Coming into the Jan.19 Sandusky Bay Conference game at Oak Harbor, it might have seemed reasonable to believe the Lady Fliers had a real chance to win. After all, just a month ago at the Hangar, the game went down to the wire before the Rockets escaped with a win.
But, between then and now, the Rockets have been rolling with win after win, remaining undefeated (15-0). In the process their basketball stock has them ranked # 2 in Ohio.
Last Tuesday night, the Rockets rolled to a 55-41 win over Clyde.
On the Rockets’ court, the Lady Fliers seemed tentative at the outset and quickly began with three costly turnovers leading to an 8-0 Oak Harbor start. The Rockets, like great teams usually do, capitalized over many of the Lady Flier miscues. This was not the same Oak a Harbor team of a month ago, and the Lady Fliers have been struggling particularly since being victimized at Willard.
After falling behind 21-12 after the first quarter, Clyde seemed to have solved the Rocket scoring machine by playing an even 7-7 second quarter to trail 28-19 at halftime.
The Oak Harbor All-SBC duo of Emma Barney and Andrea Cecil had burned the visiting Fliers in the opening quarter with 20 of their team’s 21 points. In the second frame, the Rocket fire appeared under control thanks to the girls’ defense. Still, Flier fans in attendance had to be concerned by a lack of inside penetration, scoring, and dependence upon perimeter 3s.
Whatever doubts fans had about Oak Harbor’s team ability quickly evaporated in their 16-7 third quarter effort. The 5’-10” Barney had two more field goals, the 6’-0” Cecil had three, and 6’-0” freshman Leslie Harris added three more.
The Fliers could muster only one three-point field goal from Bree Dowling and four free throws from Addie Martin. The free throw aspect portrayed the Lady Fliers’ inability to score inside.
Oak Harbor generated 18 free throw attempts and made 14, while the girls in blue and gold managed only eight attempts with five makes. By the end of the third, the Rockets had solid control of the game, 44-26.
Behind big, the Lady Fliers never quit playing hard in the fourth and won that stanza behind a fine scoring effort by Heidi Marshall and Dowling. However, the Fliers had to foul to stop the clock and give themselves a chance.
Unfortunately, fouling the second-ranked girls’ team in Division II usually isn’t going to get it done. It didn’t, and the talented Lady Rockets wound up with the 55-41 triumph.
Cecil and Barney led Oak Harbor with 22 and 17 points, respectively. Newcomer Harris added 12.
For the visiting and now 9-7 Fliers, Marshall and Dowling each tallied 13 points.
A telling stat for the game was revealed in made two-point field goals. The Lady Fliers had just six, while Oak Harbor poured in 19.
