Titans take 14th straight sectional

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JACKSON — If this was a boxing match, it would have been almost instantly stopped — maybe a minute into the match.

That’s because the second-seeded Notre Dame Lady Titans didn’t even have an eyelash worth of a challenge last Thursday evening —in their Division IV sectional championship game against the 15th-seeded Miller Lady Falcons.

The Falcons failed to score in the first, second and fourth quarters —and did not make a single field goal on any of their 22 shot attempts.

In the end, Notre Dame dismantled Miller by a count of 62-3 at Jackson High School —as the Lady Titans took an easy time in winning their 14th consecutive sectional championship.

That’s correct, they’ve won the sectional every year starting in 2011 —with their only other title before this span coming clear back 40 years ago.

The Lady Titans raised their record to 18-4, scoring 22 first-period points —followed by markers of 19 in the second stanza, and 14 more in the third.

Notre Dame scored seven in the fourth, with the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s running-clock rule in full force for the entire second half.

Miller missed 16 two-point attempts and six three-point tries, scoring three third-period points on three made free throws.

Abby Keller was 2-of-2, and Heather West went 1-of-4.

The Lady Falcons finished with 28 turnovers, as Notre Dame dialed up 22 steals —and assisted 15 times with a 22-16 rebounding advantage.

Speaking of 28, the Lady Titans tallied that many total field goals on 46 attempts —for indeed a sizzling 61-percent shooting clip from the field.

They were 23-of-31 from two-point territory for a blistering 74-percent, and 5-of-15 from three-point range —with senior Ella Kirby canning four of 10.

Kaylyn Darden dropped in the other trifecta, and senior Savannah Holtgrewe garnered a free throw —as the Lady Titans tried four.

Kirby and fellow senior Gracie Ashley amounted 16 points apiece —as Ashley was 8-of-9 from the field.

Darden was next with nine, followed by four field goals for eight points by senior Katie Strickland.

Ashley at eight and Darden with six were the rebounding leaders for the Lady Titans.

Darden recorded six steals.

The Lady Titans return to action on Saturday (Feb. 24) —in the Division IV Southeast District semifinals at Wellston High School.

Notre Dame draws 10th-seeded Southern, which won 47-40 over seventh-seeded Valley in another sectional final.

Tipoff time at Wellston High School is set for high noon.

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