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‘Jills’ Season Comes To An End, Fall To Blue Dons

By Staff | Feb 25, 2009

The Weirton Madonna Blue Dons outscored the Valley Lumberjills 15-7 in the second period and held off a Valley rally to capture the Region I Sectionals, 43-38, in Pine Grove Feb. 21.

The ‘Jills started the game without the services of their top scorer Lesta Kocher, who was injured in a game with Hundred. Madonna controlled the opening tip and scored the game’s first bucket on an easy layup. However, the ‘Jills answered with a deuce from Aly Weber, who then stole a Blue Don pass and was fouled in the act of shooting. She made both charity tosses to push the ‘Jills out front 4-2.

Madonna responded with a three-point bucket to move ahead. But, with only a few ticks remaining in the first period, Lumberjill Brittany Guthrie nailed a basket from beyond the arc to knot the game at 11 points at the buzzer.

Neither team scored in the first two minutes of the second period, before Madonna connected on a threeball.

The ‘Jills’ Hannah Shaw scored two buckets a few minutes later, but Valley found itself behind 21-18 at the break

The Blue Dons and the Lumberjills played to a stalemate in the third. However, at the end of three periods, the ‘Jills were still down eight points.

Madonna increased its advantage to as much as 12 points in the fourth period, but the ‘Jills never say die. Valley responded with a rally to close the gap to three points late in the fourth before falling by five points.

Weirton Madonna didn’t have any players in double figures, while Valley was led by Shaw and Gurthrie with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Weber tallied nine points, while Tiffany Hayes and Kocher each added two points and Lauren Ueltschy one point.

The Lumberjills finished third in the OVAC and finished the season with a 11-11 record. Kocher, Weber, Ueltschy, and Shaw will be lost to graduation, but starters Gurthrie and Hayes will return for the 2009-10 season, as will Jackie Greathouse, Morgan Starkey, and Leah Morris.