By Cort Reynolds
BOTKINS__The visiting Allen East High School girls basketball team won its 10th straight game with a 50-27 dismantling of Botkins in a non-league contest Saturday, February 10.
AE improved to 18-2 with the decisive win, while Botkins finished its regular season 10-12 with the defeat.
The Mustangs outscored the Trojan girls 20-4 over the middle quarters to build an insurmountable 39-17 cushion heading to the final period of play.
AE led 19-13 after a high-scoring first quarter as Mustang speedster Rilynn Jones scored eight early points. Janel Platfoot sank a pair of triples for Botkins in the opening stanza.
The Trojan girls then went ice cold over the middle quarters against the tenacious AE defense. The hosts made just one basket and two foul shots in those 16 minutes.
“I was very proud of our effort,” said AE head coach Aaron Montgomery. “Rilynn got us going and Savana hit a triple off the first set, which spring-boarded us into our offense.
“Our guards stepped up today and we did a fantastic job on ball pressure and making sure all their shots were contested.”
“Allen East is a good team and I am sure they are going to win some tournament games,” said Botkins head coach Tyler Carson. “This was a tough one. We couldn’t get any shots to fall from the outside.
“Senior Night is always an emotional game,” he continued. “I wish, for our seniors, that we could have gone out with a win but we have quite a few home court memories to reflect on.”
Junior Jones scored 19 points. Senior Savana Brooks added 11 markers with two triples. Soraya Jackson recorded eight points and 10 rebounds.
Senior Platfoot led Botkins with six points. Trojan junior Delana Pitts led Botkins with seven rebounds.
AE knocked down 18 deuces and three trifectas. The Mustangs converted just five of 13 foul shots (38 percent).
Botkins sank just seven two-point goals and splashed three treys. The Trojan girls canned four of seven foul shots (57 percent).
Botkins plays the winner between Southeastern and Ansonia in the sectional second round.
1 2 3 4 F
AE 19 9 11 11 50
Bot 13 2 2 10 27
On Thursday, February 8, AE dominated visiting Spencerville 55-24 to improve to 5-2 in the Northwest Conference. The Mustang girls improved to 8-0 at home with the victory.
Brooks scored 16 points to lead the victors and again hit one of her two triples early to jump-start the offense.
AE led 14-7 after the first period and 27-12 at halftime. The Mustangs outscored the Bearcats by an almost identical 28-12 margin after intermission.
“We did a good job executing on offense against their 2-3 zone,” said Montgomery.
1 2 3 4 F
AE 14 13 14 14 55
Svl 7 5 7 5 24
On Saturday, Feb. 3 the Mustang girls drilled Northwest Central Conference leader Perry, 58-32.
Jones scored a season-high 28 points, while Brooks contributed 18 markers and six rebounds. Jones also grabbed five caroms and made four steals.
In the previous game, Jones netted 15 points to pace a 44-35 win at league foe Lincolnview on Feb. 1. Brooks added 11 markers, and Soraya Jackson grabbed 10 rebounds.
AE is 9-2 on the road and 1-0 at neutral sites. The last Mustang loss was January 4 at Delphos Jefferson, 57-41.
As for the 10-game win streak, the Mustang mentor said, “we decided after the Jefferson game in a meeting to just control what we can control. That meeting sort of re-set our season,” said Montgomery.
The blue-and-white host slumping local rival Bluffton (1-6 NWC) in the NWC finale Feb. 15. AE then plays at Shawnee (7-12) Feb. 17 in the regular season finale.
AE beat the Pirates 55-37 in the Bluffton Holiday tournament title game November 24. Bluffton (7-14) has lost six in a row.
“We want to set the school regular season record for wins with 20,” said Montgomery.
