Teammate Victoria Mescher looks on as Loramie’s Avery Brandewie attacks the rim for two of her 23 points in Friday’s state semi-final win over Ottoville. (Press Pros Feature Photos)
Senior Avery Brandewie played her most complete game of the season, and the bench players from whom Carla Siegel had asked for more in the absence of Maddie Shatto gave her everything she could have asked for in Loramie’s Div. VII semi-final win Friday over Ottoville.
Elida, OH – Thirty minutes prior to the tip-off of Friday’s Division VII state semi-final game with Ottoville, Redskins coach Carla Siegel mentioned casually: “We really haven’t been tested yet [in the tournament], but tonight we’ll see how we play against a team like Ottoville.”
Thirty minutes after the tip Siegel had a pretty good idea of an answer to that same question.
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The defending state champions in Division IV, the new Division VII, jumped out to an early lead, visibly bothered a very good Ottoville team with their trademark pressure defense, got a rocket-like offensive boost from senior Miss-Everything Avery Brandewie, and eventually won by twelve, 52-40, to advance to next weekend’s Division VII title game at UD Arena in Dayton.
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“I’m proud of our effort, and I’m proud of the game Avery had because she led us in scoring, had 7 steals, set a school record for rebounds…and they were all over her, like bees on honey,” said Siegel.
And that’s an understatement, perhaps, because while Brandewie’s 23 points were short of her career high, but her overall effort, plus leadership, was as complete a game as she’s ever played in a Loramie uniform. She shot out like a howitzer to score 10 first quarter points and stake the Redskins to a 15-9 lead, then added 7 rebounds, 7 steals, and shot 75% from the floor (9 of 12) for the rest of the game.
“I think we were all a little nervous before the game, and frantic for the first few minutes,” Brandewie said, afterwards. “But once that ball went up I said this is the same game I’ve been playing for the past ten years. And I just went out and did what I did.
Victoria Mescher scores two of her 12 points in Friday’s 52-40 win over Ottoville.
“I didn’t think my second half was a good as the first, but my teammates stepped up, like they always do. Personally, I would have liked to have done a little better in the second half. And it was huge what the bench players did tonight because you can’t win a basketball game with just five players. We showed opponents that we’re more than just the five starters. They all did some great things tonight.”
She’s good, and modest, scoring 10 of the 15 first quarter points, and 7 of their 9 in the second quarter, staking the ‘Skins to a 24-11 halftime lead. And 24 isn’t all that many points, but Loramie’s defense smothered Ottoville, creating turnovers, deflecting balls, and holding the Lady Green (their nickname) to just 28% shooting for the first half. They scored just 4 points in the second quarter and must have felt their chances were swirling down the drain until Brooklyn Koester swished a last-second shot to cut the deficit to a more manageable 13 points, and hopefully refire the engine for the second half.
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But that didn’t happen, as Loramie came out to score the first four points and quickly pushed their lead to 17 points. And in that opening burst junior Izzy Meyer, one of the young, aforementioned bench players, scored 4 of her 8 points for the game. When sophomore Maddie Shatto went down with a season-ending knee injury six weeks ago, Siegel told the locker room that everyone had to step up in Shatto’s absence – do a little more. And Meyer hasn’t disappointed, steadily improving with hard work and the opportunity for more playing time.
Off the bench…junior Izzy Meyer leans into Ottoville’s Erica Thorbahn as she drives for two of her 8 points in Friday’s state semi-final win.
“Izzy played really well,” said Siegel. “I thought Corynn (Hoelscher) did a good job off the bench, Taylor Schmitmeyer…all those girls did well off the bench and I love the team aspect of this group. The easier games in the tournament allowed for them to get more playing time, to become more comfortable, and to feel like they’re more a part of things. Now tonight with a full house and brighter lights they came out and handled it. I’m very proud of them.”
Ottoville is a very fine basketball team (25-2), capable of scoring in bunches and capable of playing the same kind of pressure defense that Loramie plays. But whether the team aspect, or the leadership of Brandewie and 6’1″ Victoria Mescher (who played in her 113th game, a Loramie record), Loramie not only handled a second half comeback effort, but seemed to thrive on it. When Ottoville trapped or doubled the basketball, Brandewie, Mescher and crew made the right decisions and found the open teammate for easy layups. Ottoville never got the deficit under ten points with a 27-point second half, and Loramie nursed their advantage to the eventual 52-40 win.
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Bandewie led both teams with her 23 points, while their balanced scoring included 12 points from Mescher, 8 from Izzy Meyer, 3 from Corynn Hoelscher, and 2 each by Ariel Heitkamp, Mylee Shatto, and Taylor Schmitmeyer.
For Ottoville, Brooklyn Koesster had 12 and Carly Thorbahn had 11 to lead the Green.
Victoria Mescher threads a pass through the arms of Ottoville’s Erica Thorbahn during the first half of Friday’s 52-42 win.
Loramie will have to wait a week now, a new feature of the seven divisions of basketball this year, to play and attempt a repeat of last year’s title when they were playing in Division IV. Their opponent? Waterford, a rematch of last year’s Division IV Final, who defeated Berlin Hiland 50-34 Friday in the other state semi-final game at Logan High School.
And can they repeat?
Well, Loramie’s 25-3 and compares favorably to Waterford’s 26-1. And Avery Brandewie and Victoria Mescher are going to be a bad matchup for whoever they play.
But the key, believe it or not, may be the play of Izzy Meyer and the rest of the bench. For the first time this year they seem to have the kind of interchangeable impact of the past with the emergence of those benefiting from Shatto’s absence. And Waterford will look something like Ottoville for their ability to make shots and play pressure defense.
Simply put, Carla’s ‘kids’ are coming through, right when they were needed the most.
And just in time for a Loramie fifth…title, that is.
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