Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
PICKERINGTON — You can circle Milee Smith on your game plan. You can throw each and every defense you have at her, too. And on days like Saturday, none of it is going to matter.
She’s still going to find a way to be spectacular.
That’s been true all season long and it didn’t change a bit at Pickerington Central High School’s Classic In The City.
The senior’s 29 points led Unioto to a coast-to-coast 60-48 victory over Olentangy Berlin — the team’s fourth victory this season in non-conference action.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“We knew it was going to be a good game tonight, so at the beginning, we just had to come out and play our game,” Smith said. “We had to play fast, do what we do and I think we got a good lead. It just continued to build after that.”
And while Smith was cold-blooded in the game’s biggest moments, the same could be said of teammate Keyairah Beard.
Beard, a sophomore sharp-shooter, helped the Shermans (13-1) grab an early lead and, later on, helped keep them on top when Olentangy Berlin (6-7) attempted to make a run.
“It’s just really my teammates keeping me going,” Beard said. “They keep the energy up and, mentally, that really helps when I’m shooting the 3. If I miss a shot, they’re lifting me up. I think that really helps me keep going and it just keeps the energy up.”
If Smith wasn’t open, Beard was. But in every occurrence, point guard Maggie Holbert made sure to find her friends.
The senior was — as usual — calm, cool and collected. Her leadership in stormy waters allowed the Shermans to steer through foul trouble throughout the majority of the game.
“We’re lucky to have a teammate and a point guard like her,” Beard said of Holbert. “She helps us get the ball distributed and she’s not selfish. She’s just a great teammate and is always lifting us up.”
PHOTOS: Images from Unioto’s win over Olentangy Berlin
Beard set the pace in the early goings, scoring five points in the contest’s first five minutes. It forced Olentangy Berlin to take a timeout with 2:48 left in the first quarter, facing a 12-5 deficit.
But Unioto’s lead only grew from there.
By the end of the first quarter, a stretch where the Shermans were 5-of-8 from the 3-point arc, the advantage had swelled to 21-8 — following back-to-back triples from Smith to end the frame.
In the second, the whistles came out and Unioto was forced to look to its bench with Holbert and starter Charlotte Dennis in foul trouble.
But it didn’t seem to matter.
The fast-paced, opportunistic offense continued to pile on, taking a 32-18 advantage into the halftime break.
Meanwhile, Unioto’s defense had held the Bears to just 6-of-26 shooting while creating 11 turnovers — OB ended the night with 16 in total.
In the second half, the Bears managed to cut the deficit to less than 10 points on multiple occasions. But each time, Smith or Beard provided an answer on the other end.
The duo was as advertised, scoring 28 of its combined 50 points in the final two quarters.
“I just didn’t want to lose. I felt like I just needed to keep playing,” Smith said. “I knew if they came back a little bit, we could easily get a bucket and just push them back even more. I think we did a good job on that.”
Statistically, Smith added three rebounds and five assists to her game-high 29 points while Beard finished with 21 points. Holbert ended the day with three points and a game-high seven assists.
“Everyday in practice, we’re reminding ourselves of what the goal is,” Beard said. “Obviously, we weren’t happy with how the season ended last year. I think that does keep us motivated.”
Up next for Unioto is a date with, quite possibly, the best team on its schedule.
The Shermans will meet with Canal Winchester Harvest Prep, back at Pickerington High School, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. The Warriors will enter that contest at a perfect 10-0 and will be looking to avenge last season’s loss to Unioto — a 68-58 final on Jan. 2, 2025.
“[Harvest Prep] is a really good team,” Smith said. “We played them last year and they’re really physical. We just have to be physical, too. We have to match their energy. If we do that, I think we’ll be fine.”
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