Tusky Valley ends Hiland streak, shakes up IVC race

It’s fair to say few teams have come close to solving Hiland in Inter-Valley Conference girls basketball in recent years. Tusky Valley, however, has come closer than anyone.

Though spread over three seasons, the Trojans now own the league’s two most recent wins over Hiland. Last week, Tusky Valley hosted the Hawks and rolled to a 47-30 victory, snapping Hiland’s 42-game IVC winning streak and turning the conference title chase into a true race.

The win featured strong performances from junior Elli Wallick (13 points, five assists), junior Brennen Reichman (12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, 12 rebounds, four blocks), senior Sydney Miller (seven points) and senior Maleah Dillon (six points).

The result was a complete reversal of a 17-point loss at Hiland on Dec. 13. Since that setback, Tusky Valley has won eight of nine games.

The Trojans followed the statement win with a 56-55 nonconference thriller at Dalton, improving their overall record to 13-4. Tusky Valley stood 8-1 in the IVC entering Wednesday’s action, a half-game behind Hiland but tied in the loss column. Newcomerstown also remains in the mix at 7-2.

Wallick led the Dalton win with 21 points, hitting 5 of 8 from 3-point range, while adding seven assists and four steals. Reichman posted 13 points and 15 rebounds. Miller scored eight points and Dillon added seven.

The two wins carried tournament implications, pushing Tusky Valley to the No. 3 spot in the East District Division V standings.

In other girls basketball action:

Claymont: Ava Edwards scored 26 points, including the 1,000th of her career, in the Mustangs’ 53-48 IVC win over Ridgewood. Edwards became the fifth player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Abby Johnson matched a career high with 18 points as Claymont snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 11-7 overall, including 7-5 in the IVC.

Dover: Dover celebrated Senior Day with a 61-12 win over Mansfield. Senior Ansley Bollon scored 27 points and grabbed four rebounds, while fellow senior Katelynn Sines finished with seven points, five assists and two steals. Dover also received seven points and five assists from freshman Savannah Blind; five points and six rebounds from freshman Maddie Minnis; five points and four rebounds from sophomore Ariana Immel; four points and four rebounds from junior Olivia McCue; and six rebounds and five assists from freshman Anna Klassnerer. The Tornadoes improved to 5-12 overall and 4-7 in the Ohio Cardinal Conference.

Girls basketball coaches, statisticians and team personnel are encouraged to submit results, statistics and other information to tstumpf22@gmail.com.