SPRINGFIELD — With a 6-4 post player and a group of talented perimeter players, West Liberty-Salem’s offense has garnered a lot of attention this season. But its defense has been the X factor.
|
ABOVE: Members of the West Liberty-Salem girls basketball team celebrate after Saturday’s Division III district championship win over Madeira at Springfield High School. HOME PAGE SLIDE SHOW PHOTO: Junior guard Lily Yoder sets up for a three-point attempt during the first half of Saturday’s game. Yoder scored a game-high 21 points. (EXAMINER PHOTOS | MATT HAMMOND) |
The Tigers, who allowed opponents just 41 points per game this season, held Cincinnati Madeira 23 points below its scoring average in a 47-38 victory Saturday in the Division III district championship game at Springfield High School.
“We knew we were going to have to keep them around 40 points if we wanted to have a chance to win,” said longtime WL-Salem head coach Dennis McIntosh. “Other than a couple of shots, I thought our defense was really good. As good as our offense has been at times, defense has been our bread and butter this year.”
The Tigers (22-3) won their first district title since 2001. They return to Springfield to play Versailles in a regional semifinal at 8 p.m. Wednesday at SHS.
“We played together as a team,” said Jamie Peterson, the Tigers’ talented senior post player. “We had some nerves early in the game, but we kept our composure and everyone did their job.”
Read complete story in Monday’s Examiner.
CLICK HERE to subscribe today!
WEB EDITION STARTING AT $9.50 FOR 5 WEEKS