Lakota West rallies to topple Comets in GMC girls showdown

Andy Fishman savored a very good experience Saturday afternoon.

The win was enjoyable too.

Lakota West High School’s girls basketball team rallied to knock off host Mason 64-61 in a matchup of Ohio Division I heavyweights, leaving the squads deadlocked atop the Greater Miami Conference.

“I’m going to be real,” said Fishman, whose Firebirds improved to 16-2 overall and 11-1 in the GMC. “If somehow they would’ve made a few more shots and we would’ve missed some shots, there’s still a whole lot to be proud of when you’re coaching these girls. I don’t ever want to lose sight of that. This was fun on multiple levels.”

The Comets won their first meeting 44-42 at West on Dec. 3, yet couldn’t sustain the momentum that came with a 22-11 lead early in the second quarter of the rematch.

Sarah Jones matched her career high with 19 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Firebirds before a large, boisterous crowd at the Mason Arena. Teammates Jasmine Ballew (13), Nevaeh Dean (10) and Abby Prohaska (eight) followed in scoring.

“We didn’t flinch,” said West junior guard Madisyn Oxley, who scored all seven of her points in the fourth period. “I always knew that we were going to come back, we were going to fight, and we were going to win. We just kept doing what we do.”

“That’s the type of game I want to play in,” said Ballew, a junior forward. “That was fun. I knew my teammates had my back, and we were all for it.”

It was the kind of fast-paced, physical affair that people have come to expect with these two teams. Mason (15-2, 11-1) is ranked second in the Associated Press state poll, while the Firebirds are fourth.

West sank 9 of 21 shots from beyond the arc. Jones had five of those treys on nine attempts, and Ballew was 3 of 4 from long range.

“When you catch them on a night where they’re shooting 3s in and they turn you over a couple times, it’s going to be tough to beat them,” Comets coach Rob Matula said. “That’s their M.O. Knowing that, you’ve got to pick your poison at times. I think our effort was good. I just don’t think we transitioned well to their shooters. When you play the best teams in the state, those are the things that are going to haunt you.”

Jones collected four 3-pointers and 14 points in the opening half. Ballew scored her first points on a pair of 3-balls in the second quarter, helping the visitors cut into that 11-point deficit.

“I know when to take it,” Ballew said. “I knew my coach needed me there and I knew the team needed me to make a play, so I went ahead and took it.”

Fishman liked the way his team maintained its composure after falling behind by double digits.

“I thought our girls did a great job of sticking with the game plan,” he said. “I felt like at that point, if we were not on our game, then we’d try and rush things. But I loved the ball movement to get those open looks, and then I loved the way we kept going back to the hot hands, whether it was Jas or Sarah. I liked the way we got them the ball back in good space and didn’t force things.”

Sammie Puisis poured in a career-high 29 points (13 in the last stanza) for Mason. Samari Mowbray added 13 points.

“I know when it comes down to it, I need to be the one taking the shots, leading the way, getting some buckets,” said Puisis, a 6-foot-2 sophomore forward. “It was two great teams just battling. It all comes down to possessions, and I think they had more possessions than us.”

The Comets committed 18 turnovers and watched the Firebirds shoot 52.2 percent from the field in the second half.

West took the lead for good (42-41) on a Juliauna Howard free throw with 2:10 left in the third quarter. But the margin never got bigger than seven the rest of the way.

“I feel like the first time we played them, we weren’t together as a team,” said Jones, a junior guard. “I feel like that loss (was) better for us so that we could win this game. I think we’re in a good position right now. We just have to keep working and pushing each other every day so that we can be the best.”

Prohaska contributed five steals, four assists and four boards for the Firebirds, who converted 18 of 22 free throws. Mason was 11 of 17.

Oxley was 4 of 4 from the foul line in the final 49.7 seconds. She wasn’t at full strength Saturday.

“Actually, I’ve been coming off sickness,” Oxley said. “I was throwing up all night, so we were trying to keep me not as tired since I’m kind of dehydrated. But I knew in the fourth quarter I had to suck it up and play hard, and that’s what I did.”

The five juniors (Oxley, Jones, Ballew, Prohaska and Alexandra Haar) on West’s roster combined for 49 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and five steals.

“Our junior class is really talented,” Jones said. “All of us are good in every single way we play. We all do different stuff, but we all work together.”

“There are moments during that game where I’m like, ‘Wow, this is truly amazing,’ ” Fishman said. “We’re so blessed because we get to do this frequently, whether it’s with Mason or an MND or St. Rose or Kettering Alter. These are the games that you really, really look forward to.”

Puisis had five boards and four steals for the Comets. Megan Wagner totaled six points and six assists, while Anna Brinkmann hauled in a game-high nine rebounds.

Matula said Mason needs to find another scorer to lighten the scoring load on Puisis and Mowbray.

“This is not the end of the world and not the end of the season,” Matula said. “We’ve got to continue to fight to get better. These are the games you want to play right now. These are the games that make you better.”

The Comets and Firebirds squared off in the regional title game last year — Mason won 49-30 and lost to Wadsworth in the state final — and they could clash again in a postseason rubber match in March.

“I’d play them anywhere,” Puisis said. “They’re a good team. It’s fun to play them.”

And Fishman?

“It would be fun,” he said. “And if that’s the way it ends up, then heck, it’s on.”

The Comets have a nonconference home game against Alter on Monday. West hosts Princeton on Wednesday.

Lakota West 11-17-17-19—64

Mason 17-13-11-20—61

LAKOTA WEST (16-2, 11-1 GMC): Bryana Henderson 0 2 2, Juliauna Howard 0 1 1, Madisyn Oxley 1 4 7, Sarah Jones 7 0 19, Alexandra Haar 1 0 2, Christine Laritz 1 0 2, Jasmine Ballew 5 0 13, Nevaeh Dean 3 4 10, Abby Prohaska 4 0 8. Totals: 22-11-64

MASON (15-2, 11-1 GMC): Saylor Norton 1 0 3, Megan Wagner 3 0 6, Samari Mowbray 2 9 13, Sammie Puisis 9 7 29, Anna Brinkmann 2 1 5, Tihanna Fulton 2 1 5. Totals: 19-18-61

3-pointers: L 9 (Jones 5, Ballew 3, Oxley), M 5 (Puisis 4, Norton)

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