by Gregg Meadows
Coach Kurt Kaufman’s Tri-Valley girls basketball team had a roller coaster two-game stretch at The Dawg House in Dresden recently, as the Lady Dawgs upset the favored and defending MVL champ (and 2022 Final Four team) Sheridan Lady Generals back on Dec. 17, but fell four days later to perhaps this year’s best team in the conference, the New Lexington Lady Panthers.
The win – and loss – sees the Lady Dawgs move into 2023 with an 8-2 record nearing the halfway point in the 2022-23 season.
If you were in attendance at The Dawg House in Dresden on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 17 for the semi-annual conference clash between girls basketball perennial Muskingum Valley League powers Tri-Valley and Sheridan, you won’t soon forget what you witnessed.
The Lady Dawgs were minus three regulars at the tip-off vs. the Lady Generals (the defending MVL champs and 2022 Final Four participants), so most would not have given the Lady Dawgs much of a chance against Coach J.D. Walters’ talented quintet.
But Coach Kaufman’s Lady Dawgs got ‘er done in The Dawg House with an amazing display of heart, guts, and determination to the tune of a 55-45 upset of the defending conference queens.
Without the services of regulars Jacie Rollison, Karlee Rose and Addison Wilson, Coach Kaufman’s charges took the floor against Sheridan and played anything like that of a team missing a big chunk of their offense and defense. Tri-Valley led 9-8 at the first break, thanks to PD Moore’s trey and trio of charity tosses, and a conventional three-point play from senior leader Lexi Howe.
The visiting Lady Generals stepped up their game in the second stanza, getting 11 points from standouts Jamisyn Stimson, Halle Warner and Ava Heller – and led 19-18 with just seconds remaining in the first half. But a huge three-point bomb from TV junior Kylan Brock gave the Lady Dawgs the needed shot of momentum they needed as they headed to the halftime locker-room with a 21-19 lead. Five different players scored for TV in the second period.
The Lady Dawgs took control of the game in the third period, outscoring Sheridan 20-6 and took a 41-25 lead into the fourth quarter. Lexi Howe put the black-and-gold on her back on both ends of the floor in the decisive third quarter, scoring seven points, with plenty of help from Mackenzie Harvey who netted five points, a pair of two-pointers from freshman starter Maddie Garber, and another trey from Kylan Brock.
Sheridan got no closer than nine points in the fourth frame, thanks in a big way to Howe, whose 12 points in the final eight minutes of play helped seal the deal for the MVL leaders, now 6-0 in conference play. Howe’s game-high 22 points led the winners, with PD Moore adding 11, Mackenzie Harvey eight counters, and Maddie Garber and Kylan Brock an important six points apiece. Nora Saffell ‘s 15 points led Sheridan, with Jamisyn Stinson right behind with 13 counters.
Coach Logan Scott’s TV junior varsity squad got the afternoon off to a good start for the home team with their 29-20 victory over Sheridan’s JVs. Eight different players scored for the winners, led by Ella Knowlton’s six points and five each from Kylan Brock and Audrey Wickerham. Dylan Fox’s eight led Sheridan.
Fast forward just four days later back at The Dawg House and the Lady Dawgs second straight encounter with another unbeaten MVL team – New Lexington – from the conference’s Small School division. But this time, the outcome did not go Tri-Valley’s way, as the home team – still minus three regulars – were beaten by a team full of talent and bench strength, and clicking on all cylinders, as the visiting Lady Panthers handed the black and gold a 67-52 defeat.
Tri-Valley’s first half performance gave no indication of the New Lex second half tidal wave to come, as the Lady Dawgs led 16-15 and 29-23 at the first two breaks. Lexi Howe’s 14 first half points and 10 from Mackenzie Harvey led the hosts to their halftime lead.
But Coach Chad Jay Chadwell’s Lady Panther charges dominated play in the second half, outscoring Tri-Valley 44-23 to maintain their unbeaten mark in conference play and lay claim as the MVL’s only unbeaten heading into 2023 regular season action.
Howe’s 21 points led the home team, with Harvey’s 10, seven from PD Moore and six from Kylan Brock. New Lexington’s balanced winning effort saw senior Aubri Spicer lead the way with 21 points, followed by Trinity Cook (16), Chloe Dick (11), and Kim Kellog (nine).
Coach Logan Scott’s TV JV troops defeated the NL reserves by a 36-7 count and were led in scoring by Gwyn Dal Ponte’s 11 counters and five each from Ella Knowlton and Riley McNeil.
The Lady Dawgs are back in action next on Jan. 4 when they host River View in The Dawg House.
