Westlake vs. North Olmsted girls basketball: Demons tilt feistiness in their favor to complete sweep

Just as Westlake’s first matchup against North Olmsted earlier in the season, the game was tightly contested in the first quarter.

The Demons’ engine was just warming up in the first quarter. As they took a 13-12 lead to start the second, the feisty group of athletes made a 13-2 run become the difference-maker, which led to a 55-44 victory.

“They are feisty,” Westlake Coach Brittney Matuschek said. “I always say that I like a little attitude. Some coaches don’t like attitude. I like the attitude and we need a little attitude on the floor. The will, determination and grit, I can’t say enough about our girls.”

Other than the 13-2 run late in the first half, the game was evenly matched. North Olmsted even started the game with a 12-5 run, before Westlake took the lead and never gave it back.

“I think that we started off slow,” Henton said. “I think that we have to find a rhythm to start kicking (the ball out) and going. It is something that is a kickstart and will keep us going.”

Westlake did not have a single player reach double-digit point totals. It was a team scoring effort and on the boards, too. Henton (seven rebounds) and Lauryn Stanton each had a team-high nine points.

“I think that this was a great game and that we played as a unit. … Everyone distributed the ball. It wasn’t just one player that had all of the points,” Stanton said.

Despite being undersized and with Eagles post Mia Donald on the other end, Westlake held a rebounding advantage (37-30) and grabbed eight offensive rebounds in the first half.

“It was a point of emphasis for us,” North Olmsted Coach Nolan Turpin said. “They killed us with a run at their place. (Westlake) got offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities. It was something that we did not execute in that stretch.”

The defense also forced 12 first-half turnovers. The team’s scrappiness appears to be a reflection of Matuschek, who was an undersized post player.

“We are scrappy all over. I was an undersized post. Rebounding is effort and heart. It really doesn’t take skill to put an elbow in a gut, box somebody out and go get the ball,” she said. “We have people like Ireland Shae that can get 10 rebounds in a game. It is pure determination. These girls are determined.

Henton, along with college prospect Jacaia Onunwor (Magnificat transfer) give Westlake two athletic guards who can quickly get up the court. Onuwor scored eight points, with six rebounds and four steals.

“Teams don’t know what to do with that two-headed monster. It’s a two-headed monster on both ends of the floor,” Matuschek said. “They can play phenomenal offense and defense. They push our tempo, and make teams scramble.”

Westlake swept North Olmsted, after it defeated the Eagles, 51-27, at home earlier in the season. The Demons improved to 7-5 (3-2 in GLC West).

North Olmsted dropped to 9-4 (1-3 in GLC West). Despite the loss, Turpin noted Taylor Wengstrom’s 16-point performance, which was her third game back with the team.

“We just got (Wengstrom) back a couple of games ago,” he said. “Her coming back really puts a huge boost in our offense to do so many things. She couldn’t have started better. She (hit back-to-back 3-point shots) right away. It helped us get going and gave us a lot of energy defensively.”

Both teams will be on the road for their games on Jan. 13. Westlake will play Lakewood and North Olmsted will travel to Bay.