The “game of runs” can either go in your favor, or bury you fast.
Struggling to withstand several Grant County surges in the girls 32nd District tournament semifinals at Williamstown, Walton-Verona couldn’t claw their way back, falling 54-43 to end their season.
Just 25 days ago (Jan. 30) in Dry Ridge, the Bearcats cruised past the Lady Braves with a 60-35 win. However, the return of All-Region point guard Olivia Ginn made a significant impact, contributing 10 points along with valuable plays that didn’t show up in the stats.
“They didn’t have their point guard the first time we played them,” Bearcat coach Rianna Gayheart said. “We knew they would be a completely different team and they do play differently when she’s there. She helps control the game for them.”
Ginn made her presence felt early, helping the Lady Braves jump out to a 20-7 lead after the first quarter. But Walton-Verona had a response of their own, storming back with a 17-3 run in the second quarter to take the lead by the break.
A pattern began to emerge. Trailing 24-23 at halftime, Grant County opened the third quarter with a decisive 14-3 run, building a 37-27 lead by the time the period ended.
It was the first quarter all over again for the Bearcats, as the Lady Braves’ hot shooting resulted in nine three-pointers throughout the game.
After falling down by as much as 13, Walton-Verona got the game within four at 47-43 with 1:10 to play. They just didn’t have another answer.
“Terrell is a heck of a player and Logue really hurt us in regular season, so we tried to make things difficult for them,” Grant County coach Shawn West said. “We tried to get in transition so Terrell couldn’t get back and let the rest of the team get set defensively.”
Already relying on a young lineup with a sophomore and an eighth-grader, the Bearcats had to lean even more on their youth after senior Ava Fuller was sidelined due to illness.
“We’re hoping on our experience to carry us and the youth to just learn,” Gayheart said. “That’s what we told them in the locker room. It’s going to hurt a lot more in a couple of years so when your four years are up, make sure you don’t have any regrets and hopefully the outcome will be different.”
Walton-Verona was led by their eighth-grade starter Ava Hargett with 12 points. Braylin Terrell was right behind her with 11 points.
The Lady Braves were led by Caroline Barnes, who hit four triples on her way to 19 points. The Lady Braves’ other All-Region standout, Jada Cummins, added 16.
The Bearcats lose three key starters, Braylin Terrell, a 1,000-point scorer and Grace College commit, along with Campbell Christy and Ava Fuller. Their season comes to an end with a record of 20-10.
Simon Kenton awaits Grant County in the championship game set for Thursday at 7 p.m. at Williamstown.
LADY BRAVES 54, BEARCATS 43
GRANT COUNTY — 20-3-14-17— 54
WALTON-VERONA — 7-17-3-16— 43
Scoring
GRANT COUNTY (54) — Barnes 19, Cummins 16, Ginn 10, Utter 6, Menefee 3
WALTON-VERONA (43) — Hargett 12, Terrell 11, Dryden 7, Logue 7, Christy 6
Game Stats
3-Pointers: Grant County 9, Walton-Verona 5
Free Throws: Grant County 8/9, Walton-Verona 10/12
Fouls: Grant County 12, Walton-Verona 15
Records: Grant County 16-11, Walton-Verona 20-10