Margaretta's defense stifles Wynford girls in district championship
FREMONT — Margaretta head coach Ray Neill referenced a cliché that defense travels following his team's 42-24 Division VI district championship Saturday afternoon at Fremont Ross High School.
Unfortunately, Wynford was on the receiving end of that tough D — held to zero points in the second quarter — as the Lady Bears advanced to the Bluffton regional.
"We knew they have an All-Ohio player (Cassidy Lane) and we had to contend with her," Wynford coach Amy Taylor-Sheldon said. "But it's not just about their offense. They're a great defensive team."
Lane scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds; Kenadie Saylor led Margaretta with 13 points, four rebounds and a steal.
"We didn't have enough firepower and probably missed some easier shots early," Taylor-Sheldon said. "We were forced to take some other shots.
"We did as good as any team in the post-season to guard and defend them. I'm super proud of our effort," she said.
Wynford ends its season at 19-6 while Margaretta (24-1) faces Ottawa Hills, a 44-41 winner over New London. This marks the Lady Bears' fifth consecutive district title.
"We were well prepared, but limited on offense because of their great defense," Taylor-Sheldon said. "We didn't take advantage of some mismatches. Their interior defense was great on the ball."
Caroline Sheldon had 15 points to lead the Lady Royals.
After a Lane put-back, Margaretta led 11-8 after one quarter. What followed was eight minutes of scoreless play for Wynford.
"It's really difficult to prepare for because we don't have people on the perimeter who are 5-10 that guard us in the N10," Taylor-Sheldon said. "When you have that, you have to try a couple different things. It's tough to simulate. We couldn't get to the foul line in the second quarter."
The Lady Royals shot 7-of-39 from the field and just 3-of-19 from beyond the arc. Rebounding (27 to 30) and turnovers (five to seven) were nearly equal.
"We tried to get off on two feet and try to draw a foul, but we missed shots. We lived and we died by the 3 all year, we're not going to necessarily change our identity," Taylor-Sheldon said.
Wynford managed 10 points in the third period with Caroline Sheldon scoring six and Maggie Ridge four. A 3-pointer by Saylor gave the Bears a 21-11 lead with 4:40 left in the third, but Sheldon cut it to 24-17 at the 2:11 mark.
Lane and Saylor went to work to open the margin before Ellyse Schaefer scored nine, including a pair of wing 3s, to pull away.
"It was a Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots kind of game early on the defensive end," Neill said alluding to the physical nature of the game. "We were getting after it and our girls worked their butts off to execute the game plan defensively. Wynford was very physical, very tenacious from the defensive end. It took us a while to figure some things out."
Neill said Wynford tried several defensive approaches to neutralize Schaefer.
"We've been preaching that defense is gonna travel," he said. "We have some people that love to do it, love hearing it," he said. "People fail to see how good Cassidy is on the defensive end, both on the ball and off the ball."
Margaretta, ranked No. 1 in the state by MaxPreps, won its 15th straight game. The Bears have outscored three tournament opponents 176-67.
Two seniors — Rylee Robinson and Maradath Engler — played their final game for the Lady Royals.
"Rylee last year didn't play due to an injury from softball. But she wanted to come out and play with her friends, knowing that before Brooke (Frombaugh) got hurt, her minutes would be limited," Taylor-Sheldon said. "That's pretty rare where a kid comes out like that. I just give her a ton of credit. She's a great athlete and a joy to coach and always gives her best effort."
Robinson grabbed six rebounds, Engler added three points, three rebounds, and an assist.
"Maradath is a four-year starter and one of the joys of my career to coach," Taylor-Sheldon said. "Just a tough, tough kid, physically and mentally.
"Throughout her career has made some game-winning free throws and hit some big baskets. She's a great floor leader and a lockdown defender."
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Wynford girls basketball falls to Margaretta in district championship
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