by Gregg Meadows
Coach Kurt Kaufman’s Tri-Valley girls’ basketball team marked the halfway point of their 2023-24 season on Saturday, Jan. 6 with a 66-28 win on the road at Morgan over the host Lady Raiders.
Three Lady Dawgs scored in double figures in the win – and nearly a fourth – as Tri-Valley improved to 8-3 overall and 6-1 in Muskingum Valley League play.
The visiting Lady Dawgs jumped out to 15-6 lead at the first break on the strength of Mackenzie Harvey’s seven points, then sophomore Maddie Garber looped in a long trey and a pair of fielders for seven points in the second stanza, as TV held a commanding 30-13 at halftime.
Senior guard Karlee Rose struck for 10 second half points, fellow classmate PD Moore seven, and yet another senior – Kylan Brock – added a pair of fourth frame treys to aid in the final 66-28 tally.
Maddie Garber and Karlee Rose led the winners with 14 points apiece, followed by 11 from PD Moore, and nine from Mackenzie Harvey. Kylan Brock and Annika Collet added six counters each as well. Myleigh Williams led Morgan with 12 points.
Tri-Valley also took home a 53-15 win in the junior varsity contest, thanks to 15 points from sophomore Audrey Wickerham and 10 netters from freshman Cami Susil. Jillian Clouse had five points to lead Morgan.
In a JV game only game on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at The Dawg House, Coach Mark Huffman’s TV JV squad beat Sheridan 30-21, and were led in scoring by Cami Susil’s 10 points. Addie Dennis led the Sheridan JVs with 10 points.
Back on Wednesday evening, Dec. 27 in Dresden at The Dawg House, the Lady Dawgs picked up win No. 7 on the year with their 64-17 conquest of the visiting Indian Valley Lady Braves.
TV jumped out to a 17-2 lead at the first break over Indian Valley, and never looked back against the non-conference Lady Braves.
Six different Lady Dawgs scored in the first frame, as junior Jacie Rollison’s four points, three-point bombs from senior Kylan Brock, junior Mackenzie Harvey, and sophomore Maddie Garber, an Annika Collet rebound bucket, and an Addison Wilson lay-up got the home team off to their hot start and big lead that they maintained all the way to the final buzzer, as TV led 32-11 at halftime, then 50-14 at the third quarter break.
Addison Wilson’s 13 points were tops for the balanced winners, who also got double figure scoring from Jacie Rollison (11 points), Annika Collet (10), a trio of treys from Kylan Brock for nine points, eight first-half points from Mackenzie Harvey, and seven from Maddie Garber.
Avery Baker, Celeste Rummell, Natalie Kerns, and Josie McMasters led the Lady Braves with three points each.
The home team also won the junior varsity contest, as Coach Mark Huffman’s Tri-Valley cagers beat the visiting Indian Valley reserve squad by a 46-19 count. Lady Dawg freshman Cami Susil scored 16 of her game-high 17 points in the first half, as TV held 13-6, 27-11, and 38-16 leads at the first three breaks enrout to the win. Sophomore Audrey Wickerham added 10 points for the winners, who also got four points each from Baylie Tignor, Addison Harris, Abby Channels, and Natalie McCarty.
Indian Valley’s Lily Lewis and Bella Weaver scored four points each to lead the Lady Braves JVs.
Back on Friday night, Dec. 22, the Lady Dawgs made the long, pre-Christmas road trip southwest to Logan, to play a non-conference contest with the host Lady Chieftains. The Lady Dawgs fell behind 13-8 at the first break, and never recovered, trailing 23-14 at halftime, then 36-30 heading into the fourth quarter, before eventually falling 50-45.
Mackenzie Harvey’s game-high 21 points were tops for Tri-Valley, who also got seven counters each from Maddie Garber, and Jacie Rollison, and five from Karlee Rose. Makenzie Daubenmire’s 17 points led the winners, who also got 15 from Dani Mahaffrey.
The visiting Lady Dawg junior varsity picked up a win the reserve contest, besting the host Logan JV’s by a 47-31 count and were led in scoring by sophomore Ella Knowlton’s trio of treys and 11 points, eight apiece from Clara Goss, Audrey Wickerham, and Cami Susil, and six counters from Natalie McCarty. Ella Hinton’s 18 points led the Logan JVs.
Coach Kaufman’s Tri-Valley charges hit the road on Saturday, Jan. 13, when the Lady Dawgs travel to Central Crossing High School to compete in the MLK Classic to play Harvest Prep. The Harvest Prep Lady Warriors – who play out of the Mid-State Cardinal Conference – boast a 7-5 overall record and 5-0 record in their league.
Tip-off is scheduled for 1:45 p.m. at Central Crossing High School.
