Bath’s Claire Foust (#22) takes the ball out of a pack of St Marys players on Thursday night at St Marys High School.
Jackelyn Johnson | The Lima News
ST. MARYS — Bath’s defense and length has the ability to suffocate opposing teams.
And that’s exactly what the Wildkittens did to St. Marys during a 40-28 win on Thursday night.
Bath (16-6) forced nine first-half turnovers and held St. Marys (11-11) scoreless for a stretch that lasted eight minutes, turning a tie game into a nine-point lead at the break.
“They’re tough. Their length made it hard on us and we didn’t shoot it well,” St. Marys coach Scott Jordan said. “We were kind of stagnant and settled for some long threes and you can’t do that against a good defensive team. They’re quick, they’re aggressive and they’re physical.”
The Wildkittens limited St. Marys to two points in the second quarter. With 59 seconds left in the first quarter, the game was tied 8-8. At the half, Bath held a 19-10 lead.
“I thought in the first half we played really well,” Bath coach Greg Mauk said. “We only had three turnovers at halftime, which is huge for us. And we were able to come down and get some easy shots. I thought that was what really set the tone for the game.”
Kelsie Carlson led all scorers with 13 points. Faith Clark added nine points on a trio of three-pointers.
At times, the offensive end was Bath’s biggest struggle. Anne Oliver had an uncharacteristic night, going 0 for 7 from the field and finishing with just two points, but freshman Marlie Mason provided some reinforcements off the bench.
Mason scored six of the Wildkittens’ nine second-quarter points and finished the game with seven.
“Her (Marlie Mason’s) contribution in the first half was huge for us. Anne (Oliver) struggled early on. I don’t think she made a field goal in the first half and she’s our leading scorer. So for Marlie to step up for us as a freshman is big.”
Bath scored the first seven points of the second half. St. Marys only trimmed the lead back to nine once at the end of the third quarter.
Both teams took 37 shots from the field. Bath made 15 (40%), while St. Marys converted 11 (29%).
The Wildkittens also held the edge on the boards 27-23. St. Marys turned the ball over more at 13-12.
Bath’s win clinches a second-place finish in the WBL standings. St. Marys, who had an opportunity at a second-place tie, settles for third.
Both teams open the postseason next week against league opponents. Bath plays Defiance, while St. Marys meets Kenton.
“Going into the tournament, it was big for us to come in here on the road and play well, and get some momentum,” Mauk said. “I thought we were consistent in a lot of areas tonight that we haven’t been all year.
“I told the girls that it doesn’t matter how you start, it’s how you finish. If you’re playing well at the end of the season, you have a chance to play deep into the tournament and this group of kids understands that. They know what we need to do to get that done.”
Bath 40, St. Marys 28
Score by quarters:
Bath 10 9 9 12 — 40
St. Marys 8 2 9 9 — 28
BATH
Kelsie Carlson 13, Faith Clark 9, Marlie Mason 7, Claire Foust 7, Anne Oliver 2, Gwyn Foust 2, Totals 15-6-40
ST. MARYS
Reese Rable 7, Ella Jacobs 6, Cadence Hirschfield 6, Sophia Menkrt 5, Syerra Greber 4, Totals 11-2-28
Records — Bath 16-6, 8-1 WBL; St. Marys 11-11, 6-3 WBL
Reach Chris Howell at 567-242-0468 or on Twitter @Lima_Howell
