The West Lady Senators captured a Division III girls basketball sectional championship last Thursday night, defeating Eastern Brown 40-14 at Piketon High School.

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

PIKETON — The West Lady Senators —spearheaded by senior standout Emma Sayre — once again indeed got defensive in capturing a consecutive Division III sectional championship.

The five-foot and three-inch prolific point guard Sayre scored a game-high 11 points, and third-seeded West stymied 22nd-seeded Eastern Brown to single-digit scoring in all four periods —en route to a 40-14 championship victory last Thursday night at Piketon High School.

For the Lady Senators, which have now won and/or shared back-to-back Southern Ohio Conference girls basketball championships (SOC II outright in 2023 and SOC III split with Minford in 2024), the Division III sectional title is their third in a row —and second straight under second-year head coach Larry Howell.

With the win, West raised its stellar record to 19-3 —with two losses coming to strong Division II teams Jackson and John Glenn, and on neutral floors far away from West Portsmouth.

The other was over a month ago now —a 39-37 buzzer-beating loss at Minford.

In fact, that was West’s last defeat — as the Lady Senators’ streak of wins now stands at nine, and actually 13 of the last 14 games.

Against Eastern Brown, although offensively the Lady Senators struggled in the opening half, they defensively only allowed 14 total points —outscoring the Lady Warriors for the entire game in the third quarter.

Eastern scored just three first-period field goals for six points, got only an Emma Litzinger basket in the second stanza, made two more third-frame field goals, and got only a Tabby Schumacher bucket in the fourth.

Litzinger led the Lady Warriors with six points — also scoring in the opening and third cantos.

Schumacher scored in the first as well, along with Lilly Yuppa, as Emmalee Belmont bagged the other third-frame field goal.

West only led 8-6 after the opening period, and only increased its lead slightly to 14-8 at halftime.

But by the end of the third, West was ahead 29-12 —thanks to 15 period points, including three field goals by Sayre.

West senior Emma Sayre, left, dives for a loose ball against an Eastern Brown player during last Thursday night’s Division III girls basketball sectional championship game at Piketon High School.

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

Sayre scored her only other field goal in the fourth quarter, and split 3-of-6 free throws for her 11 points.

The sure-fire first-team all-Southeast District Division III honoree (as bestowed by the Ohio Prep Sports Writers Association), who is already signed to play collegiate volleyball at Marshall University, also added four rebounds.

But Sayre had a supporting cast against Eastern —including fellow senior Emily Moore with seven points, on two baskets and 3-of-3 foul shots.

Moore muscled for an old-fashioned three-point play in the third.

West senior Emily Moore (23)

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

Hailey Carver scored six points —and rained in a three-point goal in the first.

Kate Rollins and Adi Stephens scored a deuce and a trey apiece, senior Kamryn Spriggs scored four points on a third-quarter field goal and 2-of-2 fourth-quarter free throws, and Macy Whisman wound up with a third-quarter basket.

West senior Kamryn Spriggs (15)

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

Whisman tied Sayre in rebounds with four, as the six-foot freshman made off with three steals.

The Lady Senators return to action on Saturday (Feb. 24) —and to Waverly’s Downtown Arena for the Division III Southeast District semifinals.

West will play 15th-seeded Alexander, which knocked off 10th-seeded Huntington 55-48 in another sectional championship game.

Tipoff time for the Lady Senators and the Lady Spartans —with a berth in the district championship at stake —is set for 2:30 p.m.

West second-year girls basketball head coach Larry Howell cuts down the net following the Lady Senators’ sectional championship victory over Eastern Brown.

Courtesy of Joey Shupert

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