No. 2 Margaretta handles defending state champs

CASTALIA — Margaretta girls basketball coach Ray Neill said — with a straight face — that he didn't talk with his team last week about the beating it took at the hands of Columbus Grove in a regional semifinal last season. The Polar Bears got a rematch with the Bulldogs on Sunday and made the most of it, defeating the defending Division VI state champions 49-39 in the finale of the two-day Tourney Tune-up at Margaretta. The Bears' gym is affectionately known as The Iceberg, and they do say revenge is a dish best served cold. "We took it on the chin that night," said Neill of last February's 34-point tournament loss in Bluffton. "To be honest with you, we didn't talk about that at all. We just talked about getting better and being fortunate to play in this awesome environment and competing, knowing that if we did that, win or lose, we were getting ourselves ready for some big stuff we have coming up." The stage wasn't as big as a regional, but it was a satisfying outcome for the Bears, who are 17-1 and ranked No. 2 in the state in Division VI. "They absolutely embarrassed us last year," Margaretta senior guard Ellyse Schaefer said. "We barely got the ball across half court. We emphasized handling their pressure, getting the ball across half court and staying calm — and of course pressuring them." The Bears committed only seven turnovers while winning their ninth straight game. Fifth-ranked Columbus Grove, which returned six letterwinners but graduated the program's all-time leading scorer Lauryn Auchmuty, dropped to 15-3. Schaefer delivered some separation in a close game by hitting three 3-point baskets in a span of 2 1/2 minutes late in the third quarter and early in the fourth. Schaefer, who had missed 10 straight shots, connected on a 3 that gave Margaretta a 31-27 lead with 50 seconds left in the third period. She hit two more — the first coming on an assist from Cassidy Lane — early in the fourth to give the Bears a 37-27 lead. From there, Margaretta took care of the ball, ran a little clock and was 7 of 10 from the free throw line in the final two minutes. "They tell me to keep shooting," Schaefer said. "It's frustrating when you miss 10, but one of them has to fall at that point. To make three in a row, especially the 3s, was really big. I was relieved. Once you see one fall, it makes it easier for the next one." The Bears, who jumped out to a 7-0 lead and trailed for only two minutes in the entire game, had plenty of heroes who surrounded Schaefer. Senior center Cassidy Lane finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds and helped contain physical Grove center Nicole Nesby, who hurt Margaretta in last year's 57-23 regional rout. The two 6-footers fought for position the entire game. Nesby finished with 19 points, but managed only five shot attempts in the first three quarters before scoring eight points in the fourth quarter. "There was one mention during the course of film work on who won that battle last year," Neill said. "There were no names mentioned, but Nesby beat us up last year. We didn't need that to happen again. Cass worked her tail off." Senior guard Kenadie Saylor finished with 11 points and turned in her usual strong defensive effort. Midway through the third quarter, she intercepted a pass under the Grove basket and zoomed up court. She converted a double-pump layup to give Margaretta a 27-19 lead. It was the Bears' largest lead at the time and capped a 10-0 run that erased Grove's last lead. "Defense leads to offense and my coaches know me best for defense," Saylor said. "When I get a steal, the first thing I think of is just go score the ball. "I always have fun playing defense. That's been my role since my freshman year. That's what I take pride in and let my teammates worry about offense." Like Schaefer, Saylor had something to prove after the last meeting with the Bulldogs. "Last year I came in as a point guard and that game was a rough one for me," she said. "I didn't play good and had so many turnovers. I wanted to limit my turnovers and be a better teammate." Perhaps the Bears' biggest unsung hero was senior Lillian Belak. She scored four points and pulled down seven big rebounds to help Margaretta enjoy a 31-27 edge on the boards. One of the biggest came with Margaretta nursing a 40-30 lead midway through the fourth quarter. After the Bears had burned 45 seconds off the clock, Belak grabbed an offensive rebound with 3:13 to play. Margaretta spread the court and didn't shoot again until Saylor scored to give the Bears their largest lead at 42-30 with 2:25 to play. "Lilly Belak just does all the little things that really add up," Neill said. "She plays defense, she understands her role offensively. She's the most cerebral girl we have on our team. She can play 1-5 and knows what to do in each of those spots. She's as valuable as anyone we have in our locker room. She's got a tremendous heart and gets after it." Margaretta's schedule does not lighten up this week. The Bears host Genoa (13-5) on Tuesday before traveling to Willard (15-3) on Thursday in an attempt to win the SBC Bay Division title outright. Willard is ranked No. 8 in the state in Division V. COLUMBUS GROVE (15-3) Brynn Calvelage 2 0-2 5, Saige Benroth 1 0-0 3, Allison Thompson 1 0-0 3, Kendal Palte 1 2-2 4, Nicole Nesby 7 5-6 19, Elyse Fortman 1 0-0 3, Lydia Sarka 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 14 7-10 39 MARGARETTA (17-1) Lillian Belak 1 2-5 4, Ellaynah Schaefer 1 3-4 6, Cassidy Lane 5 2-3 10, Ellyse Schaefer 4 3-4 14, Kenadie Saylor 4 3-6 11, Renna Keller 0 2-2 2. TOTALS 15 15-254 49 Columbus Grove 8 11 8 12 — 39 Margaretta 11 11 9 18 — 49 Three-point goals: Columbus Grove 4 (Calvelage, Benroth, Thompson, Fortman); Margaretta 4 (Ellyse Schaefer 3, Ellaynah Schaefer 1)