Make it three straight wins for the West Holmes girls’ basketball team (7-4, 5-1), with the Zalina Proper going off for 28 points to lead the Knights to a 61-29 blowout win over Madison Comprehensive (3-9, 1-7) on Jan. 6.
The first quarter was anyone’s game, with West Holmes outscoring the Rams 12-11, but the Knights went off in the second quarter, taking a 34-20 lead at the half. This momentum continued into the second half, with the Knights having 14-7 and 13-2 scoring advantages in the final two quarters.
West Holmes shot 39.7% from the field, including 37.5% from beyond the arc. Madison Comprehensive was held to 25% and was only 2-for-9 from three. Turnovers were a major issue for the Rams, as they had 32 leading to 34 points off turnovers for the Knights.
Madison Comprehensive led 34-28 in rebounds, but West Holmes controlled every other facet of the game. They had an 8-5 assist advantage and 14-9 advantage for teals.
Proper played her best game of the season, putting up 28 points in a game where she was 8-for-14 and 5-for-8 from three. She also was 7-for-8 from the foul line. Proper grabbed five boards and recorded a pair of steals.
“Zalina has shown a lot of toughness the past few games,” said Coach Belden. “She has put in some extra work and gained confidence on her shot. She is aggressive and that has led to several rebounds for her.”
Aveona Yoder also hit double digits in scoring with 10 points on 5-for-9 shooting. She just missed a double-double with nine boards, and also had two steals.
Allie McMillen scored nine points to go with four assists and three steals.
“Allie constantly plays hard and brings leadership to our team,” Belden said. “Sometimes she is too unselfish because she is always trying to make plays for her teammates. We love her energy and she always plays with consistency.”
Chloe Patten had four points, four boards and two steals. Keegan Uhl, Greta Rolince and Nealie Fair had two points apiece. Uhl added a rebound, two assists and two steals.
West Holmes has done a fantastic job bouncing back from back-to-back losses to putting together a solid winning streak.
“Right now I think our players are playing with some confidence and playing really well together,” said Coach Lindsy Belden. “We have had different players step up and play well each night and their teammates are genuinely happy for their teammates.
On Dec. 30 they beat Mount Vernon 44-37 where McMillen and Proper both had double-doubles to lead the charge. McMillen had a line of 13 points, 10 boards, four assist and two steals, while Proper had 11 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and a block.
On Jan. 4 against Zanesville they started the game off with a dominant 23-5 first quarter, and finished with a 20-3 fourth quarter, en route to a 57-28 win. This time Yoder was the star with a double-double line of 17 points and 10 rebounds, to go with four steals. Briar Cline and Uhl hit double figures with 11 points in the game, and Cline stuffed the stat sheet with seven boards, four assists and five steals. Proper had eight points and five boards to also serve as a difference maker in the win.
“Aveona had a huge night against Zanesville and a solid performance against Madison,” said Belden. “I know she is capable of playing like that every game, so I hope to continue to see that from her.”
This week Knights face Ohio Cardinal Conference (OCC) foe Lexington (6-7, 5-2) on Jan. 11 (results after print deadline) and Jan 13 they have a big test against Margaretta (10-1, 4-0).
