by CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio–An early deficit didn’t seem to faze Walsh Jesuit Wednesday night as they used a series of scoring runs to take control of the game, ultimately leading to an 18-point win.
The Royals started the game on a 4-0 in the first minute of the game. The Warriors followed that up with a 10-0 run themselves in the next four and a half minutes of the quarter. Esterak’s team did an effective job not getting 6-foot-3 senior Sofia Schroeter heavily involved. Their defense forced the Royals to take highly contested shots that often led to missed opportunities where the Warriors would capitalize on.
After the first quarter, the Warriors led 13-11. That’s when senior guard Maddie Parker started to separate her team closing out the half. She connected on two 3-pointers in a first half dominated by the Warriors. Her team was able to outscore the Royals 18-10 in the second quarter alone to head into halftime with a 31-21 lead.
The way the Warriors were able to create a slew of open looks offensively just running through their offense was something that helped maintain a lead and momentum for the majority of the night.
Parker’s ability to knock down her open 3-point shots along with players like Leah Sobolewski and Kara Esterak making impact plays offensively really started to keep the Warriors in a rhythm that was too much for the Royals.
That momentum carried over into the second half. In fact, the Royals were held to just two points in the first five minutes of the third quarter. Maddie Parker did a good job of extending possessions for the Warriors. She found Kara Esterak for a corner 3-pointer to put her team ahead 36-23 midway through the third quarter.
From there, they ended the final three minutes on a 7-2 run that saw their lead grow to 18 points after three quarters. From a full-court press, to trapping past half court, the Warrior defense forced too much pressure all night from a team that was looking for answers on both ends of the floor.
In the end, the Warriors were able to walk away with a commanding 18-point win Wednesday night. Leading the way during the win was Kara Esterak pouring in a game-high 18 points. Leah Sobolewki had 11 points as well to pace the Warrior offense.
For the Royals, Joi Williams led the way with 13 points, nine of them coming in the first half along with Audrey Haines scoring eight points during the loss.
