PC seniors had to work on winning

PORT CLINTON — Port Clinton's five girls basketball seniors were honored on Senior Night on Thursday. The Redskins defeated Edison 40-32 to cap another winning season, the program's third straight. It wasn't always like that. This group of seniors won just four games in two years of middle school ball, losing their first three games by a combined score of 121-14. "I think what that shows is that when things aren't going well and you stick with it and work hard and get better and better, things can change," PC coach Kevin Belden said. "These five stuck with it and now they're going out as one of the better classes to come through Port Clinton." PC's five seniors — Christiona Fenton, Olivia Spencer, Madelyn Cornell, Erieyonna Buckley and Olivia Emerson — were honored prior to Thursday's game and even led the crowd in the singing of the national anthem. The seniors' mothers participated in the player introductions before things got serious. Edison, which defeated PC earlier this season, grabbed a 23-21 lead when Ivy Kluding swished a corner 3-pointer with 2:08 left in the third quarter. PC responded with an 18-0 run that was fueled by freshman point guard Thea Wybensinger. She made three of her four 3-pointers during the decisive run to help the Redskins finish the regular season 14-8 overall and 4-6 in the SBC Bay. "Thea's a very nice player. She can shoot the ball," Belden said. "She got going late in the third quarter and early in the fourth. "She's a very good ball-handler, very good shoot shooter. For a 14-year-old freshman, she understands the game better than most." The seniors did their part, too. Fenton had two steals during the 18-0 run that led to baskets. She finished with six points. Spencer and Cornell each hit 3-pointers and Buckley, a 6-foot center, had five points and blocked five shots. Kluding led the Chargers (9-12, 1-9) with nine points. Eight Edison players scored. "They beat us the first time and they play so hard," Belden said. "It was good to fight through this because now we got a week off. We faced some adversity and responded in the second half." Both teams struggled in the shooting department, but the Redskins connected on their first five attempts in the fourth quarter. "We've been shooting the ball well lately," Belden said. "I figured it was only a matter of time before we got a little rhythm and got something going. It was good to create some separation and our zone and rebounding were much better in the second half." Port Clinton gets a week off before hosting Huron — another team it split with in the regular season — in a Division V tournament opener next Thursday. That game will provide one more chance for the seniors to play on their home court. "I'm gonna miss the family environment," Buckley said. "These girls are more than just a team, they're my family. I enjoy our practices and everybody gets along. We enjoy the time we have together. "Coach Belden put a lot of time and effort into us. He didn't want to give up on us, especially since we didn't have a good record in middle school. He pushed us to be our best." Belden will miss his seniors, although he joked that he won't miss their protests when the weight room was mentioned. "We grew very close. I'll miss their attitude," Belden said. "They came into the gym every day trying to get better. I have a bunch of young kids and my kids can hang out with them anytime around the gym. They love hanging out with them. I'm gonna miss that family feeling." PC is enjoying one of the best stretches in program history. The Redskins' records the last three years: 15-8, 17-8 and 14-8. They won two tournament games last season and are 9-4 against SBC Lake opponents since 2022. This senior-heavy team has kept winning despite losing star guard DC Lanier to graduation. "We definitely missed DC. She was a big leader and scorer," Spencer said. "I had to make more shots and other girls have to make more shots. We had to figure out how to do things without DC. I think we've managed, especially with freshman Thea. She can hit shots and she's a good point guard." Belden, who teaches fourth grade at PC, has known many of his players for years. He still shakes his head when he mentions their middle school record. "They stuck with it. They kept playing, they're loyal to me and the school," Belden said. "Just really good kids, kids you want to come into the gym with every day." EDISON (9-12, 1-9) Taylor Moore 2 0-0 4, Ivy Kluding 3 1-2 9, Jorja Byington 2 2-2 6, Ella Booth 1 0-0 2, Stella Brown 1 2-2 4, Gracie Rang 0 2-2 2, Annabelle Seville 1 0-0 3, Kellyn Ritchie 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 11 7-8 32 PORT CLINTON (14-8, 4-6) Christiona Fenton 1 4-6 6, Olivia Spencer 1 2-4 5, Madelyn Cornell 1 0-0 3, Erieyonna Buckley 2 1-4 5, Olivia Emerson 2 0-0 6, Thea Wybensinger 5 1-2 15. TOTALS 12 8-16 40 Edison 5 13 5 9 — 32Port Clinton 8 9 9 14 — 40 Three-point goals: Edison 3 (Kluding 2, Seville); Port Clinton 8 (Wybensinger 4, Emerson 2, Spencer, Cornell)