Austin Hannah, Contributor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — Don’t look now, but the Waterford Wildcats have won seven of their last nine games.
The Wildcats are hitting their stride at the correct time and Belpre became the latest victim of that surge on Saturday afternoon at Southeastern High School.
Led by a patient offense and an opportunistic defense, Waterford (14-10) handed Belpre a 48-26 loss in a Division VI district championship game.
After losing three incredibly talented seniors from last year’s Division VII state title team, there were many that doubted the Wildcats’ chances this winter.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
They’re officially back in the Sweet 16 — and they may be playing the best basketball they’ve played all year long.
“It’s always a concern when you’re playing a league opponent for a third time,” Waterford coach Jerry Close said of Saturday’s win. “They know what we’re doing and they know our personnel and that was the big key. The girls came in really focused today and maintained that focus throughout the game. That was the difference.”
Waterford didn’t waste any time gracing the scoreboard as Elsie Malec drilled her first 3-point attempt to give the Wildcats an early lead.
After Waterford’s next score, Belpre’s Julia Way dialed long distance on the other end before Gracie Bills got a midranger jumper to fall, making it 5-5.
But Malec and Brynnlee Pottmeyer took over from that point on.
The duo led the charge on a 9-0 run to end the first quarter, giving the Wildcats a 14-5 lead. And, put simply, it was smooth sailing from there.
Belpre was able to slice into the deficit early in the second as Way knocked down her second 3 but Malec and Pottmeyer powered a 13-0 run to make it a 27-8 ballgame.
While they continued to light up the scoreboard, they were assisted by a 3 from Ava Hurley, followed by a score from Shaeli Hayes late in the first half.
By the time the two went into the locker rooms, Waterford had seized a commanding 28-10 advantage.
“We’ve talked about giving it everything you’ve got,” Close said. “There were a lot of struggles throughout this season, just because of our youth and inexperience. So I’m just really proud of how this team has matured.”
More of the same took place in the third.
Waterford stretched its lead to as many as 23 points while Pottmeyer continued to lead the charge. By the time the final eight minutes began, the Wildcats were comfortably in front at 39-19.
Belpre’s Madison Lauer began the fourth with a 3-ball, only to be answered by a midrange jumper from Pottmeyer on the other end.
Malec nailed another triple midway through the quarter and Pottmeyer got a lay-up in transition, thwarting any thought of a comeback attempt before Waterford put the finishing touches on yet another district championship victory.
Statistically, Pottmeyer led all scorers with 23 points alongside six steals. Malec added 13 points. As a team, the Wildcats were proficient on the offensive end, going 17-of-29 shooting.
“I thought we did a nice job of backdoor cuts today and we weren’t forcing stuff in,” Close said. “When we had the ball up top, there was somebody breaking open. There were a few that had four or six points, and that’s the key in games like this. Just getting those extra points. I thought we did a real good job of that today.”
Bills, who was coming off a 20-point, 20-rebound performance in the team’s district semifinal win, led Belpre with eight points, nine rebounds and four steals.
While Belpre’s season comes to a close, Waterford will look to a Division VI regional semifinal at 8 p.m., Wednesday at Pickerington North High School.
The Wildcats will meet with Canal Winchester Harvest Prep, who defeated Northridge by a 70-44 final to advance.
“I think they’ll be ready,” Close said. “[The team’s three seniors] know what it takes. We got beat in the district final game in their freshman year. We came back and won the state title the next two years. So they know what’s at stake and they’ll be ready. It’s been a great career for them. We look to expand on it.”
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