Wadsworth survives a slugfest as they defeat Medina 46-36

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It was a very physical start as both teams displayed hustle and lockdown defense. Wadsworth needed a spark on offense, and senior wing-player Reagan Simpson provided it as she scored all seven of the Grizzlies’ first-quarter points. Medina didn’t let up in the first quarter as Leora Owings and Olivia Klanac shouldered the scoring load as they scored eight of 9 of the Bees’ first-quarter points and took a 9-7 lead into the second quarter.

The battle continued with both teams scoring 11 points in the second quarter. Simpson added another five points in the second to finish the first half with 12 points. As soon as Wadsworth looked to gain momentum, the Median duo of Owings and Klanac scored five points each to extend the Medina lead 20-19 going into the half.

For the Grizzlies to win, they knew that they had to match Medina’s intensity in the second half. The Grizzlies were able to go toe-to-toe with the Bees in the second half as the defense held them to only five points in the third, while the Grizzlies had another 11 point quarter with Ciena Matheny dialing in from long range as well as Simpson with her third three-pointer of the night.

Still, Medina took a 28-25 lead into the final quarter. Macie Roberts and Ky’sonna Won led the comeback charge for the Grizzlies as Won hit a crucial three late in the third to give Wadsworth the lead as she scored five of her seven points in the fourth quarter.

Medina would not go away with mere minutes left in the game as Olivia Klanac scored her final six points in the fourth, and Kate Bobby hit a three, cutting the Wadsworth lead to seven (38-31). In the end, The Wadsworth Grizzlies Matched and surpassed the Medina Bees intensity in the second half as they escaped with a 46-36 win.

Reagan Simpson led all Grizzlies scorers with 17 points in the win. Her teammates Macie Roberts, Ky’Sonna Won, and Ciena Matheny contributed 7 points. Reagan also set the tone for her team after a slow start in the 1st quarter “She played her tail off, I think we followed her lead, she was doing it all game. At halftime, we pointed to her as an example, and the other kids stepped up and followed her lead in the effort department,” Wadsworth head coach Andrew Booth said during a post-game interview.  ( seen in the below tweet)

“You just have to shoot, that’s what I work on, you just have to shoot it, you have to be confident,” said Simpson. “If I have a good start, we get a lot of energy off the bench going into the rest of the game; I think that’s really important in a game where we have a lot of nerves, and it is good to have a confident start.”

The Medina Bees effort won’t go unmentioned as Olivia Klanac led all scorers with 19 points, and teammate Leora Owings chipped in with 11 points.

With the win, the Grizzlies face St. Joseph, who defeated the Hathaway Brown Blazers 61-45.

@TheRealEddyKool

Reagan Simpson aka “The Spark Plug” had 17 points in the @whsgrizzlies win over @medinagbball 46-36. @SportsKee1 pic.twitter.com/2BgVtsX4Ft

— Edwin Vereen (@TheRealEddyKool) February 23, 2022

@whsgrizzlies HC Andrew Booth challenged his team, and they answered and win a physical game 46-36 over @medinagbball @SportsKee1 pic.twitter.com/w6BCQNFhQn

— Edwin Vereen (@TheRealEddyKool) February 23, 2022