzard 0 0 0-0 0, Mylee Hunt 0 0 0-0 0, Elizabeth McBee 1 1 1-2 6, Mylee Brown 1 1 0-0 5, Ava Abrams 0 0 0-0 0, Matti Hayslip 3 3 5-7 20, Abbie Knapp 8 0 12-17 26. Totals: 13 5 18-26 59. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.
Comments