by JOHN HOWLEY / SportingPumpkin.com
COLUMBUS — Teays Valley took to the hardwood at Ohio Dominican University Saturday night with a district title on the line. Unfortunately for the Vikings, top-ranked Pickering Central was on the other end of the floor and the Tigers put an end to TV’s season 61-27.
Pickerington Central, the No. 1 seed in the Central District tournament and ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 most of the season in the state AP Poll, got out to a 19-10 lead in the first quarter, led 31-16 at the half and was up 46-22 after three quarters.
“I told them tomorrow when they wake up, they need to look at the accomplishments that they got this year and in the past,” TV coach Trevor Younkin said he told his team after the loss.
Among those accomplishment is becoming the first Teays Valley girls basketball team to bring home a district trophy since moving up to Division I in the 2007-2008 season. This group of Vikings also claimed the Mid-State League title last season and had back-to-back 17-win seasons.
“That’s a footprint that belongs to them and always will,” Younkin said. “We’re excited about the underclassmen moving forward and these seniors raised the bar, set the bar really high and we’ll get an opportunity to watch all four of them go off and play college basketball.”
Helping get them to the district championship game was a schedule that included playing some of the top teams around the state and the country with a holiday trip to the Carolina Classic and playing in events like the Classic In the Country over MLK weekend.
“They did not have a very easy schedule and that was the purpose. If you want to play a bunch of teams to get a bunch of ‘W’s, but then not go far in the tournament, that’s not going to help you,” Younkin said. “Going down to Carolina and playing Oakland and Davey Crockett – two phenomenal teams that are ranked in their state – and then coming up here and playing great Mid-State League play with Circleville and Bloom-Carroll, just phenomenal teams, it only made us better. We learned a lot and I think if we didn’t have that schedule, we wouldn’t even be here tonight.”
Pickerington was led by University of Illinois commit Berry Wallace with 21 and freshman Zoe Coleman with 16.
Alyssa Horsley had eight for TV (17-9) with Gabrielle Watkins, Kennedy Younkin and Tessa Horsley each scoring five and Cami Robins four.
It was the final game in blue and gold for Alyssa Horsley, Abby Tier, Watkins and Younkin.
“They have been with me from the very beginning – my first true senior class that has always been with me from day one,” coach Younkin said. “You have a phenomenal point guard in Abby Tier, an excellent outside shooter in Gabrielle Watkins here lately, Alyssa Horsley is just such a universal player who can shoot outside, can post up inside, and you’ve got Kennedy in the middle of the paint creating havoc on defense and giving us those inside buckets.
“Those four definitely left a mark. It’s going to be tough losing them – I wish I had them one more year going into the OCC, but they raised the bar for the next generation and the next student athletes to carry it on.”
Pickerington Central (23-3) advances to play Olentangy (24-1) Tuesday at Otterbein in the regional. Olentangy finished the season ranked No. 1 in the state AP poll with Pickerington No. 2.
Pickerington Central 61, Teays Valley 27
Teays Valley— Gabrielle Watkins 2-0-5, Cami Robins 1-1-4, Kennedy Younkin 2-1-5, Alyssa Horsley 4-0-8, Tessa Horsley 2-0-5. Three-point goals — Watkins, Robins, T Horsley. Total — 11-2-27
Pickerington Central — Rylee Bess 3-2-8, Jaden Tucker 2-0-5, Zoe Coleman 7-1-16, Kennady Gordon 2-0-4, Blossom Wallace 1-0-2, Mikaila Asamoah 1-2-4, Berry Wallace 9-1-21, Ameera Jenkins 0-1-1. Three-point goals — Tucker, Coleman, Be Wallace (2). Total — 25-7-61.
Quarter scores 1 2 3 4 F
Teays Valley 10 6 6 5 27
Pickerington Central 19 12 15 15 61
