The Eagles celebrate after their Regional Semifinal win over the No. 1 ranked Olentangy Braves. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
Watterson rode its tenacious defense and disciplined approach to a 47-44 win over AP poll champion Olentangy. Meanwhile, Pickerington Central used a 19-0 run to rout Olentangy Liberty in the other regional semifinal.
Westerville, OH – Over a span of roughly 72 hours, the Bishop Watterson girls basketball team – seeded eighth in the Central District – has taken down the No. 4- and No.-1 ranked teams in Ohio.
While maybe a bit stunning at first glance, observers shouldn’t be too surprised. Eagles coach Sam Davis, who has won 601 games over 45 years coaching several boys and girls teams, builds programs around fundamentals, discipline and hard-nosed defense. And it doesn’t hurt that his team carries a collective 3.99 grade point average.
It was all of those qualities that helped Watterson knock off once-beaten Olentangy 47-44 in a tense Division I regional semifinal at Otterbein University’s Rike Center.
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On the heels of an overtime upset of Marysville Saturday, the Eagles are thriving in the underdog role.
Veteran central Ohio columnist Steve Blackledge writes the OCC and sports at large for Press Pros.
“Like I told you guys the other night, we’re approaching things like we’re playing with house money,” said Davis, who returned for a second stint at his alma mater in 2020 after being non-renewed as boys coach at New Albany.
“There is a confidence these girls have right now that’s hard to describe. They have so much heart and poise and they just don’t quit. The girls deserve the credit, not me.”
Sophie Ziel connects for 3 of her 21 points over the outstretched arm of Olentangy defender Meryl Kolath.
The Eagles (20-6) will need to wear their glass slippers again at 7 p.m. Friday when they meet second-ranked Pickerington Central (24-3), which trounced Olentangy Liberty in the nightcap, in the regional title game. Central will be gunning for a record 15th championship.
“We knew we had it the whole game,” Watterson junior standout Sophie Ziel said, “We’re not feeling any pressure at all. We just out there and follow the game plan. We had a tough schedule, and I think that sort of got us better at playing in these close games.”
To Ziel’s point, Watterson gradually pushed its lead to 37-26 at the midway point of the third quarter. But Olentangy refused to wilt, briefly pulling ahead during a late charge.
Lilly Mulligan sank two free throws at the 1:49 mark to make it 43-all.
After an Olentangy turnover, Ziel converted a driving layup for the lead.
Whitney Stafford hit 1 of 2 foul shots to pull the Braves to 45-44.
Watterson then successfully played keep away, forcing Olentangy to foul. Ziel, a 93 percent free throw shooter, sank both tries for a three-point lead with 19 seconds left.
Watterson’s Lilly Mulligan (24) tries to hold off Olentangy’s Chayla Rankin (22) during a DI Regional Semifinal at Otterbein’s Rike Center on March 5, 2024.
After a timeout in its end, Olentangy played for a final three, but Stafford misfired on a well-defended long three and Kate Mosher missed a follow in the lane.
Ziel scored a game-high 21 points. Mulligan added nine and Cameron Sparks eight.
In the end, the Eagles were much stronger with the ball and more disciplined and patient that the talented but youthful Braves (24-2). Watterson came in allowing just 37.4 points per game.
“We followed the game plan defensively very well,” Davis said. “We made some adjustments to handle their ball screens differently and from our film work, we knew who we had to be on.”
Added Ziel, “We were really focused on trying to take (Sydney) Mobley away because she’s a great player and can take over games inside.”
Mobley, a 6-foot-2 freshman led Olentangy with 18 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots. Stafford added 11 points. Both were first-team all-district choices.
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“They were very patient tonight and we weren’t,” Braves coach Jamie Edwards said. “We took four or five (shots) way behind the college men’s three-point. Free throws were a big problem, too. I think we missed five in a row at one point. We got called for traveling several times and made a lot of turnovers. The bottom line is we wasted way too many possessions.”
Pickerington Central 66, Olentangy Liberty 46
After trailing by as many as six points, Pickerington Central erupted for a 19-0 run spanning parts of the second and third quarters and blew away Liberty.
Pick Central’s Jaden Tucker sprints upcourt on a fastbreak during the second half of play against Olentangy Liberty.
The Tigers closed the half on a 15-0 surge with Rylee Bess scoring 12 of her 15 points in that pivotal quarter.
“It took us a while, but we know we’re always capable of a big run when we get into our rhythm,” Bess said. “Basically, it was just a matter of keeping our heads, keeping calm and playing at our pace. We got some momentum going and we’re hard to stop when we get rolling like that.”
District player of the year and McDonalds All-American Berry Wallace was unstoppable in the low and high post with a game-high 23 points. But the Illinois signee got excellent support from Bess, who hit back-to-back threes in the final minute of the half, and freshman Zoe Coleman, who added 12 points and a strong court presence.
“We went in with one specific game plan defensively, and they gave us a lot of trouble with one-on-one penetration, so we changed things up and became more aggressive with our halfcourt traps and in cutting off the driving lines,” Central coach Chris Wallace said. “It’s not the first time we’ve been hit in the mouth in the first quarter or first half, but this is a mature group of girls that is very adaptable.”
Maria Stack regains her composure after a Pick Central’s Zoe Coleman gets upended.
Liberty (21-6) thrived early on its motion offense and sharp cuts to create high percentage shots. But when the Tigers marched to a big lead, the Patriots were forced into a style they are not suited for.
“They did whatever they wanted once the got on that run,” Liberty coach Tommy Waterwash said.
“We knew coming in we couldn’t stop them inside with our undersized lineup. Berry is an All-American for a reason. We were right there, but the next thing you knew it’s up to 10 and getting even worse. Our game is to drive inside, dish out, drive and kick. Their length prohibited us from doing that.”
Claire Mikola had a fine all-around game for Liberty with 14 points, six assists, five rebounds and five steals. Sarah Mitchell and Emma Karagheuzoff added 12 points each, combining for eight three-pointers.
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