Page 9 - The Buzz 03/06/2026

MARCH 6 - 19, 2026 SPORTS |B1

The

SPORTS

Lady Tornadoes lock in District Title before end of season

BY MATTHEW DOTSON | DRESDEN BUZZ

West Muskingum Girls Basketball team holding District Title Trophy. Jen Allen
Vs. Tuscarawas Valley (03/04) game, but by the end of the first period,
On Wednesday night in Claymont, the both teams were tied at 8. Union Local
girls from West Muskingum were aiming rerouted in the second quarter, slipping
to continue their playoff run, fresh off a by the West M defenses and managing
Division V District Championship Title to pull ahead by seven to end the first
win against Union Local. On the floor half with a 19 – 12 advantage.
against the Trojans, who came into the The break brought needed clarity for
matchup with a 21 – 4 record, West M the Tornadoes as they battled their way
knew they were in for a challenge. back to a one-shot game, ending the
Just minutes into the game, the Tor- third quarter trailing just 25 – 22. The
nadoes were fighting an uphill battle final minutes of the game were a blur
against Tuscarawas Valley as they dom- as the two teams kept fighting. Trailing
inated the court and left West M in a 16 Union Local 28 – 27 with just one second
– 4 deficit after one period. As the Tor- left on the board, Teriauna Brandford
nadoes tried to battle back, the Trojans took a pass and dropped in a three-point
just kept pushing, building their lead to shot to win the District Championship Ti-
23 – 12 by halftime. tle.
After regrouping off the court, the Tor-
nadoes came out in the second half with Vs. Fairless (2/25)
a new perspective, and more than dou- The Fairless Falcons made their way
bled their first-half score in the third pe- to Gary Ankrum Gymnasium on Wednes-
riod, but all the while, the Trojans were day to play the West Muskingum Lady
doing the same in order to lead at the Tornadoes. The Tornadoes got the jump
start of the fourth quarter 40 – 31. There on the Falcons in the first minutes of the
just wasn’t enough time on the clock for game as they led 11 – 7 at the end of
the West M girls to do what they needed the first quarter. In the second quarter,
to, and Tuscarawas Valley took the 54 – the Tornadoes unleashed on the visitors
42 win, moving on in the playoffs and to build their lead to 23 – 10 by halftime.
ending the West Muskingum season. Still fired up after the first half of the
game, the Tornadoes blew through the
Vs. Union Local Division V Region 19 Falcon defenses and rolled their lead to
District Championship (2/28) 38 – 18 by the start of the fourth quarter.
The Lady Tornadoes hit the road on Fairless tried to gain ground, but West M
Saturday, headed for Cambridge to play had their number, and by the end of the
Union Local in the Division V Region 19 game, the Lady Tornadoes took a 48 – West Muskingum’s Jayden Thornton fights through a sea of Fairless defenders. Matthew Dotson
District Championship. Both teams hit 23 win.
the court ready, with defenses on high,
the Jets pushed to take control of the

Tri-Valley took down Blue Devils but fell to Steubenville to

end season BY MATTHEW DOTSON | DRESDEN BUZZ

Vs. Steubenville (2/25) hope for a favorable outcome despite Vs. Zanesville (2/21) didn’t slow down Tri-Valley. While Zanes-
On the road Wednesday night to Bel- the Big Red being out to a 43 – 33 lead Saturday night in Zanesville, the Lady ville may have been blowing through
mont, to play the Big Red, Tri-Valley was at the end of three after leading by six- Dawgs stepped into Winland Gymnasi- their defense, the Lady Dogs continued
looking for a continuation of their playoff teen points in the quarter. In the last um to face the Blue Devils. It was the to build their lead to 29 – 18 at the half.
schedule. With the pressure on, the Big minutes, the rally that Tri-Valley pulled start of their postseason, and Tri-Valley Tri-Valley hustled back to the court
Red got out ahead of the Scotties to lead off was astonishing, coming within three had high hopes for the outcome of the after the break, eager to play, and they
18 – 13 at the first break. From there, points of the lead before falling 55 – 51 game and continuing the season for as continued routing past Zanesville to
it was catch-up in the second period for in a very heated last period. long as they could. With that in mind, the build a 43 – 26 deficit for the Blue Dev-
the Lady Dawgs as Steubenville took a Emma Smith led the Scotties’ scoring Lady Dawgs blasted out to a 17 – 5 lead ils. Zanesville continues to put up shots,
29 – 19 lead by the halftime buzzer. with 17 points. in the first few minutes of the game. but Tri-Valley has the pace in check as
Trailing by ten, the Dawgs pulled out Zanesville answered back, putting up they finish with a 52 – 36 win.
all of the stops and tried to grab on to 13 points in the second period, but that