Linsly Girls Start Strong Against UL
Zellous records a double-double
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WHEELING -- Coming off an unbeaten, 12-0, Covid-shortened season, Linsly Head Coach Rebecca Upton had to deal with the loss of four seniors and a starting lineup that was going to include three first-year starters in 2021.
Some coaches could only hope to be as lucky as Upton, with a team that played well beyond their years during a huge victory over a good Union Local team Tuesday night.
Freshman Zaniah Zellous collected a double-double, with team highs of 17 points and 10 rebounds, while hitting four consecutive fourth quarter field goals for the Cadets, allowing Linsly to hold on for a prized 51-44 season-opening victory over the Jets in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Stifel Fieldhouse.
"She (Zellous) has the ability to do things that most people aren't able to do," Upton said with a smile. "She is long and can do so many things, she is really very special. At the same time, if I am giving out game balls, I am definitely giving one to Carleigh Grimm. Her mental and physical toughness really showed (Tuesday) and she did what she needed to do and made life difficult for another great player."
Grimm's defensive prowess was on display against Union Local junior Reagan Vinskovich, an All-Ohio Division III second-team choice a season ago. Vinskovich did manage a game-high 18 points, as well as pulling down 13 rebounds, but those points came on a night when she made only five of 21 field goal attempts and was never able to help get the Jets over the hump on the scoreboard.
"The Grimm girl did a really good job on Reagan inside and they have a couple of young girls that are really going to be special players," Union Local Coach Scooter Toldza admitted. "They also have some pretty solid guards that made things tough for us."
The one shining moment for the Jets came early on in the contest when Vinskovich hit the front-end of a one-and-one at 4:47 of the first quarter that not only pulled her team to within 4-3, but also accounted for the 1,000th point of her career. Hannah Merritt's deuce at 3:04 put the visitors in front by a 5-4 margin, but the lead would be short lived and the first of only two leads Union Local managed on the night.
Grimm tallied five of her 13 points over the opening eight minutes as Linsly escaped the frame with a 13-10 lead, even with Zellous sitting out the final 4:47 of the quarter after picking up her second foul.
The Cadets biggest lead of the half came at 20-14 with 5:21 to go in the second before the Jets used a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 22-21 with 2:32 to go on a Lauren Miller hoop.
Grimm and Zellous finished the first half scoring with baskets for the hosts with the latter coming on a put-back with just 20 ticks showing that made it a 26-21 advantage at the break.
Union Local quickly cut the deficit to two on a Merritt triple out of the gate in the third and later knotted the count at 28-28 on a Vinskovich basket and then 30-30 on a pair of Vinskovich free throws a short time later. Trailing 33-31, Merritt threw in another bomb at 1:57 to give the Jets their second, and final, lead of the contest at 34-33.
Ally Hicks' three-ball with 55 seconds remaining in the third gave Linsly the lead back for good before Grimm made it a four-point bulge after three when she just beat the buzzer with put-back that made it 38-34.
Vinskovich made it 38-36 just eight seconds into the fourth and Union Local managed to stay within three for much of the final chapter, including 45-42 with 2:56 to play, but Zellous took over, scoring nine consecutive points for the Cadets over all and helping to push the margin to 49-42 with just under two minutes to play. Senior Haley Heitz canned a pair of charity tosses with 27 showing for the biggest lead of the game before Emily Kellaway's shot at the buzzer finished things off for the visitors.
Grimm had nine rebounds to go with her 13 points while Hicks also hit double figures with 10 points, including a trio of bonus bombs. Merritt added 11 points for the losers while Torre Kildow finished with eight and Keira Gregor pulled down seven missed shots.
"We are still a very young team with two freshmen starters and Brooklyn Edge, who is a sophomore but broke her foot very early last year and is still like a first-year player," Upton said. "And the two starters we do have back, along with others, are mostly in different roles this year. When you lose four seniors, people have to move around and do different things.
"Carleigh (Grimm) and Haley (Heitz) are our leaders and they both had huge games for many reasons (Tuesday). And we have some very talented younger kids. This was a big win for us not only against a good team, but a good team with some seasoned players with big-game experience. They are a very good team and that is just a big win."
Tolzda, who's team in in the midst of a brutal season-opening run on the schedule, feels his team, which experienced is still growing as well.
"First of all, let me just say that was a great girls' basketball game and congratulations to Linsly, they really have some good young players over there," Tolzda said. "But despite having some girls back we are still growing and moving people around and we are a work in progress.
"But champions are made in January and February, and I feel like we will be alright when that time comes around."
Linsly returns to action Thursday when they face Weir High in the first-round of the Brooke Tournament while Union Local, which lost its opener to powerful Worthington Christian, has a pair of tall tasks ahead in Cambridge and Fort Frye.