WADSWORTH — Consider the Wadsworth girls basketball team ready for another tournament run.
Wadsworth’s Sophia Fortner runs against Solon’s Maria Modkins in a game Saturday. GLEN RUTHERFORD/GAZETTE
In a showdown of Northeast Ohio elite Saturday, the Grizzlies started strong, finished stronger and left no doubt in a jaw-dropping 68-46 non-league victory over defending Division I state semifinalist Solon.
Wadsworth (21-1), the No. 1 team in The Associated Press D-I state poll, never trailed and led by 20 points at halftime. The scary part was the Grizzlies missed a bunch of close-range attempts and still won by 22.
“Just playing them all summer and that, we were back and forth,” All-Ohio shooting guard Jodi Johnson said. “We were expecting a tough one, but obviously we came out strong in that first quarter and that really boosted us throughout the game.”
The Comets fell to 14-8, but their schedule is absolutely loaded. Their losses have come to Wadsworth (No. 1 in AP D-I poll), Mason (No. 4), Pickerington Central (No. 6), Magnificat (18-4 record), Mentor (20-3, twice) and Detroit powers Martin Luther King (No. 6 in Class A) and Country Day (No. 1 in Class B).
Though Solon clearly missed graduated point guard Jordan Bekelja, who now plays 33 minutes per game for Clarion University, it still featured DePaul recruit Dee Bekelja, 6-foot-2 US Under-16 National Team member Valencia Myers, potential D-I prospect Alexis Stover and Lake Erie signee Jordan Joseph.
The Grizzlies handed the Comets their worst loss of the season, using elite half-court defense to take a 15-6 lead after one quarter, embarking on a 13-0 run in the second and winning the rebounding battle 41-19.
Solon desperately increased tempo in the second half, but that only fed into Wadsworth’s hands as it led by 26 points on multiple occasions.
“Our defense came up big for us,” Johnson said.
Johnson won her anticipated individual matchup against second-team All-Ohioan Bekelja (12 points, 5 rebounds) with game highs of 18 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three crowd-pleasing blocks, while sophomore center Lexi Lance outdueled Myers (4 points, 4 rebounds) with 14 points and six boards.
The Grizzlies’ role players were stellar, too, as power forward Jenna Johnson made 6-of-6 free throws to increase her season percentage to 83.3, backup center Peyton Banks scored 11 of her 13 points in a fast-paced third quarter and small forward Laurel Palitto added six points, two assists and two steals.
Bekelja didn’t score until 2:10 left in the first half, Stover (14 points) had four points at recess, Myers barely played in the middle quarters because of foul trouble and the Comets committed 11 costly turnovers in the opening 16 minutes.
Wadsworth’s defense was on point.
“Stopping (Myers was key),” Lance said. “And (coach Andrew Booth) in practice said we needed to stop the drive and make them shoot outside shots.
“We just kept pushing the ball, and we didn’t look at the scoreboard.”
Booth chose a first-round bye at the Medina Division I District draw so the Solon game wouldn’t have to be rescheduled, and Wadsworth prepared for the evening with tournament-like focus.
Booth didn’t mince words when asked to summarize the performance.
“To be able to throw up 68 points and win by 22 against a quality program like Solon, I couldn’t be more proud of the kids,” he said.
Note
The Wadsworth junior varsity completed a 22-0 season with an exciting 52-49 victory. The Grizzlies blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Leah Maher scored the go-ahead bucket and Wadsworth never trailed again. Meggie Flanigan had 15 points.
Wadsworth 68, Solon 46
SOLON 6 8 19 13 — 46
WADSWORTH 15 19 22 12 — 68
Solon — Dee Bekelja 5-2-12, Alexis Stover 6-0-14, Valencia Myers 2-0-4, Gabrielle Mitchell 1-3-5, Mariah Modkins 2-0-4, Jordan Joseph 2-3-7, Kyra Lance 0-0-0, Jasmine Kinsey 0-0-0, Katherine Dittoe 0-0-0, Sonny Mercer 0-0-0. TOTALS: 18-8-46.
Wadsworth — Laurel Palitto 3-0-6, Jenna Johnson 1-6-8, Lexi Lance 5-4-14, Jodi Johnson 5-8-18, Sophia Fortner 1-4-6, Olivia Chaney 0-1-1, McKenna Banks 1-0-2, Peyton Banks 6-1-13, Maddie Movsesian 0-0-0, Maggie Sonntag 0-0-0, Maria Busson 0-0-0, Meggie Flanigan 0-0-0, Molly Palecek 0-0-0. TOTALS: 22-24-68.
3-point goals — Stover 2. Rebounds — Solon 19 (Bekelja 5), Wadsworth 41 (Jo. Johnson 12). Assists — Solon 4 (Mitchell 2), Wadsworth 9 (Jo. Johnson 4). Records — Solon (14-8), Wadsworth (21-1). Junior varsity — Wadsworth 52, Solon 49.