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When the preseason preview went out, and then again with the power rankings, I went on the record saying how talented Avon was, they simply needed to flip a switch and start winning very close, tough games on the road. They have now done that exact thing on back-to-back Saturday afternoons with a 53-50 win today at Midview following an overtime win last Saturday in North Ridgeville.
When this team believes they can win any game they play in, and now knows how to close out tight games such as this one, they are a dangerous squad. With all due respect to the terrific starting five from Olmsted Falls, it is Avon’s Abby Liber who is making an incredibly strong case for Kee On Sports Player of the Year as we enter February. She did it again today with a brilliant 27 point performance when her team needed her the most.
Assisting Liber with the scoring for the Eagles was Brooke Laub with 7 points. All 7 of those points coming from the foul line as she went 7 of 9 from the line on the night. Alyssa Peganoff had a 6 point second half on her way to a 9 point night while Alyssa McLellon scored 4 and had a clutch three pointer to start the second quarter. Ryan Clapham, Molly Drenik and Natalie Santoro had 2 each.
Head Coach Jessy Bendik and the Middies can take a lot away from todays game. They led one of the SWC’s top teams for a large chunk of the game. Their starters were in foul trouble, and they just kept fighting and playing hard. Midview is under rated in a lot of area’s and doesn’t get nearly the attention they deserve.
But trust me folks, this is one tough team with an excellent head coach. Do not under estimate them, ever! Todays close game was no fluke, this team has talent and Bendik will continue to help them reach the most potential possible from it. Bendik is a proven winner and has shown it time and time again.
Leading the Middies today was sensational Freshman Olivia DiFranco with 20 points. She scored in every quarter including 8 in the fourth quarter alone. She did it all with normal field goals and foul shots. Autumn Vance also had 9 points for the Middie’s, including a second quarter that saw her score 7 in a row.
It was Abby Liber of Avon attacking the hole at will in the early parts of the first quarter to help the Eagles build a 6-3 lead 3 minutes in. All 3 of the Middie points came on free throws from Olivia DiFranco and Barnes. Liber would go on to score the first 9 Eagle points while the Middies continued to answer at the foul line with two more from Jordan Reddinger combined with buckets from Olivia DiFranco and Izzy Patarini to knot it up at 9.
Still tied at 9, the final 45 seconds of the first quarter would only see one more bucket, and that was from Olivia Difranco of Midview. After one, it was Middies on top 11-9 in a tight opening quarter that would set the tone for the afternoon. Autumn Vance had to check out late in the first quarter with two fouls for the Middies as well.
Vance wouldn’t stay out for long however, as she checked right back in to start the second quarter and made an immediate impact. Vance scored 7 in a row to start the quarter for the Middies, including one from long range. During that stretch, the Eagles answered one of the Vance shots with a three ball from McLellon.
It was then time for Alyssa Peganoff to go on her own run, with three straight points from the line and then the field, cutting the lead to 18-15.
At the four-minute mark of the second quarter, Olivia Difranco picked up her second foul of the half as well. Olivia DiFranco, Emma Barnes and Autumn Vance all had two fouls apiece at that moment. The DiFranco foul sent Abby Liber to the line where she drained both foul shots and made it 18-17.
The Middies would remain cold for a few minutes and eventually the Eagles would take back the lead on a Natalie Santoro breakaway with 2:09 to go in the half. Moments later, Olivia DiFranco would split a pair of foul shots and we were tied at 19 with a minute to go.
The first half would end tied at 22 apiece. Something that jumped out watching this game was 4 starters for Midview had two fouls each at the break. Those four players would be Vance, Patarini, DiFranco and Barnes. For the Eagles, the story of the first continued to be Abby Liber, with 13 of the Eagles total 22 points.
The Middies continued to show no fear coming out in the second half as buckets by Patarini and Olivia DiFranco spotted them a quick 26-22 lead. Abby Liber then took things into her own hands with four straight points of her own to bring it to 26-26. On the second bucket by Liber, it drew Patarini her third foul, forcing her to sit a bit.
At the 3:10 mark of the third quarter, the Eagles led 36-32 following two Ryan Clapham foul shots. This was shortly after Olivia DiFranco picked up her third foul as well. Despite being down 4 with starters in foul trouble, the Middies would answer again.
This time with buckets from Grace Seymour and Jordan Reddinger to tie it at 36 with 1:35 to play in the third. The quarter would end 38-36 after Liber scored her 10th points of the quarter, and 23rd of the game to give the Eagles a 38-36 lead heading into the final 8 minutes of regulation.
Down 40-38, the Middies Grace Seymour would pick up a costly 7th team foul that would send McLellon of Avon to the line to begin their bonus foul shots. Shortly after that however, it was Avon picking up their team 7th foul as well.
With 1:25 to go in the game, Avon led it 47-46 and had possession of the ball as it was white knuckle time for the fans in attendance and watching at home. The Eagles came out of the timeout and Brooke Laub was fouled by Seymour. Laub drained both of the foul shots.
Down 49-46, Olivia DiFranco went to work again, using a tremendous pump fake to assist her scoring in the lane to cut the lead back down to 49-48 and getting fouled on the shot, giving her a chance to tie it from the line with 1:11 to go. She missed it, and two more Laub foul shots would make it 51-48.
The Middies would get the ball back down 3, with 35 seconds to go but couldn’t convert. The Eagles would hang on to win after a couple of Peganoff foul shots to ice with 15 second to play made it 53-48 and put the game out of reach. It would end with the Eagles clawing their way to a 53-50 win.
