Rams won, Blue Devils done

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TROTWOOD — The old adage is still true.

Come tournament time, everybody’s record goes back to 0-0 and everybody is playing to survive and advance. One loss and your season could be done.

Upset minded 15th-seeded Brookville forgot there was a loving holiday going on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Instead, they gave the No. 3 seeded Greeneview Rams (21-2) everything they could handle in an eventual 52-44 Greeneview win.

Brookville came into the Division III sectional first round matchup having won six games all season. But when Abbey Cousineu drained a 3-pointer with 1:10 left to play in the third quarter, the upstart Blue Devils had a 31-30 lead over the Rams.

That sparked Greeneview into a 15-2 run that spanned over the final 54 seconds of the third, and the opening 3:10 of the fourth period. The Rams nabbed their first double-digit lead of the contest (45-33) on Sylvie Sonneman’s three-point shot from the right side of the arc with 4:50 left to play.

The Devils were Blue from then on.

Rams coach Tim Hoelle didn’t attribute the close battle to any kind of an emotional letdown after his team claimed the Ohio Heritage Conference South Division title on Feb. 10. At least three Rams players did not play in Wednesday’s tournament game.

“I was more worried about a letdown because we were missing about a third of our team,” he said. “We had two days to prepare for a game like this. It’s a tournament game. Everyone knows that it’s ‘One and Done.’ You gotta win it or you’re done.

“I thought maybe our legs were a little tired after the game on Saturday, but for the most part it was just about finding something that worked on defense. I thought we pressured a lot better in the second half. The defense was clicking. We just had to get something going on offense.”

Frankie Fife led the Rams with 15 points scored. Faith Strickle tossed in 12 points, Sonneman scored nine points, and Ashley Schloss scored eight to lead Greeneview’s win.

With the win over Brookville, Greeneview advances to second-round play where they’ll take on No. 18-seed Urbana (3-18), which had a first-round bye. That game is scheduled for a 6 p.m. tipoff on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at Trotwood-Madison High.

Blue Devil coach Braden Kindell admitted to using the 0-and-0 cliche’ with his kids prior to the game with the Rams.

“All week, at least since the regular season ended, we talked about how when you get into the tournament the records don’t matter,” Kindell said. “We got a group of seniors that got the younger players to buy into it, and they showed it by playing that well.”

Brookville freshman center Emily Mason led Brookville with 10 points scored, while senior Katlin Pistone and junior Christina Bronner each finished with nine points. Pistone, Kaylee Sweat and Kylie Surber were seniors on the Blue Devils this season. Surber missed Wednesday’s game with the flu.

“In our (Southwestern Buckeye) League, we are playing Division II teams almost all year long, and I think that prepared us well for this game,” Kindell said. “… The Fife girl, and No. 33 (Strickle). Congratulations to Greeneview for winning their conference this year. Coach Hoelle’s got a great program and we really respect those guys.”

Kayli Vipperman (10) of Greeneview drives in for a layup in the first half of Wednesday’s Feb. 14 Division III sectional tournament girls high school basketball game with Brookville, which was held at Trotwood-Madison High School.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/02/web1_KayliVipperman_PS.jpgKayli Vipperman (10) of Greeneview drives in for a layup in the first half of Wednesday’s Feb. 14 Division III sectional tournament girls high school basketball game with Brookville, which was held at Trotwood-Madison High School. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Greeneview’s Frankie Fife, shown here knifing between a pair of Brookville defenders for a score, led the Rams with 15 points scored in the Feb. 14 first-round win in the teams’ Division III sectional tournament opener in Trotwood.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/02/web1_FrankieFife_PS.jpgGreeneview’s Frankie Fife, shown here knifing between a pair of Brookville defenders for a score, led the Rams with 15 points scored in the Feb. 14 first-round win in the teams’ Division III sectional tournament opener in Trotwood. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Faith Strickle and her Greeneview teammates follow her shot during second-half action in Trotwood. Greeneview defeated Brookville 52-44 to win the Feb. 14 Division III first-round sectional tournament game.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/02/web1_FaithStrickleJumper_PS.jpgFaith Strickle and her Greeneview teammates follow her shot during second-half action in Trotwood. Greeneview defeated Brookville 52-44 to win the Feb. 14 Division III first-round sectional tournament game. John Bombatch | Greene County News

Olivia Maxwell (22) of Greeneview is fouled by a pair of Brookville Blue Devils during the first half of Wednesday’s Feb. 14 girls high school sectional tournament basketball game at Trotwood-Madison High School.
https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/02/web1_OliviaMaxwell_PS.jpgOlivia Maxwell (22) of Greeneview is fouled by a pair of Brookville Blue Devils during the first half of Wednesday’s Feb. 14 girls high school sectional tournament basketball game at Trotwood-Madison High School. John Bombatch | Greene County News

By John Bombatch

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Contact John Bombatch at 937-372-4444, Ext. 2123.

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