Nicole Nesby of Columbus Grove puts up a shot against Dylan Miller of Allen East during a Dec. 5 game at Allen East in Harrod.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
Girls basketball season is heating up in a hurry.
With the calendar year winding down, let’s take a look at some of the top matchups to watch before the holiday break.
Crestview (5-1, 2-0 NWC) at Columbus Grove (5-0, 1-0 NWC)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19
After Columbus Grove beat Allen East 81-47 back on Dec. 5, this matchup was next in line as the most anticipated in the Northwest Conference this season. Columbus Grove has yet to be challenged this season, with an average margin of victory of 42 points. Lauryn Auchmuty continues to be one of the state’s top scoring guards with 31.6 points per game. Crestview, of course, lost Cali Gregory to graduation last season but has continued its success behind an aggressive defense and a balanced scoring attack that features Ellie Kline and Kaci Gregory. This one should go a long way in deciding this year’s NWC champion.
Elida (5-3, 2-1 WBL) at Kenton (3-2, 1-1 WBL)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19
Kenton was a top contender last season in the Western Buckeye League standings, and important players like Sadie Larrabee, Macee Heckathorn and Sidney Pane are back this season. Elida is a team that appears to be in a position to make that leap this year, currently riding a five-game winning streak after dropping its first three games this year. The emergence of Lilly Sifrit, a 5-10 forward who scored 36 points against Van Wert, has added another element to Elida’s offense, complementing players such as Oliveah Sanders and Jordan Gladen. Kenton’s loss to Ottawa-Glandorf on Thursday night means it’ll need a win here and some help if it wants to get back in the WBL title race. Expect these two teams to treat this game like a must-win.
Lima Senior (6-1, 2-1 TCAL) at Start (7-0, 3-0 TCAL)
When: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16
Aside from a 43-37 loss to Bowsher back on Nov. 23, Lima Senior is off to an impressive start this season. Part of that is the fact that the Spartans are deep this season with the ability to bring up to five players off the bench on any given night. Through seven games, coach LaKeisha Sigman has used that to her advantage to keep starters like Mallory Gipson and Amiyah Coleman fresh. The addition of Khaliah Luster, a former Northwest Central Conference first-teamer, has also paid dividends after a 29-point performance against Wayne Trace three nights after scoring 26 points against St. Ursula. Start has also been incredibly dominant with seven straight victories to open the season, including a 90-1 win over Waite on Dec. 9. In the battle between two Spartans, one should emerge from this matchup as the favorite in the Toledo City Athletic League.
St. Henry (5-0, 3-0 MAC) at Minster (5-0, 2-0 MAC)
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19
Three teams sit atop the Midwest Athletic Conference standings with unblemished records, and two of them are squaring off in this one. Marion Local and Minster split the conference title four ways with Marion Local and Versailles last season. The likelihood of that happening again is pretty slim, especially considering the fact that St. Henry already has a 56-45 win over Versailles back on Nov. 26 and has three league wins. On the other side, Minster took down Coldwater 35-33 last week and earned an impressive 36-32 win over Ottoville earlier this season. Last year Minster came out on top over St. Henry 43-38. Expect this one to be decided in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
Ottoville (6-1, 1-0 PCL) at Wayne Trace (4-1, 0-0 GMC)
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 21
Attending this game guarantees instances of double vision. That’s because each side has twin guards in its backcourt, making this a battle of Carly and Erica Thorbahn for Ottoville against Caroline and Careen Winans of Wayne Trace. Both teams also currently have one loss, making this one of the most intriguing non-league matchups prior to the holiday. Expect lots of three-point shooting from the twins on each side, but both Ottoville and Wayne Trace have plenty of presence in the post, meaning rebounding those long-distance misses could play a huge role in the outcome of the game. Harper Myers and Lexi Moore have specialized in that department for Wayne Trace, including a 28-rebound game for Moore against Defiance. Ottoville also boasts plenty of side down low from players like Kendall Schnipke, Adeline Miller and Paige Turnwald, who’s working her way back from injury. Second chances are going to be a major factor in this one.
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on X at @Lima_Howell
