Tri-Valley girls finally sprint past Newark into district title game

On Feb 23, 2023

JOHNSTOWN ― Tri-Valley’s all-time scoring leader was holding an ice pack outside the locker room Wednesday night at Johnstown High School, after a knock down, drag out affair with Newark in the Division I district semifinals.

But Lexi Howe was still smiling through the pain. Her stellar career has continued, and her youthful teammates are enjoying the ride.

A three-quarter slugfest turned into a track meet down the stretch, and Howe and sophomore MacKenzie Harvey finally got the Scotties to the finish line. Howe scored 11 points and Harvey eight during a 26-point, fourth-quarter explosion, as 12th-seeded Tri-Valley outlasted the 15th-seeded Wildcats for a physical 49-41 victory.

You couldn’t keep the smile off coach Kurt Kaufman’s face after his young team, with Howe as the lone senior, showed it has not been fazed by moving back up to the big school division. The Scotties (19-5) will challenge top-seeded Pickerington Central (21-4) for the district championship at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Ohio Dominican.

“We knew they (Newark) would be physical. They’re a great program with a lot of tradition,” said Kaufman, who has taken Tri-Valley to the state in Division II. “We’re excited to get the W. It’s a special statement for us, and the Tri-Valley community. We’ve really grown since our first scrimmages, which were kind of ugly. The girls bought in and continued to improve. They’ve faced a lot of adversity, and have continued to battle.”

“We knew they would be aggressive, and we had to match their intensity. Take it a step further in the fourth quarter,” said the versatile Howe, who again filled the stat sheet with 19 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals. “We can shoot, and if the shots aren’t falling, we need to get it into the paint and kick it back out.”

The shots weren’t falling for either team for three quarters, as Tri-Valley led 23-21. But the Scotties then went 7-of-8 in the fourth, and needed it as Newark (14-11), which saw a six-game winning streak end, nearly matched them blow for blow. “They hit big shot after big shot, and our girls hit big shots too,” said Wildcats’ coach Jack Eifert. “It was just a missed layup here, or a turnover there. They did a nice job against whatever defense we threw at them (diamond-and-one on Howe, 2-3 zone and man-to-man). We tried to to take Howe away, and then 31 (Harvey) became more aggressive.”

With the starters in constant foul trouble, the Wildcats’ subs emerged to keep them in it, with junior Riley Gingerich drilling a pair of fourth-quarter 3s and sophomore Addi Hall adding another. Senior Jenna Shackleford scored all six of her points in the fourth. Howe assisted Harvey’s basket, then sank four consecutive free throws as Tri-Valley led 36-34, but Gingerich’s 3 from the left wing pushed Newark up 37-36.

“It was great seeing kids step up in that moment. We told them to be ready when your number is called,” Eifert said.

Harvey then hit arguably the biggest shot of the game, a 3 from the left baseline off an assist from freshman Maddie Garber, giving the Scotties the lead for good at 39-37. Harvey and P.D. Moore added baskets and Garber, who had four assists and three steals, later added three clinching free throws.

“She (Harvey) is in school at 6:30 every morning, practicing her shooting, and we have confidence in her taking that shot,” Kaufman said. “That’s how she’s rolled all year. She gets her work in,” Howe added.

“We’ve all put in the work and effort, and we all came together in the fourth quarter,” said Harvey, who hit for 14 of her 18 points in the second half. “I knew I had to come alive there. Lexi is such a big part of our program, and she gives me the motivation. We’re not the same team as last year, but we’ve grown from the beginning.”

Senior Brie Gingras scored nine of her team-leading 10 points in the first half for Newark and classmate Ally Carr made a pair of 3-pointers. Tri-Valley eased into an 8-3 lead before senior Sophie Bidwell scored from the lane, Gingras hit a 3 off a Gingerich assist, then added a foul shot for a 9-8 edge. The Scotties were up 14-12 in the second, but Gingras cashed in another 3, scored off a drive and Bidwell found Hall for a layup and 19-14 lead at the half. Newark had chances to add to its lead in the third, but missed all four foul shots and was just 1-of-8 from the floor, while committing seven turnovers.