By Drew Terhall

DailyAdvocate.com

NEW MADISON — The Tri-Village High School girls’ basketball team was back in full force as they defeated Arcanum High School, 66-31.

It was a game where a lot of different players for Tri-Village stepped up on the offensive end. Head coach Brad Gray said the team’s chemistry allowed for many players to score a few baskets during this game.

“They all trust each other, that’s the thing. Once you start to develop that trust factor with your teammates, then you become more comfortable passing something up that’s open for you to get something that’s great for them,” Gray said.

For Arcanum, this game started out somewhat similar to their last game against Valley View on Dec. 12. They were facing the press and started slow on offense.

The Lady Patriots jumped out to a 15-4 lead after the first quarter. Right from the start, the Lady Patriots were sharing the ball and getting everyone involved.

Tri-Village went on to have a 24-point second quarter. Senior Rylee Sagester had 11 points in the second quarter alone. Gray said as the game went on, Sagester was able to read Arcanum’s defense in pick and roll situations. From there, she either could get to the basket or use her range to knock down a three-pointer.

Arcanum continued to struggle on the offensive end. Head coach Abbey Moore said the team has the last few games slow. It takes them awhile to get into the flow of the game.

The Lady Trojans picked it up in the second half. They started to keep pace with the Lady Patriots and found their offense. They had 14 points in the third quarter. They were able to almost match Tri-Village, who had 15 points in the quarter.

Gray said he wasn’t thrilled with how his team came out at halftime. He did give credit to Arcanum for the way they made his team fight during the third quarter.

Moore said she was bummed with how the team started the game, but was happy with how her team responded down at halftime.

“I’m extremely proud of their grit and determination to keep fighting. We’re not going to give up,” Moore said.

Tri-Village went on to close out the game with their defense. They responded to the offense burst from Arcanum and held them to eight points in the quarter.

For the Lady Trojans, sophomore Brooke Anderson led the team with 10 points. She had eight points in the second half.

Arcanum is now 2-7 with a 1-3 conference record. They have lost their last six games. Moore said her team is getting close to the moment where the game will all click for her players. These tough games in and out of the WOAC will help Arcanum gain some much needed experience as they are growing after each game.

“These battles are good for us. Our non-conference schedule is extremely tough, so we’re going to keep getting these tough battles. Hopefully, we’re going to be clicking at the right time of the year,” Moore said.

For the Lady Patriots, Sagester led the team with 23 points. Senior Morgan Hunt was the only other Lady Patriot to reach double-digit points with 12.

This is Hunt’s first game back since Dec. 1 as she missed the last two games with injury. Gray said she is at least close to 100% as they didn’t have intense practices to let some of their players heal. Hunt will have more time to get back to full strength before Tri-Village’s next game.

“She gets, basically, another week here until we play again. Hopefully, it will continue to get better for her,” Gray said.

The Lady Patriots will have another home conference matchup on Dec. 22 as they take on Ansonia. Game is set for a 7:15 p.m. tipoff. For the Lady Trojans, they will host Mississinawa Valley for another conference matchup on Dec. 22. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.

Contact Daily Advocate sports editor Drew Terhall at [email protected]