Girls Basketball: Dublin Jerome overcomes slow start to beat Watterson
Wednesday, January 3, 2024
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Dublin Jerome’s Kendall Baird (center) battles for the ball during the Celtics’ win at Bishop Watterson Jan. 3. Photo: Kevin Lam
Dublin Jerome girls basketball coach Karli Beckett had full faith and confidence that her team could overcome an 11-0 deficit to start the game.
More importantly, her players believed they could overcome it as well.
The Celtics overcame the early deficit to beat Watterson in a 41-37 victory in non-league play on Jan. 3 in Columbus.
Sophie Ziel scored Watterson’s first eight points and assisted on a corner 3-pointer by Alexandria Mosholder as the Eagles built an 11-0 lead to start the game.
Kendall Baird scored five consecutive points, including a 3-pointer that came with 5 minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the third quarter to give Jerome its first and only lead.
“I had confidence in our team,” said Baird, who led the Celtics with 11 points and added three rebounds. “I knew when we were down 11-0 (that) we were going to be all right just because we’ve played together for so long. We knew what was coming and we knew (Ziel) could shoot. I felt like once we got back into it, we were fine.”
Dublin Jerome’s Meadow Ahijevych drives past the defense during the Celtics’ road win against Bishop Watterson Jan. 3. Photo: Kevin Lam
Baird knocked down three 3-pointers – all at key moments in the game. Her first one got Jerome on the board at the 3:46 mark of the first quarter.
The last one came on the first possession of the fourth quarter after the Eagles had closed a six-point deficit to one.
Meadow Ahijevych and her unorthodox two-handed running shots in the lane also came through at opportune moments.
“I do cross country and track, so I sometimes beat people off the dribble,” she said. I tend to do that instead of shooting it – just pump-fake and go. Sometimes, I go up and think, ‘Maybe this isn’t the best (shot).’ I just focus on finishing and breathing when I’m shooting the shot and see it go in.”
She scored on two of those runners late in the fourth quarter to help Jerome maintain the lead late.
“Sometimes when we get down, we can feel the energy get down,” Ahijevych said. “But tonight, it didn’t feel like that. We all had high energy. Even though we were down 11-0, we still felt like we could do (it). We just embraced that and continued to play as a team.
Bishop Watterson’s Alexandria Mosholder shoots the jumper among four Dublin Jerome defenders during the Eagles’ home game with the Celtics Jan. 3. Photo: Kevin Lam
Ellie Baker and Kadence Conley had five rebounds each and Ashley Meadors chipped in six points for the Celtics, who improved to 9-1.
Ziel scored 11 points in the first quarter and was shut out in the middle two quarters. All three of her baskets in the fourth quarter cut Watterson’s deficit to one. But the Eagles just couldn’t get over the hump.
Ziel finished with a game-best 18 points and added three rebounds and three steals for Watterson.
“They face-guarded her and then switched off on every screen,” Watterson coach Sam Davis said. “If you look at it – we had a lot of other players that had opportunities. We have to have trust in the other people on our team. They have to be able to score and that’s how good teams win.”
Mia Gill and Megan Goehring also had three steals apiece, Cameron Sparks had six rebounds and Goehring had seven points and five rebounds for the Eagles, who fell to 5-5.
“I think (we lost the lead) because of their adjustment of taking Sophie out,” Davis said. “They hit some big shots and just kept creeping back in it.”
Bishop Watterson’s leading scorer Sophie Ziel finds it tough to get the shot away during the Eagles’ home game with Dublin Jerome Jan. 3. Photo: Kevin Lam