Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — Laura Blower may be the most underrated shooter in the Southeast District.
That’s a bold statement to make, but if you saw Blower shoot on Monday, you’d understand why it’s also true.
When her team needed it the most, Federal Hocking’s budding freshman made the 3-point line her best friend. Her three triples in the first quarter powered an early scoring run and, eventually, helped the Lancers (14-8) fend off Lynchburg-Clay in a Division VI district semifinal by a 68-53 final.
“I told her for the first about 10 games that she was our secret weapon because nobody was guarding her,” Federal Hocking coach Amos Cottrill said of Blower, with a smile. “Even for us, we didn’t even think she’d play as big of a role as she has. But with some injuries, she had to step up and it’s worked out great, honestly. She shoots the ball like 43 percent from the 3-point line. So she’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever had and I’ve had some really good ones. She’s got to learn how to play better defense, but we’ll get there.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Blower ended the night with a team-high 16 points alongside four rebounds. And, while her team faced an early 7-6 deficit, her ability to hit the 3 pulled her team out of a funk.
Junior point guard Brenlee Cottrill also helped that effort.
The Lancers’ leader didn’t start Monday’s contest after suffering a minor injury in the weeks prior. But when she did check in at the scorer’s table, the difference in the way that FH played was abundantly evident.
“She’s huge for us. She’s a true point guard,” Amos Cottrill said. “She scores the ball well, but just to come in and be able to be in command of the offense, she helps everybody else feel comfortable. She’s a great leader in that sense. I wish she’d learn to be in a more vocal role. But she’s just a calming presence, she knows the game well and she puts us in the right positions to be able to make plays.”
Federal Hocking’s Mckayla Nelson nailed a 3 just eight seconds into the contest before Lynchburg-Clay (9-14) matched it on the other end, courtesy of Joslyn Rockey.
Madison McMullen then gave LC a 5-3 lead before Nelson again dialed long distance. The Mustangs then took a 7-6 lead with a bucket at the 5:08 mark in the first quarter.
That prompted Cottrill to enter the game and she helped to quickly turn the tides.
PHOTOS: Images from Federal Hocking’s district semifinal win over Lynchburg-Clay
FH’s Takira Walker splashed in a trey, Cottrill scored her first two points, Blower followed Walker’s lead and Rorie Tabler got in on the scoring party with a triple before Blower later capped a 14-0 run with yet another 3-ball to give the Lancers a 20-7 lead — what became a 23-11 edge going into the second.
“It was just running the floor, I guess,” Tabler said of the 14-0 run. “Getting shots up. Lay-ups Everything else. That’s what we do. We all played together and that kind of clicked for me. It helped all of us just stay together.”
The Mustangs continued to hang around but Tabler and company made sure to keep them at arm’s length.
LC’s Addy Carraher hit a 3 to cut the deficit to 28-19 in the second and Lily Ferguson, who was tremendous all night long, made it a 30-23 game with 3:32 to go before halftime.
But Walker and Blower each scored before the halftime buzzer, putting FH ahead 37-23.
Throughout the second half, try as they might, the Mustangs never could cut the deficit to less than 10 points.
“I thought our experience and being here the last few years allowed us to settle in,” Cottrill said. “Nobody panicked and nobody rushed or anything. But our defense has got to get a lot better. We didn’t move well tonight. The plan was not to play Brenlee at all. But I didn’t want to let Lynchburg hang around. I’ve seen them shoot and they can make a lot of shots. So when we put her in, we went on a 14-0 run, but Lynchburg hung around. So we’ve got some things to fix.”
Blower and Tabler each finished with 16 points while Tabler added six points and two assists to her totals. Cottrill totaled 14 points and nine assists, and Takira Walker chipped in with eight points and five helpers.
Ferguson led the Mustangs with a game-high 19 points while Carraher finished with 12 points. Savannah Bell helped out as well, tallying eight points and seven rebounds.
While Lynchburg-Clay’s season comes to a close, Federal Hocking advances to a Division VI district title game at 1 p.m., Saturday at Southeastern High School.
The Lancers will meet with Valley, who topped South Webster by a 37-29 final in Monday’s night cap to advance.
“I think we still have to tweak and fix things,” Cottrill said. “Like tonight, we ran some zone defense and we haven’t really practiced that. We’re traditionally not a zone team. So we have to get better at the little things. Offensively, we can tweak some things here and there. But defensively, we simply have to get better.”
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