Playing for a Championship

G. Michael Graham Photo. Highlands senior forward Leah Schaefer (23) sets up for a free-throw attempt in the third quarter of Sunday's 9th Region semifinal contest against Ryle at Northern Kentucky University. Schaefer scored 10 points in Highlands' first semifinal win since 2002. The Bluebirds beat the Lady Raiders, 60-44 and will battle the Notre Dame Pandas for the crown Monday at 7 p.m.

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS – It’s been a theme all year for the Blue and White.

The Highlands Bluebirds girls basketball team has had to overcome tough stretches to win games and Sunday was no different. The Bluebirds found themselves down just 21-19 at halftime despite a rough half.

But Highlands (26-7) turned things up 10 notches in the second half to beat the Ryle Lady Raiders, 60-44 in the 9th Region semifinals. The Bluebirds outscored Ryle, 19-6 to turn the halftime deficit into a 38-27 lead entering the fourth quarter before pulling away.

The end result for the Bluebirds is their first trip to the 9th Region title game since 2002 when current Dixie Heights head coach Tara Boothe-Smith was a senior. Jaime Walz-Richey became head coach the following year and Highlands had lost in its previous three region semifinal appearances in 2004, 2007 and 2009.

“These six seniors set a goal when they started playing that they wanted to be in the region championship,” Richey said. “They just continued to play hard. They didn’t get down after the first half. We played one of our worst halves in the first half. We told them what they needed to do and they came out and executed. All the credit goes to the girls. They did what we asked them to do in the second half.”

Highlands played in nine straight region championship games from 1994 to 2002. Walz-Richey led the Bluebirds to region crowns from 1994 to 1996 and Boothe-Smith led Highlands to crowns in 2000 and 2001. Highlands finished state runner-up in 1994.

Highlands faces Notre Dame at 7 p.m. for the title Monday. The Pandas won the regular-season meeting, 63-48 on Jan. 8 in Park Hills. But Highlands hopes to play more relaxed.

“We just have to come out and play our game and we’ll be fine,” said Emilie Parton, Highlands senior. “They’re the ones with all the pressure.”

Notre Dame has won 14 in a row and 18 of its last 19 contests and four in a row against Highlands. The Bluebirds last beat the Pandas, 66-43 on Jan. 4, 2010 in Park Hills.

Highlands ended up shooting an amazing 46 percent from the field with three three-pointers making 17-of-37 shots. The Bluebirds made 11-of-18 shots for 61 percent in the first half after hitting 6-of-19 in the first half for 32 percent.

They made 23-of-31 free throws for 74 percent including 10-of-16 in the fourth quarter for 63 percent. Vanessa Fisse made 8-of-10 attempts for Highlands on her way to 12 points and freshman Brianna Adler made all six attempts on her way to nine points. Ava Abner scored all five of her points at the free-throw line making 5-of-6 attempts.

“If you look at teams that have won region championships, they’re not led by freshmen or eighth-graders, they’re led by seniors,” Richey said. “We’ve been telling her. When Vanessa plays well, we win. We have a bunch of seniors with this group. They’re displaying it with what they do.”

Ryle made 16-of-48 shots for 33 percent, including five three-pointers. The Lady Raiders (12-18) also made just 7-of-12 free throws for 58 percent.

Highlands once again saw balanced scoring as eight players scored. The Bluebird bench outscored Ryle, 27-3. After Fisse, Leah Schaefer and Parton tallied 10 points.

“I was really focused,” Fisse said. “I knew if we lost, our senior season would be done. I didn’t want that to happen yet. We did what we needed to do to win.”

McKell Oliverio led Ryle with 12 points and Anna  Monobe added 11. Highlands held guards Dawn Johnson to nine and Katie Connor to no points. Freshman Carly Lange added nine for the Lad Raiders. Johnson did not play in the regular-season contest Highlands won 76-56 on Jan. 11 in Fort Thomas.

“We knew we had to watch (Connor) and not let her get hot on the three-point line,” Richey said. “We did a great job.”

Highlands did a much better job taking care of the basketball. The Bluebirds had 16 assists, eight steals and just seven turnovers to 10 assists, three steals and 12 turnover for the Raiders.

Abner led Highlands with four assists and four steals and Adler made four assists. Monobe led Ryle with six dishes.

The Bluebirds also won the rebounding battle, 31-25. Schaefer led Highlands with eight and Lange grabbed nine for Ryle.

Highlands used a 9-0 run to go up 9-3 with 3:30 left in the first half. The Bluebirds attacked the Ryle 2-3 zone. Haley Coffey made a three-pointer to tie the game at three and Schafer followed with an offensive putback before Fisse made two free throws and Parton hit a jumper on the right side.

But after a timeout, Ryle finished the quarter on an 11-0 run. Monobe hit a jumper in the center with 36 seconds remaining to put the Lady Raiders up 14-9 entering the second quarter.

Ryle led by six twice in the second quarter. But Highlands finished the half with a 6-2 run. Jesse “Dirt” Daley made two free throws and Schaefer scored twice near the rim.

“Leah and Ava dressed for a semifinal game (as eighth-graders in 2009) when we lost,” Richey said. “I think it was just tightness. I told them before the game, ‘You don’t look relaxed.’ Just go out there and play the game of basketball. This is what you like to do. I think they finally did that in the second half.”

The Bluebirds used a 7-0 run to start the second half and go up for good at 26-21 with 5:30 left in the third. Schaefer scored again near the rim and made two free throws before Adler made a three-pointer.

“Jaime said at the beginning it would be a game of runs,” Schaefer said. “We got on a little run and tried to stay up (intensity-wise). It gave us a lot more confidence.”

Highlands led by as much as 12 at one point in the quarter after two Adler free throws. Adler added two more free throws with 14.5 to finish the quarter and give the Bluebirds their 11-point lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Bluebirds extended their lead to 15 at 48-33 midway through the fourth quarter before the Lady Raiders made their run. They trimmed the margin to six twice in the final 2:03. But Parton answered with two breakaway lay-ups. The second one put Highlands up 52-44 with about a minute and half left in the game.

“They were coming back so we had to do something,” Parton said. “We finally broke the press. We didn’t freak out when they started pressing us so that really helped.”

The Blubirds finished the game with a 10-0 run. Parton made three lay-ups during that run.

Ryle graduates four seniors. They are Johnson, Connor, Monobe and Oliverio.