Unselfish Granville girls get jump on Watkins in LCL-Buckeye race
GRANVILLE ― Versatile Granville junior Harper Annarino had already piled up 20 points before departing with injury late in the third quarter on Tuesday. But it was far from a one-girl show for the Blue Aces against rival Watkins Memorial.
Annarino, who rolled her ankle, was able to return and celebrate an impressive 47-25 Licking County League-Buckeye Division win with her teammates, whose sharp passing and shooting, combined with suffocating defense, enabled Granville (3-0, 1-0) to fire the first shot in what has become an annual battle for the title with the visiting Warriors (1-1, 0-1).
“My teammates are great players,” said the 6-foot Annarino, a team co-captain who scores inside and out and has worked her way back from a knee injury suffered in April, causing her to miss the AAU season. “We work hard to get open, and we feed off of each other. Everyone gets their job done, and we play team ball.”
Not only did Annarino drill a trio of 3s and snag nine rebounds in her 20-point night. Junior Aliyah Moore also made three 3-pointers and scored nine points, while senior co-captain Ava Gossman added a pair of 3s with eight points, five rebounds and four assists. Senior point guard Ella Schneider led the defense with four steals and also had three assists, while hustling, energetic senior Ella Hoover came off the bench for five rebounds and three assists.
“We’re really focused on getting the best shots, whether it’s two passes, or going sideline to sideline 10 times,” said Schneider, after Granville hit a strong 18-of-35 from the field for 51 percent, including eight 3s. “No one cares about who scores how many points. Our team chemistry is so good right now,” she said.
That was never more evident than in the first quarter, when Annarino began the game with a three-point play off a rebound, then hit a 3 from the top of the key off a Gossman assist. Rilyn Warner scored on a drive and Kalleigh Rennie canned a 3, off a Taylor Alfred pass as Watkins pulled within 6-5. But the Blue Aces then stormed ahead 19-5 by quarter’s end, with Schneider having two assists and Hoover another on another 3 by Annarino and two in a row from Gossman.
“We didn’t finish some early good looks, and they got some confidence,” lamented Warriors’ coach Andrew Bobalik, who employed an active 1-2-2 zone defense and patient offense that has paid dividends against Granville the past two seasons.
The Blue Aces cooled off but still led 28-14 at half when Annarino stuck back in a rebound an instant ahead of the buzzer. Rennie, a senior guard who nailed four 3s and led Watkins with 15 points, provided a third-quarter spark by cashing in a pair of 3-pointers and finding senior guard Cameryn Wheeler for a layup. The Warriors pulled within 30-22, but Gossman found Annarino for a layup, then a 3-pointer that made it 35-23. Moore sank a 3 off a Schneider assist ending the third, then began the fourth with another from long range on a Hoover assist as the Blue Aces were in control 41-23.
“We got it down to eight there in the third, then turned it over two straight times,” said Bobalik, whose team managed just four second-half field goals while finishing only 10-of-29 from the floor for 34 percent. They committed 16 turnovers. Rennie also had three steals as the scrappy Warriors forced Granville into 17 turnovers. But the taller Blue Aces dominated the backboards 25-12.
Coach Tate Moore is grateful to have soccer stars Schneider and Hoover for the entire basketball season, after they had to miss time during the first part of last year with soccer commitments. “Schneider has been the most underrated player in the area the last two seasons,” he said. “She plays great defense and handles the ball. We challenged her to guard Wheeler, and she held her to six points. When teams play zone, we can put Hoover in the middle, and we surround her with four shooters that she’s able to find.”
“We’ve had a lot more time to prep for teams, and it shows,” Schneider said.
But make no mistake about it. Granville continues to be led by its captains.
“Harper has put in the time, and she’s able to stretch the floor like crazy. The last two years, she hasn’t had to do it all, but now, she’s able to do more,” Moore said. “Ava started out her first year as a post, then was kind of a tweener, then we moved her to a wing. Now, she’s not only a three-point shooter, but can even play the point. All she cares about is winning, and is one of the best captains I’ve ever had. We are so unselfish, and not one person in that locker room cares about anything more than winning.”
“Ava’s stock has grown tremendously, and she’s a great leader,” Annarino said.
Bobalik said better things are in store for Watkins, replacing three starters from last year’s team that earned a share of the league title with Granville.
“They’re better than us. They’ve been better than us the last two years, but we’ve split with them,” he said. “We have some growing pains, but we’re going to get better and hope to…
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