Lady Leopards Capture Consecutive Sectional Titles for First Time Since 2005 – Girls Basketball
#23 Louisville 45, #41 Wooster 29
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The #23 seed Louisville Leopards defeated the visiting #41 seed Wooster Generals 45-29 in the Division III, Northeast 6 Sectional Finals Saturday afternoon at Louisville High School. The Lady Leopards have now won six of their last seven games, improving to 11-12 on the season. They will next travel to Avon Lake to take on the #5 seed Shoremen on Wednesday, February 19 at 7:00 PM.
Tillett and Baker Lead the Way in Double Figures
Ella Tillett scored eight of her 12 points in the second half, leading the Lady Leopards’ offense. She also grabbed seven rebounds and recorded a game-high four blocks to anchor Louisville’s defense.
Maggie Baker delivered five of her 10 points in the fourth quarter, hitting three of four free throws down the stretch to help seal the victory. She also tallied three rebounds and two steals.
Louisville Takes Control with Early 13-0 Run
The Lady Leopards trailed 4-2 early, but responded with a 13-0 run to take a double-digit lead. Louisville led 18-10 at halftime and extended its advantage to as much as 31-16 in the third quarter.
Wooster fought back with a 7-2 run to trim the deficit to 33-23 heading into the fourth. However, the Lady Leopards doubled up the Generals 12-6 in the final period to secure their second straight district tournament berth.
Lady Leopards Receive Contributions Across the Board
Mabel Kiko scored in every quarter and finished with eight points. She also recorded back-to-back blocks on one defensive possession and grabbed three rebounds.
Karis Miglich hit Louisville’s only three-pointer of the game, finishing with six points. Courtney Barwick scored all five of her points in the second half while also securing three rebounds and two steals.
Reagan Biery and Ezela Manko each added two points. Biery led the team with eight rebounds and three assists, while also registering two blocks. Manko contributed two steals.
Ritchie Leads Generals with Game-High 13
Brooke Ritchie hit two three-pointers and finished with a game-high 13 points for Wooster. Jay-Cee Hackett also scored in every quarter and reached double figures with 10 points.
Other scorers for the Lady Generals included Kara Cannon and Avery Topovski, who finished with three points each.
Wooster ends the season on an 11-game losing streak, finishing with a 3-20 record.
Louisville vs. Wooster Girls Basketball History
The Lady Leopards have now won consecutive matchups with the Lady Generals. Louisville also defeated Wooster at home 67-54 last season.
The Lady Leopards now lead the all-time series 6-4 overall, which includes a 4-1 record when playing at home against the Generals.
This is the third tournament meeting between the two teams, but the first in 42 seasons. Wooster got the best of Louisville in the first two postseason matchups. The Lady Generals edged the Leopards 43-40 in the 1981 AAA Jackson District Semifinals and defeated Louisville 40-32 in the 1983 AAA Jackson Sectional Tournament.
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Leopards Repeat as Sectional Champs for the First Time in 20 Years
The victory marks the first time since 2004-05 that the Lady Leopards have won consecutive sectional titles. Louisville Girls Basketball has now claimed a sectional championship in 18 of its 51 seasons. They have also now won 13 sectional titles in the 20 years of their history in Division II or Division III.
The Lady Leopards now hold a 49-48 all-time postseason record, including a 9-5 mark in home tournament games. This was their first-ever postseason game in Division III since the OHSAA moved from 4 to 7 divisions this season.
UP NEXT: The #23 seed Lady Leopards will next travel to take on the host #5 seed Avon Lake Shoremen in the DIII, Northeast 6 District Semifinals on Wednesday, February 19. Game time is slated for 7:00 PM from Avon Lake Competition Gym.
Cover Photo By Athletic Director Terrie Horn
DIII, Northeast 6 Sectional Final Scores
February 15
#21 Aurora 49, #17 Chardon 30
#23 Louisville 45, #41 Wooster 29
#5 Avon Lake 55, #38 Garrett Morgan 14
DIII, Northeast 6 District Semifinal Schedule
February 19
#21 Aurora at #12 Westlake, 7:00
#23 Louisville at #5 Avon Lake, 7:00
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Wooster at Louisville Girls Varsity Basketball Statistics
LEOPARDS 45, GENERALS 29
Team 1-2-3-4–TOTAL
Wooster 4-6-13-6–29
Louisville 9-9-15-12–45
Wooster Generals Girls Basketball Stats
| Player | 2PT | 3PT | FG | FTM | FTA | Points |
| Brooke Ritchie | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
| Jay-Cee Hackett | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 |
| Kara Cannon | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Avery Topovski | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 5 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 19 | 29 |
Louisville Leopards Girls Basketball Stats
| Player | 2PT | 3PT | FG | FTM | FTA | Points |
| Ella Tillett | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
| Maggie Baker | 3 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
| Mabel Kiko | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 |
| Courtney Barwick | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 |
| Reagan Biery | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Ezela Manko | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Karis Miglich | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 13 | 1 | 14 | 16 | 21 | 45 |
Fouls: 19-17 Louisville
Records: Louisville 11-12, Wooster 3-20
