In the second game, Bellbrook (24-2) held Monroe scoreless for nearly the entire first half en route to a 56-11 victory, earning their first district title since 2018.
They’ll meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in an all-Dayton area regional tournament at Lakota East.
“They’re extremely well coached, and their players are extremely talented,” said Golden Eagles coach Jason Tincher. “They’re fundamental, and they’re structured in what they want to do. They don’t beat themselves. At this point, when you get to the regionals, they’re all good.”
“Bellbrook’s a great team,” said Patriots coach Cecelia Grosselin. “That’s one we’re really gonna prepare for and be ready to go.”
Chaminade Julienne (20-4) will face Tippecanoe (23-2) in the other regional semifinal game at 7:30 p.m.
The winners will play for a D-III state tournament berth at 11 a.m. Saturday morning at Lakota West.
“It’s good for our area,” Tincher said. “Girls basketball is rocking (in Dayton) right now.”
Third quarter surge propels Carroll
Carroll senior Maura Petrovic had a game-high 16 points, senior Eva Snyder had 15 and senior Kiera Healy added 13 as the Patriots won their 10th straight game.
The grabbed an early 13-7 lead on back-to-back buckets by Healy, but the Warriors used full-court pressure to go on an 11-5 run to tie the score at 18 at the half.
In the locker room, Grosselin reminded her team what it needed to do to win the game.
“I kind of told them once we break the press, it’s not just about getting the ball across,” Grosselin said. “We gotta attack, and we have to score. I think they did a great job of starting to do that.”
The Patriots turned up their defensive intensity, holding the Warriors without a field goal for nearly nine minutes to start the second half.
“I thought our defense was awesome,” Grosselin said. “We pride ourselves on good defense. The girls take pride in it because they work hard to shut those players down.”
The Patriots led 43-19 after three quarters and cruised the rest of the way. They’re seeking their first trip to the state tournament since 2021.
“We’re really proud of the girls and how hard they’ve worked,” Grosselin said. “The first half was a little rough, and I think it was big venue, tournament nerves, the whole thing, but they really pulled it together and played well the second half.”
Defense stifling in Golden Eagles victory
Bellbrook freshman Macy Miller scored 16 of her 20 points in the first half, hitting four 3-pointers as the Golden Eagles won their 15th straight game.
“I just call it one of those days that every player would love to have,” Tincher said. “She was just stroking it. I mean, she was on fire. And then I think it just fed on itself and it just brought the whole team in. It just brought the level of everybody up.”
Monroe finished its season 18-7.
The Golden Eagles used a stifling defensive effort to beat Monroe for the third time this season, all by a margins of 30 or more points.
They held the Hornets scoreless for the first 14 minutes and led 35-5 at the half. They’re seeking their first trip to the state tournament since it last won a district title in 2018.
“The last three or four games in the tournament, they’ve just been really dialed in,” Tincher said. “Defense has been our focus here lately. They just seem to be all on the same page. They’re really in unison right now with our rotations. It just seems like everything’s kind of clicking.”
About the Author
