Forget about the Wadsworth girls basketball team’s convincing win over Magnificat in late December. The stakes, neutral gymnasium and experience are what matter this time around.
The Grizzlies (24-1) and Blue Streaks (21-4) meet again at 7 p.m. tonight in a North Royalton Division I Regional semifinal. They are near-unanimously considered the top D-I teams in Northeast Ohio along with Solon and Canton McKinley.
The winner faces Westlake (23-2) or Toledo Whitmer (21-6) on Saturday afternoon at a site to be determined. The Panthers upset Toledo Notre Dame Academy, which eliminated Wadsworth in each of the previous four seasons.
“It’s awesome, I’d definitely say,” Grizzlies three-year starting forward Laurel Palitto said. “It’s also awesome to be here with different teams. Girls obviously graduate. I don’t know how to describe it.”
Wadsworth defeated Magnificat 47-29 at its Believe Roundball Classic, but the Grizzlies are treating that as an anomaly because the Blue Streaks committed 15 first-half turnovers, Penn recruit Pheobe Sterba had a rare off-night (2 points on 1-for-9 shooting) and fellow star Elise Keshock (12 points, 7 rebounds) battled foul trouble.
Magnificat’s all-independent regular-season schedule was eye-popping with games against eventual district finalists Wadsworth, Berlin Hiland (W, 65-46), Africentric (W, 56-44), Gilmour Academy (W, 58-42), Hathaway Brown (W, 53-46), Berea-Midpark (W, 64-53), Mason (L, 33-56), Avon (W, 58-41), Solon (W, 62-56), Hoban (W, 73-57), St. Vincent-St. Mary (W, 76-74) and St. Joseph Academy (W, 62-44).
Three of the Blue Streaks’ projected five starters for tonight played against Wadsworth in the regional semis two years ago.
“Knowing they’re going to come out gung-ho wanting to continue their season and wanting to continue their careers, they don’t want to lose,” Palitto said. “They’re going to put up a fight. We know that.”
The Blue Streaks defeated Rhodes (71-24), Lakewood (58-36) and St. Joseph (49-26) to emerge from the weak Valley Forge District. They’ve won nine straight games since getting manhandled by Mason at The Classic in the Country Challenge — the Comets are the only team to beat Wadsworth — on Jan. 16.
Keshock (16.4 ppg) is the key, as Magnificat’s offense is built on pick-and-rolls and high-post plays designed to get the physical 5-foot-9 power forward playing downhill. Sterba (12.0 ppg) is an outstanding passer and difficult matchup at 6-0, while Lily Schwind (6-0, 8.3) is a hard-working center and, like Sterba, guard Sarah Spicer (5-2, 5.4) is a mild 3-point threat.
The Blue Streaks are 19-0 when they score at least 50 points and 7-0 when Keshock goes for 20-plus.
“(Keshock) has great body control,” Palitto said. “She knows how to use her left and right hand. I know she loves to use her left hand, but her moves are great, her finishes are great and she does some things that are mouth-opening.”
Wadsworth is averaging 64.8 points during its 10-game winning streak but is better known for a defense that is on pace to record the second-lowest scoring average in Medina County history (32.8).
The Grizzlies obviously feature first-team All-Ohioan Jodi Johnson (5-11, sr., 18.2) and tough-as-nails point guard Sophia Fortner (5-5, so., 8.2), but rapidly developing sophomore centers Lexi Lance (6-1, 7.6) and Peyton Banks (5-10, 7.8) also have been dynamite in the postseason.
With Schwind commanding Lance and Banks’ attention, Palitto (5-10, sr., 3.8) and power forward Jenna Johnson (5-10, sr., 4.8) will alternate guarding Keshock, with backside help a big point of emphasis.
Don’t be surprised if tonight is a slugfest.
“Getting to this point, we know every team is going to have great players,” Palitto said. “But I think at the end of the season, the teams that are going to be playing in Columbus are going to be the teams that have the players that play together.”
