Daniels, Nussbaum combine for 39 points in victory over Granville Christian
FREDERICKTOWN — Playing without point senior point guard Olivia Mast, Gabby Daniels and Jacklyn Nussbaum executed a high-low action that helped the Fredericktown girls basketball team pick up a 59-44 win over visiting Granville Christian in non-league play Monday night.
“I’m really impressed with how the girls just keep working,” Fredericktown coach Tim Maceyko said. “There’s no quit in these kids.”
But Nussbaum found her stroke in the second half, scoring 13 of her 17 points to help the Freddies roll.
“We just played together as a team,” Daniels said. “Jacklyn and I practice a high-low game and it’s working for us. We’re trying to be smart and we’re trying to work together as a team.”
The game played out much differently than the first time around when the Freddies built a 30-4 lead at the break on their way to a 56-27 at GCA on Nov. 22 in the season-opener for both teams.
Mast scored 20 points in that game to lead the Freddies, but did not play this time around because of a knee injury, which is feared to be season-ending.
“She had her MRI today, so we don’t know the result,” Maceyko said. “Unfortunately, it looks like she might be out for the season. So, we’re trying to adjust. We had some kids up from J.V. and we were trying different lineups and that might have hindered us a few stretches there. But we’re still trying to figure out how we do this the rest of the year.”
Fredericktown still started strong as Daniels scored eight points in the opening period alone, including six as it built an early 10-2 lead.
But GCA didn’t go away quietly, using a 14-2 run that bridged the first and second quarters.
Alyssa Goehring buried a 3-pointer to get the Lions jump-started and Olivia Close scored on consecutive possessions with the latter a 3-pointer in the final seconds to help GCA close within 12-10 at the end of the first. Goehring knocked down another three to give the Lions a 13-12 lead on the first possession of the second quarter and pushed their lead as high as four.
Nussbaum finally ended the drought with a pair of free throws at the 3:36 mark of the second quarter.
The free throws started an 18-4 run that ran into the third quarter and gave Fredericktown the lead for good.
Daniels tied it on the next possession and Nussbaum grabbed a rebound and went the distance to give the Freddies (5-5) an 18-16 lead with 2:50 left in the half.
A Darryn Zellar basket briefly tied it at 18, but Audrey Bouton put-back a miss to give the Freddies the lead for good.
Fredericktown led 24-19 at the break before Nussbaum opened the second half with six of the team’s eight points as it pushed the lead into double-figures and the Freddies rolled from there.
“We weren’t focused on the scoreboard,” Nussbaum said. “We come out every (second half) looking at the scoreboard like it’s 0-0. Whether we’re down or up — it doesn’t matter. We’ve got to play our game how we know to how to play.”
Daniels finished with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals, Nussbaum also had eight rebounds and added three steals and two assists for Fredericktown, which now has more wins than its had in the last two seasons combined. Haylee Hulse led the team with four assists.
“We had to adapt some things and do some things a little differently, but this year has been a complete 180 from last year,” Maceyko said. “The first year we’re trying a new system and we’re pressing tempo trying to wear some teams down and I think it’s starting to click.”
Goehring had 19 points, 10 steals, nine rebounds and a pair of assists, Zellar added 11 points and three assists and Olivia Close chipped in eight points, four boards and a couple of assists to lead the Lions (4-5).
Next up, Fredericktown returns to KMAC play at home against Centerburg on Saturday with a scheduled tip-off time of 1 p.m.
