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WASHINGTON C.H. — After splitting two meetings in the regular season against Hillsboro, Washington started Monday’s Division II sectional semifinal with a 15-1 run.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
It quickly eliminated all doubts on which team would advance.
The Blue Lions (4-19) were able to get out to a quick start behind hot shooting from Natalie Woods and Maggi Wall before coasting to a 49-35 win over their Frontier Athletic Conference rival.
“When we came here, we all had so much energy,” Woods said. “We kept that energy through the entire game.”
Coming out of the blocks, the Blue Lions took a 7-0 lead with baseline jumpers from Megan Sever and Wall, before Woods connected on a 3 from the top of the key to force a quick Hillsboro timeout.
The Indians (4-19) got on the board with a free throw from Kobie Miles, before Woods buried a corner 3, followed by a 3 from Wall and a put back from Woods for the 14-point advantage.
Hillsboro went nearly the entire first quarter without a basket, but Addyson Miles dialed long distance to stop that from happening and make it a 15-4 game after one quarter.
The Indians used that momentum to chip away at Washington’s lead, eventually cutting the deficit to as close as 17-12 midway through the quarter after Kyra Boyd connected from the top of the key. However, the Blue Lions immediately answered as senior point guard Allie Mongold made a 3 of her own from near the volleyball line to cut off all momentum for the Indians.
Washington entered the half with a 22-13 lead and four of their five starters in the scoring column.
The one who didn’t score was Calleigh Wead-Salmi. But the junior changed that in a major way in the second half.
Wead-Salmi scored a game-high 12 points in the final two quarters, helping the Blue Lions keep the Indians at arm’s length and never allowing them to get within seven points.
“She always steps up in big-game situations and helps,” Mongold said of Wead-Salmi. “That’s especially when they’re putting extra pressure on our guards. We can get that extra dump pass and she finishes. She’s a big help.”
Things got a little dicey with 3:17 left in the third quarter as Mongold went down with an injury, keeping the guard out of play for the remainder of the quarter. However, the Blue Lions managed to slightly extend their lead to 36-22 after three on a baseline jumper from Wead-Salmi.
“When I went out, I knew my teammates would have my back,” Mongold said. “They just pushed through it for me. We really have good chemistry so I knew they’d get the job done with or without me. I believe in them every second.”
After Mongold returned to action to start the fourth, the Blue Lions stretched the lead to as much as 18 before both teams emptied their benches, which actually gave the Washington faithful one final reason to cheer as junior Kaithlyn Maquiling scored on a runner in the closing seconds for her first career varsity points.
“She’s one of our biggest supporters,” Woods said of Maquiling. “She brings a lot of energy on the bench for us. Those two points, her first two varsity points, were big for her.”
While Hillsboro’s season ends, the Indians had zero seniors on their roster and will look to build upon the bricks they laid into their foundation this winter.
Meanwhile, Hillsboro will travel to top-seeded Fairland (22-0) to take on the state-ranked Dragons in a Division II sectional championship game at 7 p.m., Thursday.
BOX SCORE
Hillsboro: 4-9-9-13 — 35
Washington: 15-7-14-13 — 49
Hillsboro: 11-43 FG, 9-16 FT, 4-21 3pt., 22 rebounds (Scott 5), 18 turnovers, 5 assists (Bledsoe, Scott 2). Scoring: A. Miles 7, Herdman 6, Bledsoe 5, Seeling 5, Taylor 5, Boyd 3, Scott 2, Fraley 1, K. Miles 1.
Washington: 17-48 FG, 11-16 FT, 4-12 3pt., 34 rebounds (Woods 10), 15 turnovers, 10 assists (Woods 4). Scoring: Wead-Salmi 12, Mongold 9, Woods 8, Wall 8, Sever 7, Racine 3, Maquiling 2.
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