Calvary Christian’s girls basketball team came away with a third-place finish over the weekend at the state Final Four of the Ohio Christian Schools Athletic Association tournament.
“Overall, this was an excellent season for our Lady Spartans,” said head coach Eli Carter. “While we fell short at the state level, we did end up losing to the eventual state champions in Mansfield Christian. Winning 29 games is unheard of.
“For our seniors Ellie Young, Mataya Penhorwood, Ruth and Marjorie Boy they end their career on a high note with a win and third-place finish. We couldn’t ask for anything better. I will miss this senior class moving forward but I know they will become great leaders for our community.”
In the state semifinal round Friday, Calvary faced off against Mansfield Christian, losing 37-30.
The Spartans trailed 7-6 at the end of the opening quarter and the deficit moved to eight (21-13) for the local squad at halftime.
MC came out of halftime on fire as they built a big lead as Calvary had a hard time scoring. Calvary trailed by 14 (34-20) after three quarters.
The Spartans fought back in the fourth period, holding MC to only three points. But it was not enough as they fell seven points short.
Friday’s loss sent Calvary to the third-place game, which it won 42-34 over Mansfield Temple Christian. Calvary led 10-5 after one quarter and 20-17 at halftime.
The Spartans pushed their lead to five points (28-23) after three quarters. Calvary pulled away in the fourth quarter, getting a big three- pointer from Ruth Boy with 2:21 left to give the Spartans a 12-point cushion.
For Calvary, Elisha Carter led all players in scoring with 25 points. Hannah Marlow had 20 points and Erin Young scored 10 points. Calvary finishes the season with a 29-4 record, an OVCC regular-season and tournament championship, a runner-up finish in the Rosedale Bible College tournament and the third-place state finish.