The Shelby Whippets are back in a familiar place.
The Whippets make a return to the district tournament after making an inspiring run last season. Now the underdogs, the Whippets have to play their absolute best if they hope to have a shot at winning a district championship. Some stiff competition stands in their way.
Let’s take a look at the Division IV girls basketball district tournament scouting report.
The Division IV District Semifinal Games
No. 4 Shelby (13-10) vs No. 2 Genoa Area (17-6) 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at Fostoria
Shelby has been on quite the roller coaster this season, but it seems the Whippets have finally found some health and consistency. They upset Clyde 50-47 in the sectional final in a game where they had a 17-point lead, so they could withstand Clyde’s run. They leaned on defense to get a huge steal with time winding down on Clyde’s final potential game-tying possession. The Whippets could be the surprise team of the tournament. Genoa Area is a very solid team that has been tested a lot this season. They took Toledo Central Catholic into overtime in the first game of the year and played state-ranked Delta in Game 2. They even tested Margaretta and took Oak Harbor into overtime. A 72-33 win over Perkins in the season finale is a nice feather in the cap.
No. 1 Liberty-Benton (18-5) vs No. 6 Wauseon (13-10) 6 p.m. Feb. 24 at Miller City
The Liberty-Benton Eagles won a sectional title with a 70-38 win over Van Wert, so any tournament nerves that could be there are long gone by now. They cruised through the Blanchard Valley Conference unblemished and would love to add a district title to their accomplishments. Wauseon is on a bit of a Cinderella run after upsetting Napoleon 39-35 in the sectional finals. Whether they have another upset on their mind is yet to be seen. But it wouldn’t shock anyone.
No. 1 Bellevue (24-0) vs No. 5 Vermilion (14-9) 6 p.m. Feb. 24 at Fostoria
Bellevue is the defending Division IV state champions and seem to be well on its way to a repeat performance after steamrolling through the regular season 22-0 and winning its first two tournament games by a combined 141-43. Vermilion had a solid season in the middle division of the Sandusky Bay Conference and beat some good teams along the way, but this will by far be the biggest test of the season for the Sailors.
No. 3 Lima Bath (13-10) vs No. 5 Bryan (15-9) 7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 at Miller City
Bath started the season out strong, going 11-3 before a seven-game losing streak kind of derailed the season a bit. They did pick up a win in the season finale before beating Kenton 52-27 in the sectional championship game, so maybe that was a turning point for the Wildcats. Bryan is playing well of late with an eight-game winning streak coming into the matchup. Bath did beat Bryan 43-33 in Game 1 of the season, but it seems both teams have been going in opposite direction in the second half of the schedule.
The potential district final matchups
Division IV District Championship Girls Basketball at Miller City: Genoa Area/Shelby/Clyde vs Liberty-Benton/Wauseon, 3 p.m. Feb. 28
Division IV District Championship Girls Basketball at Fostoria: Bellevue/Vermilion vs Lima Bath/Bryan, 3 p.m. Feb. 28
Players to watch
Chloe Mahek, Shelby
Mahek ended the regular season averaging 15.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 1.5 assists. She played in just 18 games after missing four toward the end of the season with a concussion, but came back strong against Clyde with 14 points and nine rebounds. The Whippets have a chance to win just about any game they play as long as Mahek is on the court. She is that much of a gamechanger.
Makenna Moritz, Genoa Area
Moritz ended the regular season averaging 16.7 points per game, which is near the top of the entire Toledo area. She is a bucket-getter and will be tough to game plan for with her unique ability to score at every level. Addisyn Moritz is also averaging 11.8, so those two are quite the pair to worry about. They will be going against one of the better defensive teams they have played, so it should be an interesting chess match.
Megan Gerken, Liberty-Benton
Gerken leads a very balanced Liberty-Benton squad in scoring with 11.6 points per game. Corra Dehart (10.7) and Emelia Kin (9.0) also score in bunches for the Eagles. Gerken is a returning third team All-Northwest District player from last season and has a ton of experience on the court. At 5-foot-11, she is a tough matchup and could carry the Eagles to a district championship with her veteran leadership.
Sophia Rupp, Wauseon
Rupp may only average just north of 10 points per game, but she has taken her game to the next level in the tournament. She dropped 22 points in the win over Napoleon along with four rebounds and two blocks. She made the team’s only 3-pointer on the night and made seven free throws. When the game gets tough, Wauseon leans on Rupp.
KT Turinsky, Bellevue
The Lady Red have four players averaging double figures in the scoring column, with Turinsky leading the way at 12.9. Ava Jacubcin-Theis (12.8), CJ Savage (10.1) and Maize Gracemyer (10.1) also score in bunches for Bellevue. Turinsky is a dominant player averaging 8.7 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 3 blocks and 2.6 steals per game, while shooting 63% from the field. Her size, length and athleticism make her one of the best players in all of Ohio and might earn her an Ohio Ms. Basketball nomination out of the Northwest District.
Morgan Frenk, Vermilion
Frenk averages 11.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 steals and one assist per game for the Sailors. She is the only player who scores in double figures on the team and is the focal point of their offensive gameplan. She is primarily an inside player so the matchup with Turinsky will be a fun one to watch.
Addy Rex, Lima Bath
Rex is a solid player who does a lot for Bath. In the sectional final win over Kenton, she scored 14 points and added five rebounds, five steals and three assists. She can score, rebound, defend and pass making her quite the four-tool player for the Wildcats. She is going to need to do a lot again in the district semifinal against Bryan.
Josey Arnold, Bryan
Arnold was huge in Bryan’s 48-36 sectional championship win over St. Marys Memorial with 17 points while nailing all five of her free throws. Averyann Fisher also had 13 points making quite the combo for the Golden Bears. A four-sport athlete, Arnold is the ultimate competitor and gives Bryan the edge in any game it plays.
jfurr@usatodayco.com
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Shelby underdawgs hoping to make run in Division IV district tournament
Reporting by Jake Furr, Mansfield News Journal / Mansfield News Journal
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