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It was just a year ago that the Genoa girls basketball seemed untouchable — getting through much of the season undefeated until running into the Lake Flyers.
This year the Comets had a target on their back, even though top playmaker Simone Eli is now a Bowling Green Falcon. In both teams’ season opener, the Oak Harbor Rockets were almost able to take advantage of that.
Oak Harbor took a 10-8 lead on the Comets and held on to maintain that lead 20-18 at halftime in the non-league contest on Dec. 1. But the Comets came out of the halftime locker room to outscore Genoa 13-5 in the third quarter and rally for a 42-39 victory over Oak Harbor.
For Oak Harbor, Kayla Diefenthaler scored 11 points, Tory Wood scored 10 points and three other players had six points apiece — Morgan Turnow, Erica Mauder and Abby Zurvalec.
For Genoa, no player got into double figures, but seven got into the scoring column. Julie Swartzmiller, Alyssa Meis and Jessica Feller each scored eight points, Brandi Schimming added six points, Rachel Johnson and Bailee Adams scored five points each and Emily Mock had two points. Schimming had two three-point goals for the Comets.
Both teams were fairly even in shooting percentage from the field and the charity stripe. Oak Harbor made 14-of-42 field goals and 11-of-16 free throws. Genoa made 15-of-43 field goals and 10-of-16 free throws.
Genoa out rebounded Oak Harbor, while Rockets guards had a total of seven assists. The Rockets committed 18 turnovers to Genoa’s 21.
The Rockets opened Sandusky Bay Conference action facing perennial power Perkins, coached by Ray Neal. Again, Oak Harbor was a force to be reckoned with, but not victorious.
Oak Harbor jumped to a 13-11 first quarter lead, but the Pirates rebounded by taking an 18-16 lead heading into intermission. Perkins outscored Oak Harbor 10-6 in the third quarter and the Rockets could not recover enough to get the victory.
Oak Harbor did not fare as well shooting-wise, making 10-of-40 field goals and 9-of-12 free throws. Perkins made 14-of-40 field goals, but only 8-of-13 free throws.
For the Rockets, Sara Lipstraw scored 11 points, including three three-point goals. Diefenthaler had nine points, Zurvalec five points, Mauder had four points and Rachel Hegemeier had three points.
Oak Harbor had 29 team rebounds, including eight each by Diefenthaler and Zurvalec. The Rockets had two assists leading to baskets, and committed 10 turnovers to Perkins’ 12.
For Perkins, Mallory Mullins and Jordan Fraley each scored 12 points, with Fraley scoring all of the Pirates’ 10 points on five field goals in the third quarter. Darcy Daniel had four points, four players — Amber Wolfe, Maddy Mullins, Shannon Ebert, Kristen Campbell — scored two points each, and Chelsea Smith added one point.
The Oak Harbor junior varsity (1-1) did get on track in its opener, defeating the Genoa Comets 35-17, but lost to Perkins 33-15.
The Oak Harbor varsity (0-2 overall, 0-1 SBC) hosts the Denny Meyer-led Lake Flyers this Thursday evening in another non-league contest fitting Rocket coach Dick Heller against one of his former assistants.
Saturday Oak Harbor gets back to SBC action with a home game against rival Port Clinton at 1 p.m.
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