Girls Basketball: Newark Catholic rides early onslaught to beat Granville
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Newark Catholic’s Sophie Peloquin shoots from long range during the Green Wave’s win over visiting Granville in Newark Jan. 9. Photo: Kevin Lam
Sophie Peloquin’s absence was conspicuous at the start of the second half. She wasn’t on the floor and she wasn’t sitting on the bench. That’s because the junior guard was sick in the locker room.
It was an unsettling moment for Peloquin, who sparked a 14-point game-opening run in the Newark Catholic girls basketball team’s 57-49 win over visiting Granville in a Licking County League crossover game on Jan. 9.
Peloquin scored seven points and added three steals and a rebound during the initial run, which ended when Aliyah Moore knocked down the first of her six 3-pointers with 3 minutes, 4 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
She added a pair of 3s and eight points after returning in the second half and finished with 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Green Wave, who improved to 11-0 overall and 7-0 in LCL play.
“I was very overheated and then I think I overhydrated,” Peloquin said. “In the second half, I just felt a little more lightheaded. But I knew if we were going to win, I had to push through. No matter how lightheaded I was, I knew I could get through the game. I had to push through to the end to do it for my teammates, not just for myself.”
Kylie Gibson also had a strong game for the Green Wave, who were fifth in the latest AP state poll in Division IV. She had 12 points, seven steals, five rebounds and three assists to help Newark Catholic snap a five-game losing streak against the Blue Aces.
Newark Catholic’s Kylie Gibson (left) drives to the basket against Granville’s Delaney Varrasso during LCL play at Newark Catholic Jan. 9. Photo: Kevin Lam
Granville, ranked 10th in Division II, got as close as four points in the second quarter and three in the fourth quarter but never fully recovered from the initial onslaught.
The Blue Aces, who fell to 10-1 overall and 5-1 in the LCL play. It was their first loss since Jan. 31, 2022, snapping a 24-game winning streak in league play.
“We’ve always had the fear factor with (Granville),” Newark Catholic coach Rob Smith said. “The last couple of years, they’ve come out and punched us in our mouth. Our energy, from the start, was amazing. I thought our press gave them problems for a change. It’s usually the other way around.”
Fini Kaiser added six points and three rebounds in the first quarter as the Green Wave pushed the lead to 21-6 before leading 21-11 at the end of the period.
“(Coming in), we talked about how this was going to be a big game, but we have to focus on each other,” said Kaiser, a junior post player, who had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Newark Catholic. “We were doing this as a team. We were just tuning (out the crowd) and doing this for us. We have won one of these in (five) years and it was our turn.”
Peloquin, who finished with 18 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals overall, hit a 3-pointer at the end of the first half to give the Green Wave a 31-22 lead at the break.
Newark Catholic’s Fini Kaiser (24) battles Granville’s Harper Annarino for a rebound during their game at Newark Catholic Jan. 9. Photo: Kevin Lam
Absent to start the second half, Peloquin’s replacement Kai Holmberg had two steals during a 7-0 Newark Catholic run early in the second half after Katie Cottrell opened the half with a 3 for Granville.
“(Peloquin) gutted it out, but don’t discount those four minutes that Kai Homberg came in,” Smith said. “Those were huge to get us off to a good start in the third quarter.”
Natalie Harrington had nine rebounds to go with six points and three assists and Mayci Sayre had four assists and a pair of blocks to back the Green Wave.
Moore finished with 18 points, Harper Annarino had 13 points and nine rebounds and Ella Mortimer added eight points, six rebounds and three steals to pace Granville.
Delaney Varrasso had dished out five assists and added three rebounds and Taylor Warehime had five steals and three assists for the Blue Aces.
“I thought as the game went on, I liked what we were doing against their press,” Granville coach Tate Moore said. “I thought we were getting to the middle and getting open shots. But you can’t come out and go down 14-0 in the three minutes of a ballgame and expect to win. And we got close.”
Granville’s Aliyah Moore (14) paced the Blue Aces with 18 points in their game at Newark Catholic Jan. 9. Photo: Kevin Lam