By Noa Pitstick and Andrew Zwick / Sports Editors
The girls basketball team defeated Columbus Academy 38-35 in a second half comeback Dec. 5.
Bexley had five turnovers in the first two minutes, allowing Academy to start off on a 14-2 run, girls varsity basketball coach Brycen Baugh said. However, Bexley managed an 8-0 run to close out the quarter with Academy leading 14-10.
Bexley maintained its strength in the second quarter on a 5-0 run to take an early lead of 15-14. Nonetheless, the Vikings continued to fight, racking up points from free throws. Ultimately, Academy had a one point lead over Bexley going into halftime, with a score of 22-21.
“The big thing we stressed at halftime was not fouling and sending them to the line,” Baugh said. “We talked about how they had only made four baskets, but they had made 14 free throws.”
With momentum from the home crowd, Bexley remained in control of the ball, allowing the Vikings to score only three points in the third quarter. This combination of offense and defense allowed Bexley to take a 33-25 lead by the end of the third quarter, Baugh said.
“We did a good job of making the game chaotic,” he said. “That’s kind of our philosophy this year: make the game as crazy as possible to give us our best chance to win.”
The rivals traded points in the fourth quarter, but senior Reese McClellan said the Lions were able to hold on to the lead with big plays.
“There were a lot of big baskets from Evie Messmer in the end,” McClellan said. “She was really finishing, which was very helpful.”
The third quarter defense enabled the Lions to defeat the Vikings in a close, uncertain game, McClellan explained.
The home advantage was essential in the Lions’ 38-35 win, Baugh said.
“The crowd was great; multiple people told me after the game that the crowd was really helpful,” he said. “Academy was a really young team, so I am sure that it intimidated them.”
This was the Lions’ fourth game of the season and first win. McClellan said this victory over their rivals will help to drive the team to more triumphs.
She said the team’s Feb. 2 senior night game against Grandview Heights will be an intense matchup, along with games against Bloom Carroll and Granville. These teams will be some of the Lions’ most challenging opponents, she added.
In the coming weeks, the team will continue to practice hard and with a game-like energy to prepare, McClellan said.
“We push each other a lot in practice to prepare for games,” she said. “We also watch film to prepare for what other teams are going to do.”
Overall, McClellan said she is proud of the team for what they accomplished that night and excited for the rest of the season.
“We’re a young team, but having a big crowd and continuing to work hard even when we were down was what made us win,” she said.
Noa Pitstick is a senior sports editor at Bexley High School. She is a varsity captain for both cheer and lacrosse.
Andrew Zwick is a junior at Bexley High School and a staff reporter for the Torch. Outside of the Torch, Andrew plays basketball and soccer for the school.
