New Hope went on a 19-2 run in the second quarter on Friday to put away visiting Depaul Cristo Rey 62-19 in a Ohio Christian School Athletic Association regional tournament game.
“I’m really proud of how quick we jumped out tonight after having nearly two weeks without an actual game,” New Hope coach Brian McCallister said. “We’ve had some time to work on the basics and just improving ourselves rather than preparing for a specific opponent.Â
“I give some of the credit to some of our JV boys that have been scrimmaging us for the last week and a half. They bring a pace to our practice that we just can’t simulate on our own.”
Maren McCallister scored eight points and Kayla Winner added a pair of baskets in the first quarter that ended with the Statesmen holding a 14-2 lead.
Four players scored in the second quarter, as the Statesmen rolled into halftime with a 33-8 advantage.
McCallister led the way with 11 points in the period, Jenna Tripp hit a three-pointer and Eden Leist also chipped in three points.
McCallister poured in a game-high 28 points to pace the Statesmen, Tripp tallied 10, Leist and Winner scored eight points apiece and Ivy Hines added six.
The Statesmen (17-5) are slated to take on Mansfield Christian on Friday in an OCSAA semifinal game inside Ohio Christian’s Maxwell Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
“We get another week of work leading up to our Final Four matchup with Mansfield Christian,” McCallister said. “They are the OCSAA State Champs from the last three years. Our seniors have accomplished so much and advanced our program immensely. A win over Mansfield Christian and a trip to the State Finals would be a great ending to an amazing career for them.”
(740) 477-1661