GREENFIELD — The Washington Lady Lions visited the village of Greenfield and historic McClain High School on a rainy Wednesday, Jan. 24 for a Frontier Athletic Conference match-up with the Lady Tigers.

McClain came into the game needing one win in their last two FAC games to secure second place in the conference for the 2023-24 season.

The teams played at Washington High School on Dec. 9 and McClain won that game, 36-22.

In the second encounter, it was a very good night for McClain and, conversely, a tough evening for Washington.

The Lady Tigers began the game with a 12-1 run and continued playing well on both sides of the ball on the way to a 60-30 victory.

McClain freshman Paisley Pryor was the top scorer in the game with 19 points. She was also the game’s leading rebounder with seven, including five offensive.

Junior Anna Eikenberry had 15 points and two rebounds for McClain.

Senior Luca Matesic hit two three-point field goals and finished with six points.

Senior Lilly Barnes scored six points and sophomore Lillie Saunders added five points.

Senior Kaitlyn Jett got McClain off and running by hitting her first two shots of the game, including a three, to put the Lady Tigers in front, 5-0.

For Washington, senior Trinity George and sophomore Calee Ellars shared the scoring lead, each with eight points.

Sophomore Eliana Racine scored five points, senior Calleigh Wead-Salmi had four, junior Maggi Wall hit one three and finished with three points and senior Kaithlyn Maquiling had two.

Wall and Wead-Salmi each grabbed three rebounds.

McClain shot the ball well and rebounded perhaps even better, with 26 boards, including 12 offensive.

The Lady Tigers took considerable advantage by scoring 15 points following an offensive rebound.

Washington had 15 rebounds, three from the offensive glass.

McClain’s defense applied pressure and the Lady Tigers were able to come away with several steals.

Washington was 10 of 39 from the field for 26 percent, while McClain, getting several second and some third chance opportunities, went 24 of 52 for 46 percent.

McClain led 14-6 at the end of the first quarter and 27-12 at the half.

The Lady Tigers won the third quarter, 19-5 to expand the lead to 46-17 after three quarters.

The quick start by McClain and the Lady Tigers’ ability to open up a sizeable lead was what head coach Shania Massie mentioned first in her post-game comments.

“That’s something I’ve been trying to preach to them about,” Massie said. “We have to come out and have that energy from the start.

“We knew (Washington) could be a dangerous team,” Massie said. “Just like Chillicothe, they can be a dangerous team. I just told the girls ‘you have to come ready to play, no matter what.’

“That impressed me so much,” Massie said, referring to Eikenberry finishing with 15 points. “She’s impressed me since the beginning of the season.

“She’s done everything I’ve asked of her,” Massie said. “She runs the floor really hard, she finishes like we’re asking her to. She’s getting better every day in practice.

“And Paisley was looking to score,” Massie said. “Hopefully she can keep that going.”

“McClain just took it right to us,” Washington head coach John Denen said. “Right now we’re not rebounding the ball real well. It (makes) a big difference when we lose a young lady like sophomore Peyton Hughes. We knew we were going to lose Peyton in that time frame (due to an Ohio High School Athletic Association regulation) and we’re developing some young players.

“Things will get better,” Denen said. “It’s hard to see that tonight, but, things will get better.

“We just haven’t figured out a way to consistently stop ball pressure,” Denen said. “I thought we took some good shots. We didn’t shoot it very well. The physicality of McClain sped us up a little bit. They’re a big, strong team and they played pretty well. When I say it’s physical, I don’t want to take anything away from them. They just play basketball hard and they play it the right way. We’re in the process of learning that.”

Washington falls to 7-10 overall, 3-6 in the Frontier Athletic Conference.

McClain improves to 10-7 overall, 6-3 in the conference, guaranteeing the Lady Tigers a second place finish in the FAC.

Washington is at Waverly Saturday at noon.

Washington hosts currently (as of Jan. 23) 15-0 Circleville for a third consecutive game against a team of Tigers Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 5:30 p.m.

McClain is at Peebles Saturday at noon and at Logan Elm Wednesday, Jan. 31.

In other FAC games Wednesday, Jan. 24, Hillsboro defeated Chillicothe, 52-36 and Jackson beat Miami Trace, 56-32.

Jackson is now 9-0 in the FAC, 13-2 overall.

McClain, as mentioned, is second in the FAC at 6-3.

Hillsboro is third in the conference at 5-4 (they are 9-9 overall); Washington is fourth at 3-6, Miami Trace and Chillicothe are both 2-7 in the FAC. Miami Trace is 5-11 overall and Chillicothe is 2-13.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

W 6 6 5 13 — 30

Mc 14 13 19 14 — 60

WASHINGTON — Kaithlyn Maquiling 1-0-2; Maggi Wall 0 (1)-0-3; Aysha Haney 0-0-0; Calleigh Wead-Salmi 1-2-4; Eliana Racine 2-1-5; Jordyn Gray 0-0-0; Trinty George 3-2-8; Iyanna Brown 0-0-0; Calee Ellars 2 (1)-1-8; Lilly Shaw 0-0-0; Braegan Shiltz 0-0-0. TOTALS — 8 (2)-6-30. Free throw shooting: 6 of 10 for 60 percent. Three-point field goals: Wall, Ellars. Field goal shooting: 10 of 39 for 26 percent. Turnovers: 18. Rebounds: 15 (3 offensive).

McCLAIN — Lindsey Hutchinson 0-0-0; Lillie Saunders 2-1-5; Katie Cook 0-0-0; Paisley Pryor 6-7-19; Larah Henson 1-0-2; Luca Matesic 0 (2)-0-6; Brie Cummins 0-0-0; Haylee Havens 0-0-0; Kaitlyn Jett 1 (1)-0-5; Lilly Barnes 3-0-6; Brenna Wright 1-0-2; Anna Eikenberry 7-1-15. TOTALS — 21 (3)-9-60. Free throw shooting: 9 of 15 for 60 percent. Three-point field goals: Matesic, 2; Jett. Field goal shooting: 24 of 52 for 46 percent. Turnovers: 15. Rebounds: 26 (12 offensive).

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McClain wins j-v game against Lady Lions

McClain won the junior-varsity game with Washington Wednesday, Jan. 24. The final score was 35-21.

McClain’s Larah Henson hit two threes and finished with a game-high 14 points.

Becca Bergstrom made one three-point basket and ended the game with seven points.

Olivia Stegbauer and Brie Cummins both scored six points for McClain and Baylee Hickok scored two.

Jada Ryan led Washington with nine points. She also had six rebounds, five on the offensive boards.

Braegan Shiltz scored eight points and had four offensive rebounds.

Aysha Haney and Jordyn Gray both had two points for Washington.