West Liberty Salem goes 2-0 with win over Tippecanoe

West Liberty Salem ran their record to 2-0 on the young season with a 40-35 victory over Tippecanoe last night in a non-conference girls basketball game. WLS held a slim 16-15 lead at the break, and Tipp took their final lead at 23-21 on a Kendal Clodfelter three-pointer with 4:03 left in the third period before the Tigers took the lead for good and went on to the victory. <strong>Game MVP</strong> Scoring 15 points and most importantly playing a steady guard spot for the Tigers was sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="32610" first="Emily" last="Hollar"]<span style="font-size: 10pt"><strong>. </strong></span>Hollar hit some big shots for WLS, and showcased herself as one of the better younger players in the Miami Valley. <strong>Play of the Game</strong> A huge three-pointer from sophomore Gabby Williams with 3:49 left in the third period and it gave them the lead at 24-23 and they would never relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. It was also Williams’ only points of the game. <strong>Offensive Performer of the Game</strong> Selena Weaver was unstoppable around the basket for the Tigers. The junior post player backed down her defender successfully all night and scored often at the rim. She was impressive and should continue to move up the radar with a performance like she had. Weaver scored 18 points for West Lib in their win. <strong>Defensive Performer of the Game</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="89261" first="Kendall" last="Clodfelter"] continues her early-season solid on-ball defense, causing havoc to her opponent. Clodfelter moved well and contained things when she was on the floor. Her quick hands forces turnovers which Tipp can capitalize in the transition game. <strong>Best off the Bench</strong> Coming back from an injury was Rachel Wildermuth, who missed their season opener. She came off the bench and proved some solid play both offensively with a three-point shot early in the third period at the time giving Tipp a 13-6 lead. Wildermuth also did a solid job on the boards, and was a good defensive player. <strong>Run of the Game</strong> When Clodfelter gave Tipp a 23-21 lead midway through the third period with a three, West Liberty went on a 7-0 run which gave the Tigers the lead. Williams hit her three to start the run, then Weaver scored twice to complete the run. It was a series of possessions that the Tigers needed to give them the momentum they would use to propel them to a win. <strong>Best Rebounder</strong> Using her height advantage on the boards was 6-2 junior Katie Hemmelgarn for Tippecanoe. She had a solid game rebounding the ball, and controlled the glass. She didn’t play much varsity last year and has continued to improve as she looks to be a more impactful player for Tipp this season. <strong>Best Intangibles</strong> Even though she didn’t score much offensively, [player_tooltip player_id="91110" first="Ashleigh" last="Mader"] is a junior for Tipp who does a lot of the little things to make their offense run. She gets after the loose balls and looks to be a solid leader on the floor for Tipp. <strong>Best Under the Radar Performance</strong> Without question that goes to Selena Weaver. She was off the radar when the season started, but showed a lot of poise and could get physical if needed on the boards. She has gotten the confidence up and tried to utilize her athleticism to her advantage. <strong>Best Underclassman</strong> Only a sophomore, the games MVP would also fit this category as [player_tooltip player_id="32610" first="Emily" last="Hollar"] has started the season strong. Love her leadership and her ability to create shots on offense. She moved well without the ball and when she had the ball, she made something happen for her team.