Girls Basketball: Watterson holds off Olentangy in regional semifinal
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
By Jarrod Ulrey
julrey@cbussports.com
Olentangy’s Ally Thomas (left) and Sydney Mobley swarm Bishop Watterson’s Sophie Ziel (center) during the Eagles’ regional semifinal win at Otterbein Mar. 5. Photo: Joshua Morrison
Having a double-digit lead disappear during the final two minutes Tuesday in a Division I regional semifinal at the Otterbein Rike Center nearly signaled the end of one of the best postseason runs in the Watterson girls basketball program’s history.
The Eagles then showed that the moment indeed wasn’t too big despite facing an Olentangy team that entered with just one loss.
In what was Watterson’s first regional appearance since 2004, it moved one step closer to what would be its first state tournament appearance since 1987 with a 47-44 victory.
“We just went out there, and there was no pressure on us,” junior guard Sophie Ziel said. “We had nothing to lose, so we just went out there and played our game. We got some rebounds down the stretch, took our time and calmed down when the moment got big. We went up I think by 11, and I think we sort of settled down a little too much. We needed to get back in it. We’ve just been really good at adapting at the right moment and calming down.”
Watterson, which improved to 20-6 while Olentangy finished 24-2, built a 37-26 lead midway through the third quarter.
The Braves responded with a 15-2 run that featured eight points from freshman standout forward Sydney Mobley and took a 41-39 lead with 3:50 remaining.
Olentangy made it 43-41 with 3:20 to go on a basket by sophomore guard Whitney Stafford before the Eagles tied it at 43 on a pair of free throws by sophomore guard Lilly Mulligan.
Sydney Mobley of Olentangy goes up for two against Bishop Watterson during their regional semifinal game at Otterbein Mar. 5. Photo: Joshua Morrison
Then with 1:30 remaining, Eagles senior forward Alex Mosholder stole the ball and passed it to Ziel, who scored to give her team a 45-43 lead.
After Ziel hit a pair of free throws with 19 seconds remaining to make it 47-44, Stafford missed a 3-pointer in the closing seconds that would have tied it.
“I told them afterwards that I’ve been blessed,” coach Sam Davis said. “I’ve been able to coach a couple good teams, but they’ve got such heart. They just have some poise. When we were down, we called timeout and I said, ‘We have each other’s backs. We didn’t feel like we were done yet. They believe in each other. There’s a confidence they have. Quite honestly when you have a player like Sophie, you know you’ve got a chance to win.”
Olentangy, which appeared in the regional for the first time since 1998, have a pair of players in Stafford and Mobley who average 17 points and were first-team all-district.
Throughout the regional semifinal, the Eagles played physical defense down low on Mobley with a combination of junior post player Cameron Sparks and Mosholder and forced the Braves to shoot it as much from the outside as possible.
Mobley wound up with 18 points, but Stafford was held to 11.
In addition, Olentangy went just 12-for-22 from the free-throw line.
“The first thing I’d point to was free throws,” Braves coach Jamie Edwards said. “At one time, we missed five in a row. That’s not like us. We gave up a lot of possessions with travel calls and bad shots. Watterson did a really good job isolating their post. We focused too much on Ziel, and they snuck in behind us for easy baskets. Ultimately, they were very patient and we weren’t.
Bishop Watterson head coach Sam Davis warms up with his team before their game with Olentangy at Otterbein Mar. 5. Photo: Joshua Morrison
“We talked in the film session about how Marysville was shooting too many long 3s (during its district final loss to Watterson), and we did that tonight. All in all, you’ve got to be proud of what we did with so many young players. We have a bright future ahead.”
Davis is in the fourth season of his second tenure with the Eagles. During his first tenure in the early 1980s, he guided Watterson to two state tournament appearances.
Davis, who also guided the New Albany boys team to a pair of district titles during a 20-year tenure, believes the intelligence of his roster – which features a combined grade-point average of 3.99 — helped get Watterson over the top.
Ziel finished with 21 points and Mulligan added nine for the Eagles, who were seeded just eighth for the district tournament and needed overtime to beat defending district champion and third-seeded Marysville to reach the regional.
“It was a bit nervous at the beginning, but we came out strong,” Sparks said. “For me personally, it was a tough guard, but we were able to work together to get Mobley down a little bit. We did a really good job getting the ball out to everyone and sharing the court.
“We have some really good team chemistry this year. We’ve just been connected mentally and doing things together as a team and not as individuals. We’ve got to focus on this momentum and keep riding it out.”
Bishop Watterson, who will play Pickerington Central in a regional final Friday, celebrates after its victory over Olentangy Mar. 5 at Otterbein. Photo: Joshua Morrison