North Olmsted, OH: The Westlake Demons (8-4) delivered an impressive performance on the road, defeating the North Olmsted Eagles (4-8) 57-38 in a physical women’s basketball conference matchup. Westlake’s relentless rebounding, transition play, and standout individual efforts paved the way for their commanding victory, leaving them undefeated in conference play. 

First Quarter 

The game tipped off with Westlake’s #22 Lucy Puchmeyer scoring a putback layup to set the tone early. North Olmsted’s #1 Rose Lane answered with a driving layup, followed by a three-pointer from #20 Shelley Gray, giving the Eagles some early momentum. 

Westlake quickly responded with #12 Husneya Najjar crashing the boards for a putback layup, and she continued to dominate the paint despite missing two free throws early. Najjar grabbed her own rebound off the miss and converted the second chance into points. 

North Olmsted’s #12 Morgan Outrich showed her presence inside, but Westlake’s defense, led by #0 JaCaia Onunwor, made its mark. Onunwor rejected a three-point attempt and contributed on the fast break with a layup. #2 Liana Ostrowski added a steal and an easy bucket, while Nonuser’s quick steal and assist capped a dominant quarter for the Demons. They led comfortably heading into the second. 

Second Quarter 

The physicality of the game intensified in the second quarter. Despite an early charge foul, Westlake’s Ella Henton remained aggressive, notching a steal and sinking two free throws. Onunwor continued to lead the Demons’ fast-paced attack, scoring on layups off turnovers. 

North Olmsted fought hard, with Outrich going 1-for-2 at the line and later hitting a three-pointer. Lane added a tough layup, while Amaya Capps made an impact with a three-pointer to cut into the Demons’ lead. 

However, Westlake’s offense was relentless. Ostrowski hit a transition three, and Najjar added a free throw. Onunwor closed the half with a dominant and-one layup, extending the Demons’ lead to 39-18 at halftime. 

Third Quarter 

Westlake picked up where they left off as Onunwor opened the second half with another layup. The Eagles tried to respond, with #13 Julia Tahsin scoring a layup and Lane adding a quick transition bucket. 

The game saw an injury scare for Puchmeyer after she completed a tough basket through contact, but Westlake continued to roll. Henton and #3 Ella Stanton contributed with fast-break layups to push the lead further. Despite a three-pointer from Capps, the Demons maintained control, ending the quarter with a last-second layup from Onunwor to take a 51-27 lead. 

Fourth Quarter 

The Eagles opened the final quarter with a three-pointer from Peyton Johnson, followed by another three from Gray, who worked hard to keep her team within striking distance. North Olmsted’s #32 Madison Cowles also contributed with a layup, cutting the deficit to 17 with 1:30 left in the game. 

Westlake, however, closed the game decisively. Najjar scored in the paint, and Onunwor dished a quick assist to Henton for an easy layup. To seal the game, #5 Rana Hachwi drained a smooth midrange jumper, ensuring the Demons’ 57-38 victory. 

Moving Forward 

Westlake’s dominance in rebounding, defense, and transition offense was the difference-maker in this matchup, leaving little doubt about their position as conference contenders. Westlake will see this team again at home on the 15th of January. 

Players of the Game

Westlake’s JaCaia Onunwor delivered a stellar performance, leading all scorers with 19 points while making an impact on both ends of the floor. For North Olmsted, Shelley Gray led her team with 9 points, including two fourth-quarter three-pointers.