The Wadsworth Grizzlies (15-5) girls varsity basketball team was able to pull off a 54-45 Suburban League upset against the Solon Comets on Friday, who were ranked 8th in the state and second in the Suburban League.
The first play of the game was a quick three-point shot from the Comets. Immediately, the Comets were pressing the Grizzlies in hopes of easy points due to a turnover. Wadsworth equalized the game with a three-pointer, but Solon answered immediately. The Grizzlies were able to keep the game close throughout the first quarter.
In the middle of the second quarter, Solon held their heads high with a 21-10 lead over the Grizzlies. Wadsworth, who was matching their physicality, was able to cut the lead to 23-20 with 1:44 left in the second quarter.
Both the Comets and Grizzlies were not letting one second go to waste. Ana Pinkerton, the junior point guard for the Grizzlies, kept pushing the ball fast up the court after every play. While the Comets did add more full-court pressure, the Grizzlies were able to break past the press every time with no mistakes. This was something the Grizzlies lacked when they played the Comets for the first time in mid-December; they had a total of 23 turnovers when the final whistle blew.
The Comets were able to push the lead up to 28-20 at halftime when Solon senior Sophia Lance was able to pull off a buzzer-beater three-point shot.
The Grizzlies were able to keep Solon at 28 points for all but 1:30 left in the third quarter. Reece Simpson, who had 15 points for the Grizzlies, was able to tie the game 28-28 with 3:14 left in the third quarter.
“I just focused on finding the back of the net and playing physical for my team,” Simpson said. “We all wanted to win.”
Then, the Comets started to get a little chippy, sending the Grizzlies to the foul shot line. Brooke Manfull was able to put the Grizzlies up 30-28 by making both foul shots. The Grizzlies were 71% at the free throw line, while Solon was 62%.
“We practice foul shots a lot, so I was just able to keep my cool and focus on getting more points on the scoreboard,” Manfull said.
Brooke Baughman made the lead six points with a play that ended with her shooting a nothing-but-net three-point shot.
By the end of the third quarter, Solon had five fouls against them, and Wadsworth had none.
In the fourth quarter, both teams had a couple of turnovers that resulted in some points. With 6:16 left in the fourth quarter, senior captain Emily Nagel had a quick break away to the basket to make it 40-34. Solon answered right away to make it 40-36.
During the rest of the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies cracked down on defense, forcing Solon to shoot the hard outside shots. Nagel and junior Natalie McDermitt were able to extend the lead 51-42. Mackenzie Blackford, a Solon senior, was the only Comet who was successful with finding the net against the Grizzlies’ fourth-quarter defense.
In the final few minutes, Solon’s last hope was to foul. The Grizzlies were able to pick up two more points on the free throw line to make the final score 54-45.
