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CHILLICOTHE — After trailing Whiteoak for nearly three quarters, Belpre stepped up their defensive effort in the final quarter of Saturday’s Division VI district championship game.
It led them to a 43-35 win over the Wildcats to secure the program’s first district crown since 1997.
Just two seasons free from a 4-19 season, the Golden Eagles (17-7) have soared to heights that they haven’t reached in 28 seasons.
“This feels very good,” Belpre’s Haley Alloway said. “I’ve never gotten to cut a net down and now I have a net around my neck. So it just feels amazing.”
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
The win wouldn’t come easy for Belpre as it trailed 21-9 after one quarter, due in part to Whiteoak’s red-hot start from the field.
Addy Roberts knocked down two treys while Addy and Charli Hauke each connected from downtown during the 4-for-5 start from 3-point range for the Wildcats.
A hard driving score from Kylee Hamm at the hoop, before a score inside from Torie Potts, nearly put the game out of reach early.
If not for an outstanding effort inside from Gracie Bills and Larissa McDaniel, it may have been too much for the Golden Eagles to recover from.
“We had a physical, physical game,” Alloway said. “Thanks to Gracie, she got the rebounds and put it back up and we ended up slowly it down a little bit. We were able to play it our way.”
The lead was pushed to 23-9 after a mid-range jumper from Roberts, but behind a triple from Haley Alloway, hard work inside from Bills and points from Madison Lauer and Addy Stewart, the Golden Eagles cut the deficit to 27-21 at halftime.
Coming out of the break, Belpre’s Julia Way started to get going at the hoop.
The junior point guard knocked down a trio of driving baskets, one of which tied the game at 31-31 with 3:29 to play in the third.
“She’s very physical and she gets down to it,” Alloway said of Way. “She’ll get through it no matte what. It’s very good to have her in the fourth quarter when we’re down by a little bit. We know she’s going to get us points.”
Whiteoak (16-7) regained the lead when Hamm and Potts went a combined 3-for-4 at the free throw line, making it a 34-33 count with only eight minutes to play.
But that’s when Belpre stepped up their defensive pressure and intensity. The Golden Eagles were still having issues finally getting over the hump on the offensive end but a mid-range pull-up jumper from Shy Miller with 6:15 to play gave the Golden Eagles their first lead since the first quarter — and one they’d never relinquish.
Bills ripped down an offensive rebound before scoring a putback with 4:40 to play, but the offensive struggles continued for Belpre as they weren’t able to create much separation.
It took a continuance of defensive stops to put the Golden Eagles back into the Sweet 16.
After a long missed 3 from Whiteoak, Alloway pulled down the rebound for Belpre, leading to a foul. The gritty senior then toed the foul line, making 4-out-5 free throws in the final 90 seconds to keep Belpre at a comfortable distance.
A layup from McDaniel capped the scoring for Belpre as they nearly pitched a shutout over the final eight minutes of play. But a late free throw for Whiteoak broke up the shutout and cemented the final score.
“Honestly, it feels so good. I’m just so proud of all of the girls,” Bills said. “I just knew that in the fourth quarter, if we just kept pushing, we’d win. Everyone worked so hard and it really paid off.”
Whiteoak finishes their season as a district runner-up, but are not that far from a three-year run where the Wildcats were only 1-61 overall.
The team’s seniors – led by Hamm and Roberts, along with Elly McMullen and Adrionna Phillips — will close their careers responsible for a tremendous turnaround for the program.
Hamm finished her final game with a team-high 12 points while Roberts scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds. The Wildcats will return four of their rotation players — Addy and Charli Hauke, Potts and Jillian Lucas — as they look to take the next step.
Belpre was led by Bills with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Alloway added nine points and grabbed eight boards. Way finished with eight points and four assists for the Golden Eagles.
The Golden Eagles advance to the Sweet 16 to face a familiar foe. They’ll will meet with Fort Frye (19-4) for a second time this season.
Fort Frye won the previous regular season meeting, 52-44, on Dec. 21.
That regional semifinal matchup is slated for 6 p.m. on Thursday at Pickerington Central High School.
“[The team’s schedule] always prepares us,” Bills said. “Like after our hard games against Fort Frye and Federal Hocking, the teams we play might even be better. They might play harder. So we’re always prepared for that. It just helps us in the long run.”
BOX SCORE
Whiteoak: 21-6-7-1 — 35
Belpre: 9-12-12-17 — 50
Whiteoak: 9-44 FG, 4-19 3pt., 13-18 FT, 24 rebounds (Roberts 7), 6 assists (Lucas 2), 20 turnovers. Scoring: Hamm 12, Roberts 8, A. Hauke 7, Potts 4, C. Hauke 3, Lucas 1.
Belpre: 17-38 FG, 1-6 3pt., 8-15 FT, 23 rebounds (Bills 10), 6 assists (Way 4), 18 turnovers. Scoring: Bills 15, Alloway 9, Way 8, McDaniel 4, Miller 2, Stewart 2, Lauer 1.
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