NC girls raise their game against Heath, seize LCL-Cardinal lead
HEATH ― After hitting a bump in the road at Granville Tuesday, Sophie Peloquin noticed a distinct difference in Newark Catholic’s practices the next couple of days.
“We really picked things up and were going at it a lot harder. Even our jayvees were making it rough on us,” the versatile point guard said after the Green Wave was handled 59-38 by the Licking County League-Buckeye Division-leading Blue Aces.
It’s often said that you play like you practice, and in a key LCL-Cardinal showdown Friday at Heath, NC carried over the ferocity. Using its size advantage and changing up defenses, the Green Wave limited the Bulldogs to just 29 percent shooting and dominated the backboards 35-19 in a 59-36 bounceback win that gave NC (10-2, 6-2) the LCL-Cardinal lead.
“I had watched them on film several times, and I know sometimes it’s faster in person, but tonight, they seemed to have a different level of intensity,” Heath coach Katy Barry said after the Green Wave continually attacked the Bulldogs’ pressure defense, looked for the fast break and shot an excellent 54 percent (24-of-44) from the floor. “They have length and athleticism, and their physicality was the difference,” Barry said.
“Tonight was huge for us, after not playing very well Tuesday night,” NC coach Rob Smith said. “She (Barry) has done an incredible job and has them playing really well, and we’ve always found it tough to play here.”
Ever-improving sophomores Peloquin, a tough matchup as a 6-foot point guard, and 6-footer Fini Kaiser inside provided much of the offense, junior Mayci Sayre led the defense and classmate Kylie Gibson was stellar at both ends of the floor. Peloquin not only scored 19 points, 11 in the second half, but also had eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Kaiser posted a 16-point, 11-rebound double double, while Gibson cashed in nine of her 11 points in the first half to go with three steals, and Sayre chipped in with six rebounds and four steals.
Kaiser helped get NC going with seven first-quarter points, although Heath’s scrappy defense kept it in the game for much of the first half and forced 22 turnovers on the night. Lone senior starter Maddie Kauble’s steal and pass ahead to Gibson for a layup at the first-quarter buzzer pushed the Green Wave up 15-7, but the Bulldogs (8-5, 4-3), despite hitting just 1-of-10 from the field in the second quarter, still trailed only 15-10 midway through the period. Then, the dam broke.
Gibson started a game-clinching 15-0 run by going coast to coast for a score, then ended it by drilling a 3 from the left wing at the halftime buzzer, off a Peloquin assist, for a commanding 30-10 lead. Five different players scored in the surge, including senior Ilana O’Neill who came off the bench to scrap for a rebound basket. She added six points. Heath went eight minutes without scoring until Taliyah Holmes notched a foul shot with 7:27 left in the third quarter.
“We switched the defense up three or four different times, and they had a hard time adjusting,” Smith said. “We started out in a 3-2 zone, then went to a triangle-and-two (on Holmes and Caroline Robertson), then box-and-one when one of them went out. We even played basically a 1-1 zone, manning up with three post players. We made them take some tough shots.”
“Our defense was not that strong at the beginning of the year,” Peloquin said. “But we’ve been putting in different stuff and getting a lot better. Beating Watkins and Waterford was a big boost for our confidence. We lost it there for a night, but everyone played an amazing game tonight, and we got it back.”
In typical fashion, Heath made a run at NC in the third quarter. Holmes had all three of her assists during an 11-1 run, including to Kerilyn Davis and Robertson for 3-pointers, as the Bulldogs chopped their deficit to 33-22. But Kaiser turned a long pass against the press into a 3-point play and had another layup that sent the Green Wave surging back ahead 44-22 after an 11-0 blitz. Peloquin then clicked for nine fourth-quarter points.
“I just try to relax and trust in my teammates, and am very confident, with the way the team is really helping me,” Kaiser said. “Sophie has come a long way, as far as handling the pressure.”
Peloquin’s summer experience with the Ohio Elite, playing against top teams and players, has helped her ball handling, She said Kaiser has been putting in extra work.
“My sister (6-3 Chloe, now at Division I Canisius) has worked with her numerous times, and she’s also worked with (former Newark coach) J.R. Shumate,” Peloquin said.
Robertson’s 13-point effort included a trio of 3s for Heath, just 14-of-48 from the floor. All eight of Holmes’ points came in the second half and she also had five rebounds, while hustling sophomore Peyton DelCecato contributed seven points. Heath committed 18 turnovers.
“We came out a little timid tonight and turned it over four straight times, and that kind of made it feel like it was going to be a long night,” Barry said. “We…
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