Norwalk holds off Sandusky to advance

NEW WASHINGTON — This movie was a repeat viewing. For a third time this season, Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division foes Sandusky and Norwalk played — this time in a Division III district semifinal Wednesday at Buckeye Central High School. And like the previous two times, the sub-.500 Blue Streaks gave the top-seeded Truckers all they could handle. Norwalk surged ahead of Sandusky in the third quarter, turning a two-point halftime deficit into a five-point lead it maintained throughout the final eight minutes of a 63-54 win. The Truckers (22-2) return to the district championship game for a second time in three years, where they will rematch with No. 2 Ashland (19-5) at 12 p.m. Saturday back at Buckeye Central. During the regular season, Norwalk won at Sandusky, 63-59, on Dec. 7. The second meeting at NHS was a 64-46 win in a game that was 28-22 at halftime. "Sandusky just plays differently and is able to speed us up," Norwalk junior Trinity Lazzara said after scoring 18 key points. "There's really not much Xs and Os, it's just up and down the floor and winning that transition battle. "We just had to be calm and collected. I think we are really good at that. We were able to stay together and endure. We know our game." After standout Mae Rameau gave the Blue Streaks (9-13) a 30-25 lead on her fifth of seven 3-pointers to start the third, the Truckers immediately answered in the form of a 13-0 scoring run. Lazzara started that with a driving basket to the lane, then after a turnover, she pulled up for a short jumper. Off a Sandusky miss, Emmie Leber scored inside and suddenly the Truckers were ahead. Leading 32-30, Leber was fouled on an inside shot and made both free throws. Abby Koenig then scored off another Sandusky turnover with a pull-up jumper to put Norwalk up 36-30 with 3:33 left in the third. Alyssa Gruhlke then capped the run with a baseline jumper at the 3:01 mark of the quarter. But Rameau answered with a three-point play, and Ra'Kiyah Collier also had consecutive baskets to bring Sandusky within 41-36. Leading 43-38, Leber opened the fourth quarter with a basket, and the Truckers were intent on keeping the Streaks in front of them on defense. Rameau's sixth and seventh 3s made it a 49-46 game with 5:51 left, but Norwalk got another immediate response when Kenzie Smith made a 3 of her own just 13 seconds later. Khiya Rameau scored down low for the Streaks to make it 52-48 with 5:01 left, but they got no closer after Lazzara scored at the other end with 4:05 remaining. The Truckers then turned to their closer down the stretch, as Koenig made a basket — then four straight free throws in the final minute to give them the final margin. "Traditionally they don't shoot it well, but a lot of teams don't," Norwalk coach Kyle Brubaker said of Rameau and the Streaks. "That's a senior playing potentially her last game, and those things happen sometimes. "We went to a man defense and luckily went on a little bit of a run, so we were comfortable going back to a 2-3 zone with the lead," he added. "But credit to Mae. She had a great night and we were able to move on." Brubaker also felt his team made better decisions with the basketball after nine turnovers in the first half. "I thought we had a good lineup when we got momentum with our man… it started on defense for us," he said. "We were able to get some things going in transition and a couple things started to happen for us. We were able to finish at the other end." Sandusky head coach John Winborn figured his team was set to push the Truckers again. "It's a good matchup for us, and I think we played one of our better games of the year tonight," he said. "But Norwalk has a good tradition and strong seniors. We had them on the ropes for a little bit like the past couple of times, but they did a good job of adjusting in the second half. "Ultimately, I thought we got hurt by not getting back in transition," he added. "That's where they scored a lot of their points when they got the lead." Koenig finished with 20 points, four rebounds, seven assists and six steals. Lazzara also added six rebounds with her 18 points. Leber finished with 15 points and six rebounds. Rameau scored a game-high 27 points for Sandusky. Khiya Rameau had nine, followed by Collier and Denasia Coy with eight each. "Mae had a chip on her shoulder being voted second team after making the first team last year, and she's a gamer," Winborn said of his star and the SBC Lake voting. "She and all the girls did the best they could, but we came up short. "It's been a long time since this program has made the districts, but now this has to be the standard for our program moving forward." SANDUSKY (9-13) Mae Rameau 9 2-3 27, Ra'Kiya Collier 3 1-2 8, Denasia Coy 2 4-4 8, Khiya Rameau 4 1-4 9, Shauntha Wilson 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 19 8-13 54 NORWALK (22-2) Alyssa Gruhlke 1 0-0 2, Delaney Illuzzi 0 1-2 1, Abby Koenig 7 6-6 20, Kenzie Smith 1 0-0 3, Lucy Schlotterer 1 2-2 4, Emmie Leber 6 3-3 15, Trinity Lazzara 7 4-7 18. TOTALS 23 16-20 63 Sandusky 17 10 11 16 — 54 Norwalk 14 11 18 20 — 63 Three-point goals: Sandusky 8 (M. Rameau 7, Collier); Norwalk 1 (Smith)