Redskins topple Granville 57-35

UTICA— One of the qualities of a championship team is being able to win without always being on top of its game. The Utica Redskins struggled at times, but made the big plays when they counted as they defeated Granville 57-35 on Saturday afternoon.

Both teams struggled out of the gate, as the score was tied at two after three and a half minutes of play. That’s when Utica picked things up, and made their run. Led by five points from Sierra Fletcher and four more from Tricia Harvey, the Redskins worked their way out to an 11-2 lead. Utica would leave the first quarter up 15-6.

It was the defense that led the Redskins in the second half, as they forced the Aces into four straight turnovers to open the second quarter. Utica took advantage as they stretched their lead to 21-7. Granville knocked in the next five points, but the Redskins put another run together and walked into halftime up 31-14.

“In the second quarter, we changed our defense around a little bit,” said Utica head coach Michelle Snow. “That helped to get things going for us. We actually had to slow the game down a bit to get things going our way.”

Granville came out strong in the second half, as Jen Smith knocked in four points to open the quarter for the Aces, as they closed the lead to 31-21. Utica fired right back with a 10-2 run through the remainder of the quarter to stretch their lead to 41-23, as they received points from five different players.

The team effort continued into the fourth quarter for Utica. Sarah Metzger and Kerry Dearman dropped in four points apiece to lead the way. Granville kept up the pressure compliments of a pair of 3-pointers from Larsen Clark, but the Aces never threatened as they eventually dropped the game 57-35.

Utica held a slight edge in the rebounding department, 29-25. It was the shooting for the Redskins that helped pulled them through, as they shot 42 percent (21-50), compared to 29 percent (13-44) for the Aces. The Redskins also pulled in eight steals, compared to only four for Granville.

The Redskins were led by Metzger who tallied 10 points on the day. Fletcher added 11 points, five assists, and four steals. Kylee Kierce tabbed eight points while pulling in six rebounds.

“We didn’t play our best game overall,” said Snow. “We found ways to win, and that’s the important thing. We just need to take some time for focus on our fundamentals as we get back into action next week.”

Clark led the way for the Aces with 10 points. Jen Smith added six points and four rebounds on the afternoon.

The Redskins will resume Mid-Buckeye Conference play on Thursday when they host Johnstown. That game is set for a 6 p.m. junior varsity start.