Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CIRCLEVILLE — As the clock struck triple zeroes on Tuesday night, Logan Elm senior Kiannah Ingram couldn’t help but flash an ear-to-ear smile at each of her teammates, paired with a jubilant yell.
The Braves’ standout guard wasn’t just celebrating a run-of-the-mill victory, but instead celebrating the type of win that puts a program on the map.
Her 29-point effort was the driving force behind a 54-38 win over crosstown rival Circleville — the Braves’ first win over their arch nemesis since the 2012-13 season.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
To further prove that point, coming into Tuesday night, the Tigers had won 27 straight meetings against Logan Elm.
Twenty-seven.
That streak is officially dead and gone.
“I actually did the research and it has been that long,” Logan Elm coach Mike Schultz said. “27 straight games and out of those losses, 26 were by double digits. I told the girls before the game that I truly believed we were 10 points better as a team. We found that out tonight.”
Ingram shouldered the brunt of LE’s offensive load while teammate Maleah Gardner assumed those responsibilities on the defensive end.
The junior was tasked with going toe-to-toe with Circleville’s Addison Edgington. Gardner, at 5-foot-6, held Edgington, at 6-foot-2, to just 15 points and three rebounds — a downtrend from her averages of 20.1 and 9.9 per night.
“What we’ve noticed from Maleah is that her confidence is really starting to show a whole lot more into the second half of this year,” Schultz said. “She’s not afraid to take shots, either. If you miss a shot, you turn the page. That’s what we do as a team and Maleah has embraced that.”
Circleville (12-4, 7-1 MSL) took an early 4-0 lead, thanks to a free throw from Maddie Blakeman and a 3 from Juliana Sims-Ross. The Tigers would later go ahead 10-5 with back-to-back buckets from Edgington at the 5:54 and 3:29 marks in the first quarter.
That momentum, however, was short-lived.
Ingram found her stroke with 2:34 remaining, dialing long distance, before hitting another 3 with 1:41 to go, putting Logan Elm (14-1, 6-1 MSL) in front at 11-10. When she hit a third consecutive trey 26 seconds later, it capped a 9-0 run to make it 14-10.
And the Braves simply never looked back.
“When I see that first shot go in, I’m feeling myself throughout the rest of the game,” Ingram said. “I missed my first three free throws and I knew I just had to lock in. I really wanted to win. It’s just great. This feels good. We can call [Circleville] ‘that team in town again.’ We won one.”
PHOTOS: Images from Logan Elm’s win over Circleville
After taking a 16-12 lead into the second, LE went ahead 19-12 with 7:19 remaining, thanks to a 3 from Gillian Savage. Kimmy Petty then followed with a triple of her own, followed by a runner, to put the Braves up 24-12 and cap an 8-0 run with 6:02 to play.
That double-digit lead would stay intact at the break by a 33-23 count.
“Two weeks ago, we started to prepare for Circleville as a team,” Schultz said. “It was intentional game prep. At the end of each practice, we’d have five or ten minutes of our ‘Beat Circleville’ prep. Then, when Friday came along, we were intentionally intense. Our practices have been great, and our JV players have made us better. They fly around and they push us.”
In the third, not a lot changed.
Ingram quickly made it a 13-point advantage with a 3 before LE’s Palynn Wray scored to make it 38-24. Then, with 18.2 seconds left in the quarter, Petty put an exclamation point on things with another triple, making it 43-28 headed to the final eight minutes.
And that’s when Ingram really started to take things over.
The All-Ohioan poured in 11 points in the fourth and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line in the later stages, sealing a statement victory.
“That’s when she’s the best all-around player, when she’s making those little short shots,” Schultz said. “When I found out she had 29 points, I thought, ‘That’s the quietest 29 I’ve ever seen any player score.’ She distributed the ball well and didn’t force a whole lot.”
Ingram added four rebounds to her game-high 29 points while Petty added 11 points. Kennedy Groff ended the night with three points, eight boards and four assists, and Wray finished with four points, four rebounds and a quartet of helpers.
Edgington led Circleville with 15 points while Brooklyn Cramer added nine points, three rebounds and three assists. Blakeman also chipped in with nine points.
The Braves will try and sustain their success on Friday at Liberty Union while the Tigers try to bounce back the same evening with a trip to Hamilton Township.
“This is a huge win,” Schultz said. “At the beginning of the year, we wanted to be a team that was in the top three of our conference, and then try to compete for a district championship. But over time, you start to adjust those goals. We knew it would come down to today. But we also still have work to do. Liberty Union is playing extremely well right now. And [Assistant] Coach [Kevin] Kimbrough said it well in the locker room. He said, ‘Now we’re peaking at the right time.’ I think we’ve gotten better every game and I think the kids are starting to see that.”
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