Port Clinton handles Monroeville, starts 2-0

MONROEVILLE — Looking the part early. The Port Clinton girls basketball team picked up a pair of wins in under 24 hours over the weekend. Though that might sound expected for a team that lost just one senior from a 17-win team a year ago, the Redskins are in a unique situation. DC Lanier was the lone senior last season for Port Clinton. She was also the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division's Most Outstanding Performer and is the all-time points leader at the school. But facing a Monroeville team without its top two players because of injuries, the Redskins did what all good teams do: leave no doubt. The Redskins led 19-8 after one quarter and steadily pulled away in a 65-32 win over the Eagles on Saturday inside the Monroeville Athletic Complex. The Eagles were without Grace Stieber and Gabi Cullen. A year ago, Stieber was All-Firelands Conference second team after averaging 10.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. She also earned district recognition, while Cullen also was all-league and district after averaging 13.4 points and 8.9 rebounds in 11 games. The Eagles already entered the season with just 11 players total prior to the injuries. They dressed eight players in Saturday's loss. "It's always good to start a season off 2-0 in two days," Port Clinton head coach Kevin Belden said. Port Clinton cruised past Woodmore on Friday. "It feels good, and it's nice to have next week off to get better in some areas. It's definitely a new situation we're in, and I hope those Monroeville girls are back soon. It would have been a much different game had they played." After a slow opening three minutes, Port Clinton took the lead on a 3-pointer from Christiona Fenton and short jumper from Olivia Spencer to make it 9-4. After Julia White brought the Eagles within 9-6, the Redskins closed the quarter on a 10-2 run to open up a 19-8 lead. Monroeville's Lilly Stein tried to get the Eagles some momentum with a 3 that followed a triple from Port Clinton's Madelyn Cornell. However, the 'Skins' Alana Zibert quickly erased it with a 3 of her own less than 15 seconds later to make it 25-11. Monroeville drew no closer than 25-13 on a basket by Taylor Scheid before falling behind 36-14 at halftime. Erieyonna Buckley then scored eight of her 12 points within the first four-plus minutes of the third quarter, which extended the PC lead to 50-17 at the 3:25 mark. Grace Goodwin was able to make a pair of 3s for the Eagles in the quarter and scored eight of her 10 points in the eight minutes. Zibert also scored 12 points for the Redskins, while Cornell and Olivia Spencer each added 10 points. "We're a really good team with five or six girls on any given night who can lead us in scoring," Belden said. "Having the wealth to spread it out makes it harder to guard us. The girls had a mission to come in here and get another win, and we did." Five of Monroeville's eight players scored, with White adding seven points and five rebounds. Sophia Stieber and Stein each added six points. "We were playing without two players who were obviously both all-conference and district last year, but we have to have the mentality of no excuses," second-year Monroeville coach Ryan Bohn said. "The next player has to be ready to step up and compete. "I give Port Clinton a lot of credit, though. They came in here and shot the ball extremely well and ran the floor better than us tonight." The Eagles host Fremont St. Joseph on Friday (Nov. 29) in another non-league game. Port Clinton is off until Dec. 2 when it hosts Northwood, followed by a non-league game the next night at South Central. PORT CLINTON (2-0) Christiona Fenton 1-0—3; Lillian Wagner 1-0—3; Olivia Spencer 5-0—10; Madelyn Cornell 4-0—10; Thea Wybensinger 2-2—7; Erieyonna Buckley 6-0—12; Alana Zibert 4-2—12; Shelby Isaac 1-0—2; Olivia Emerson 2-0—4; Alexa Pastor 1-0—2. TOTALS 27-4—65 MONROEVILLE (0-1) Grace Goodwin 4-0—10; Taylor Scheid 1-1—3; Julia White 3-1—7; Sophia Streber 2-2—6; Lillian Stein 2-0—6. TOTALS 12-4—32 Port Clinton 19 17 23 6 — 65Monroeville 8 6 11 7 — 32 Three-point goals: PC 7 (Cornell 2, Zibert 2, Fenten, Wagner, Wybensinger); Monroeville 4 (Goodwin 2, Stein 2)