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FRANKFORT — Too much.
All year long, that’s what the Unioto Shermans have been for opponents.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Adena came into Tuesday’s matchup with a chance to force a tie atop the Scioto Valley Conference standings. But the aforementioned script didn’t change. Not in the least bit.
Once again, the state-ranked Shermans (19-0, 13-0 SVC) were too much to handle as six different players accounted for five or more points in a dominant 69-42 victory — one that clinched the program’s 17th league crown.
With one conference game left, Unioto is now just one win from its eighth Gold Ball.
“We’ve been working on [winning the league] the whole season, so doing that means a lot to us,” Unioto freshman Maggie Holbert said. “We don’t want to mess it up at all. This game kind of let us know that we’re on the path we need to be on. The [chance to win a] Gold Ball is next and that’s something we’ve been looking forward to all season.”
Holbert was magnificent in Tuesday’s victory, as was teammates Alexis Book and Milee Smith.
That trio gave the Warriors (16-4, 11-2 SVC) fits all evening long, teaming up to tally 44 points alongside 16 rebounds and 11 assists.
“We knew we had to come in tonight [and play well],” Book said. “Everyone wants to knock you off when you’re having an undefeated season. We knew we had to come to the job, and we did that.”
All in all, the Shermans shot 45 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. When you combine those numbers with 29 forced turnovers — most of which led to points in transition — good things tend to happen.
“It’s really fun. Once you start getting steals and into the rhythm of the game, it just gives you that sense of relief,” Holbert said. “You realize that everything you’ve been working for is starting to pay off. Our defense is random, honestly. We have a lot of communication and chemistry. But it goes off, a lot of times, how we read [the opponent’s offense].”
Tale of the tape
Unioto’s Amelia Uhrig scored the game’s first bucket with 7:25 to go in the first quarter, just before Adena’s Kiera Williams bagged a 3 on the other end.
But a combination of scores from Amaris Betts, Smith, Holbert and Book spearheaded an 11-0 run and gave the Shermans a 13-3 advantage at the 4:41 mark.
PHOTOS: Images from Unioto’s win over Adena
The Warriors never sniffed a lead again.
“It’s our chemistry that makes us one of the best teams [in the district],” Book said. “We all get along and we all know that we have each other’s backs on the court.”
Adena’s Emma Garrison hit a pair of free throws to stop the run and then hit a 3 with 3:01 left, bringing the deficit to 18-8. But Book and Uhrig added scores before the quarter ended, sending the Shermans into the second with a 23-10 edge.
The second saw more of the same type of action.
Unioto got into passing lanes and continued to score in transition, taking leads of 32-15 and 37-21 before eventually going into halftime with a 39-23 lead — after a bucket from Betts with a tenth of a second left.
“We know a big part of our game is getting steals and looking up for lay-ups,” Book said. “We just keep that fast pace and it’s super fun.”
Nothing changed in the second half, either.
Following a bucket from Adena’s Sydney Ater, Book, Smith and Holbert all added scores on a 9-0 run to put Unioto ahead 48-25. From that point on, the Shermans were on cruise control and sailed to the outright SVC championship.
Stat book
Smith led all scorers with 19 points alongside five rebounds and a pair of assists. Book followed with 13 points, four boards and five helpers while Holbert finished with 12 points, a team-high seven rebounds and four assists.
Uhrig was also in double-digit scoring figures with 10 points, Addison Mohan had nine points and Betts ended the night with six points and five rebounds.
Ater led the Warriors with 11 points and six rebounds while Garrison added nine points, five boards and three helpers.
What’s on tap
While the Warriors attempt to get back on track on Thursday in a hosted non-league matchup with Miami Trace, Unioto hosts McClain on Wednesday and looks for its 20th victory this winter.
“I think that we’re a really good team, overall,” Holbert said. “And it’s not because we’re playing bad teams. They all work hard. But we just might be at the next level and we’re ready for what’s to come. We’re taking practice super seriously and we just need to stay focused to stay on the right path.”
BOX SCORE
Unioto: 23-16-17-13 — 69
Adena: 10-13-8-11 — 42
Unioto: 26-58 FG, 7-9 FT, 8-24 3pt., 30 rebounds (Holbert 7), 15 turnovers, 13 assists (Book 5). Scoring: Smith 19, Book 13, Holbert 12, Uhrig 10, Mohan 9, Betts 6.
Adena: 12-36 FG, 15-20 FT, 3-17 3pt., 24 rebounds (Ater 6), 29 turnovers, 8 assists (Garrison 3). Scoring: Ater 11, Garrison 9, Corcoran 7, Williams 6, Miner 4, Townsend 2, Sowers 2, Day 1.
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