#1 2021 Hall hits buzzer beater for big win

Jim Dabbelt December 8, 2019 @ 09:17 AM

Heading into the huge Division 1 showdown on Saturday between Dayton’s #1 Fairmont and #2 Wayne, most people expected the game to come down to the last minute. With four minutes left, Wayne led 47-40 before Fairmont stormed back thanks to <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/madison-bartley/">[player_tooltip player_id="89331" first="Madison" last="Bartley"]</a>’s five points in the next two minutes. As <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/madelyn-westbeld/">[player_tooltip player_id="89318" first="Madeline" last="Westbeld"]</a>, the #1 2020 in Ohio, tied the game with 30 seconds left on a short jumper, it would all come down to the possession with Wayne getting the final shot. The state’s top 2021 Bree Hall would come up clutch with the game winning move through the defense to knock down the winning shot as time expired to give the Warriors a 51-49 victory. Some takeaways from the big game: Game MVP- it took her a little while to get going offensively, but when she did, she showed why she is the best junior in Ohio. After a mortal-like first half, Hall exploded for 16 points in the second half to end with 25 points and as the clock was winding down, she took the ball at the top of the key, battled against Westbeld and made a move and tossed it up toward the basket and after it bounced around, it fell through to give Wayne the GWOC victory. Offensive Player of the Game- one of the more steady performers on the day was Westbeld, being productive in each quarter. She opened the game with six points in the first five minutes to give Fairmont an early 8-2 lead, then in the third period with the Firebirds battling to hold onto the lead, she hit two bigtime reverse moves blanketed by a defender and a short 5-foot jumper in the paint. She finished with 17 on the night. One shot and out- One thing Fairmont did that helped control the first half was only allowing Wayne to one shot. They did a great job on the boards to contain the explosive Warriors offense, keeping them from additional opportunities. Play of the Game- of course it is easy to say that Bree Hall’s game winner was the Play of the Game, as it should be considered the biggest shot of the game. But back in the second quarter, a huge couple of possessions came at the 4:17 mark with Fairmont leading 18-8 and on a 6-0 run, it was junior Alyssa Hargrove-Hall that essentially got Wayne back into game. She badly missed a three, shaking her head in disgust she came right back and buried a three, and her big play of the game came on the next possession that she created herself. She swiped the steal from the Firebirds, went coast-to-coast blanketed by a defender and scored to cut the Fairmont lead to 18-13. That turned the momentum to Wayne who ended up getting the 22-20 lead at halftime. Off the Bench- both teams had key bench players in this game. Wayne’s 6-2 junior Jacquel Bronaugh did some good things being physical underneath, as her game continues to develop. She moved over from Northmont during the summer and has fit in with the Warriors scheme of being strong underneath to compliment their solid guard play. Fairmont also has a newcomer as 5-10 senior Kyndall Ketterer who is multidimensional. She can score from the perimeter as shown by a huge three from deep in the corner that gave Fairmont a three-point lead late in the third period. She can also get to the rim and is strong enough to play physical and get to the line. Prospects- Both team obviously have bigtime college prospects with Westbeld (Notre Dame), Bartley (Belmont) and Hampton (Bowling Green) choosing their schools. Plus Bree Hall will go wherever she wants. But there are plenty of other players worth noting who will play at the next level. Wayne boasts unsigned senior Jaida Wolfork, a 5-10 forward with a good inside-outside game with three-point range. Also watch for junior Alyssa Hargrove-Hall who is a 5-6 long guard who can run the floor and create plays. Lovie Malone is a 5-10 junior guard who has offers and is a steady player who gets the job done. Fairmont has Ketterer who is still unsigned but has a D2 offer. Makira Webster is a strong and skilled guard who can score and run the offense. She is also an unsigned senior as is Kierra Thornton who has really developed into a good prospect. Both Webster and Thornton worked well together in the backcourt for the Firebirds. Another one to watch down the road is 5-8 sophomore who I saw for the first time and she will be their main threat next year. She continues to grow her game and get better. Rematch set- these two teams will play again at Fairmont on January 29.