Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — Gracie Bills may not be human.
She didn’t play like she was on Tuesday night at least — and that’s a fact.
Belpre’s junior star had herself yet another monstrous night, using her never-ending motor to collect 20 points and grab 20 rebounds while collecting her 1,000th career point.
Her performance was the driving force behind a 38-32 win over Coal Grove in a Division VI district semifinal.
“She’s super special. I think she’s one of the best players in Southeast Ohio,” Belpre coach Austin Cunningham said. “That’s without a doubt. She gets everyone’s best player and sometimes, she even gets entire defensive schemes. She works to get her teammates open and get them some looks, and she takes what the defense gives her. She’s a very unselfish player.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
In total, Belpre (8-16) out-rebounded the Hornets by a 33-24 margin.
That’s a significant statistic, considering Coal Grove’s pair of Jenna Anson and Rebekah Dome have been proficient on the glass all season long.
It’s something the Golden Eagles scouted and prepared for.
“We played Anson last year and she gave us problems,” Cunningham said. “So that was a big thing for us coming into the game, really just boxing out and finding someone. We need to give Madison Lauer credit, and I did that in the locker room, for her backside and weak side box out. She got a big board late and got fouled. It was just doing the little things and trying to build off of those.”
Belpre came into the contest with seven wins and, in a seed sense, the victory marked an upset. The Golden Eagles were a No. 7 seed while the Hornets boasted a No. 2 billing.
Having said that, the Golden Eagles have dealt with injuries all winter.
Now, at full strength, it seems as if they’re regaining form with a cast of returners who are trying to defend last year’s district crown.
Throw the seeds out. Belpre may not have been an underdog after all.
“This is why we scheduled how we did,” Cunningham said. “We’ve dealt with a lot of injuries all year and we’re finally getting healthy, building our chemistry. We’re peaking at the right time.”
Bills got the party started with a bucket just 16 seconds into the action before Coal Grove (17-6) took a 4-2 lead with back-to-back scores from Anson.
PHOTOS: Images from Belpre’s district semifinal win over Coal Grove
After playing to several deadlocks, Belpre took an 11-10 lead with a 3-ball from Madison Lauer with 32.2 seconds left in the first quarter. Then, with 10.2 seconds remaining, Bills scored to make it 13-10.
Belpre retained that lead throughout the entirety of the second.
Julia Way hit two free throws to make it 15-12, Bills scored for a 21-14 count and Khloe Cooper got in on the action to produce a 23-18 tally heading into the locker rooms.
Coal Grove, however, had some fight left.
After Bills scored to make it 25-18 in the third, CG’s Rebekah Dome went to work and, combined with a basket from Anson, helped cut the deficit to 25-23 at the 4:30 mark.
Belpre’s Adelaide Stewart answered with a triple on the other end, but the Hornets followed with a 6-0 run — powered by Emma Lively and Anson — to go ahead 29-28 with less than a minute left.
Bills scored with 28.2 seconds to go, putting Belpre in front at 30-29 going to the fourth.
Anson put CG back out in front at 31-30 early in the fourth before Bills made it 32-31 in Belpre’s favor with an answer on the other end. After Cooper scored at the 3:24 mark, the Golden Eagles never trailed again.
Belpre ripped off a 6-1 run to polish off the win, hitting free throws down the stretch to put the win on ice.
Following Bills’ impressive stat line was Cooper, who had six points and four rebounds. Julia Way chipped in with four points while Lauer and Stewart each had three.
Anson paced Coal Grove with 11 points and eight rebounds while Dome added 11 points and three boards. Lively was also a factor, adding three points, eight rebounds and a pair of assists to the Hornets’ totals.
While Coal Grove’s season comes to a close, the Golden Eagles advance to a Division VI district championship game at 3:30 p.m., Saturday at Southeastern High School.
They’ll meet with a familiar foe in conference rival Waterford, who edged Ripley by a 38-34 final to advance.
The Wildcats have already beaten Belpre twice this season — 59-41 and 48-27 finals on Jan. 3 and Feb. 6.
Cunningham’s crew will certainly have revenge on the brain.
“I’ve known [Waterford] Coach [Jerry] Close since I was a kid,” Cunningham said. “So we know each other and we help each other out during the season as well. It’ll be a super exciting moment to take them on in the district championship.”
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