Milton-Union junior Michaela Firks splits two Bethel defenders. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Julie Wright-Daniel)
Milton-Union rallied to beat Bethel thanks to a mature performance from a freshman on Senior Night.
By Marcus Hartman for Press Pros
West Milton, OH — A freshman stepped up on Senior Night for Milton-Union.
Veteran columnist Marcus Freeman writes the Buckeyes and sports at large for Press Pros Magazine.com.
First-year guard Layla Fulton scored four straight points to break a 39-all tie in the final two minutes and send the Lady Bulldogs to a 47-43 victory over visiting Bethel, and no one seemed surprised afterward.
Athletes In Action is proud to be a presenting sponsor of area basketball on Press Pros Magazine.com. Call now for camp opportunities for your team in summer, 2026.
“She’s somebody who’s really shown a lot of growth,” Milton-Union coach Katie Roose said after her team improved to 14-5 overall and 9-3 in the Three Rivers Conference. “Starting a freshman is sometimes a risky thing to do as a coach. We didn’t really have an option, honestly, but she’s a natural athlete. She loves the game of basketball, and she has just continued to grow and grow.”
She also had the confidence of fellow guard Kate Copp, the team’s only senior.
“She’s stepped up a lot for us and helped us out so much,” Copp said. “She’s a very good asset to our team.
Milton’s Freshman Layla Fulton puts up a layup for two of her 12 points against Bethel.
“She’s a natural athlete, and she just fit right in with all of us, so there wasn’t too much trouble breaking her in.”
After putting MU on top with a layup with under two minutes to go, Fulton stepped into a passing lane and was off to the races. The 5-10 guard didn’t complete the fast-break with a layup, but she was fouled with 1:33 to go and made both free throws for a four-point lead.
From there the hosts were able to hang on, in no small part because Fulton made three of four free throws after the Bees were forced to give fouls to extend the game.
“I was like, ‘Get the ball in her hands’ because she’s calm and confident at the free throw line,” Roose said. “And out of a freshman, that’s amazing as a coach to be like, ‘I don’t mind Layla going to the free throw line. She’s gonna knock these down.’”
The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for Bethel (16-2, 11-2) and dropped the Bees two games back of conference-leading Miami East with only one left to play.
Minster Bank is a proud sponsor of High School Basketball on Press Pros Magazine.com.
That eliminated one of Bethel’s goals — a TRC title — but Bees coach Josh Anderson said they still have a lot to play for — including the chance for a better showing against the Vikings.
They lost the first matchup 54-34 at home Dec. 20 but get another shot at them next Thursday.
Milton’s only Senior Kate Copp goes up for a shot over Madisyn Halfhill.
“We didn’t play them well in the first game so I think we’re still hungry,” he said. “So I think just that we still have a lot to learn, and sometimes a loss late isn’t always a bad thing.”
Bethel forward Caitlyn Jefferson entered the night second in the TRC in scoring at 16.2 points per game, and she finished with 17 against the Bulldogs.
Jocelyn Stegner added nine points for the Bees while Isabella Halleg and Annabelle Adams added six apiece.
Fulton ended up with 12 points while junior Michaela Firks had 13 points and 19 rebounds to lead Milton-Union.
Junior Addi Case had eight points while Copp scored seven points and had four rebounds on her Senior Night.
“She’s actually got the most wins of any Milton-Union girls basketball player in history,” Roose said of Copp. “This is her 63rd in her four-year career, so she’s the winningest player in Milton-Union girls basketball history. So that’s a testament to her, but her leadership and her positivity really helps our team.
EB Real Estate, Darke County’s sales leader, proudly sponsors the best area sports on Press Pros Magazine.
“She’s been a huge asset.”
Bethel led 10-9 after a back-and-forth first quarter, but Milton-Union scored the last five points of the second quarter to take a 23-18 lead into the locker room.
They were still ahead by five early in the third quarter when Bethel reeled off an 11-2 run that looked like it might be the turning point in the game.
Bethel’s leading scorer Caitlyn Jefferson launches a long-range jumper against Milton-Union.
But Roose said she wasn’t concerned.
Though Milton-Union has only one senior, Roose has four returning starters from last season and felt her team would respond the right way.
They did, getting a bank shot from Sophie Layman to break the run and a buzzer-beating layup from Firks to go to the fourth quarter trailing 33-31.
It stayed close from there, setting up Fulton’s flourish that propelled the Bulldogs to victory while the Bees suffered only their second defeat of the season.
“We gave up a couple easy layups at the end of the second quarter and the end of the third quarter. That really hurt us,” Anderson said. “They did a really good job at taking momentum back, and I think that hurt us. We came out in the fourth quarter and in the beginning of the third quarter and really pressed and gave a lot more effort, and it seemed like we were on the right path, but I still think just rebounds and turnovers kind of hurt us.”
Milton-Union won’t be able to win the TRC, either, but Roose said the school record of 19 wins is still in reach with three more games to go in the regular season and then Division V tournament play.
“Other than the freshman, we’ve got a veteran team out there,” Roose said. “They know what they need to do, and they’re just showing their maturity that we’re doing what we need to do even in the moments where the odds may be stacked against us.”
Bethel’s Izzy Halleg strips the ball from Milton-Union’s Addi Case on Thursday night in the TRC.
Mark Knupp Muffler and Tire proudly sponsors area sports on Press Pros Magazine.com