A 9-0 run to end the first half for unbeaten Kettering Fairmont helped send Newark to a 65-39 defeat on March 3 in a girls Division I regional semifinal at Taft Coliseum.
Calli Geller and Leah Eckenrode scored 15 points apiece to lead the Wildcats (17-8), who trailed 31-18 in the second quarter after an Alaina Hann 3-pointer before the Firebirds (25-0) used a burst to extend their lead going into halftime.
Emma Quackenbush grabbed 13 rebounds for Newark, which graduates just Hann and Charlotte Redman.
“They are probably the best team in the state,” Newark coach Jack Purtell told The Columbus Dispatch. “We would have to play our best game to beat these guys. We got one game farther than we got last year, and we’ve got about everybody back next year. We have to work hard and try to get maybe to the regional finals and see what we can do next year.”
BOYS BASKETBALL
Johnstown rolls at home
Ace Lowery again caught fire, hitting six 3-pointers as a part of a 26-point performance, shooting No. 4 Johnstown to a 66-41 victory against visiting No. 5 Worthington Christian (14-10) in a Division IV district semifinal.
Johnstown (19-5) plays No. 2 River Valley (19-5) for a district title at 8:15 p.m. March 6 at Mount Vernon Nazarene. The Vikings beat No. 8 Eastmoor Academy 86-63.
Lowery made five 3s in a 27-point performance in the Johnnies’ previous game, a 62-50 victory against Licking Valley. John Eckenrode added 16 points and Liam Deering 11 against the Warriors as the Johnnies used an 18-6 advantage to build a 31-14 halftime lead.
NC falls on road
Genoa Christian used a 21-11 edge in the third quarter to send Newark Catholic to a 65-45 defeat in a Division VII district semifinal.
Wesley Stone scored 11 points for the No. 5 Green Wave (12-12), who could not match a combined 47 points from Jackson Kirura and Evan Allgood for the No. 3 Lions (17-7). Owen Przymierski and Trey Spurrier added 10 points apiece for NC, which trailed 28-20 at halftime.
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Roundup: Newark drops regional girls basketball game to Fairmont
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
