Once beaten Warriors hold off late Marlington rally

By Dan Ries

Sports Reporter

Marlington Dukes senior forward Chelsea Evanich scored 40 of her team’s 46 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Carrollton Lady Warriors basketball team from winning 55-46 Jan. 3 in the Carrollton High School gym.

Evanich, a 5”11’ Seton Hill University recruit, hit 13 shots from the field and was 11-12 from the free throw line. She scored 21 points in the first half, 19 points in the second half and every point (20) for Marlington in the second and third quarters.

Carrollton head coach Nik Schweikert spoke about the Marlington star after the game. 

“We tried everything to stop her. We tried to trap her. Everything. She’s that good. And we knew that coming in. We tell the girls if you play as a team, it doesn’t matter how good that one person is. You play as a team, you’ll always win.”

The Warriors took an early 6-2 lead in the first quarter on the strength of two 3-pointers by Demi Leary and Paige Davis. The Dukes tied the game at 6-6 with 3:29 left in the first. Three pointers by Hillari Baker and Braelynn Roudebush would help the Warriors to a 14-11 first quarter lead. 

Carrollton was able to stretch the lead to 22-15 at the 5:29 mark of the second quarter, but several traveling calls on the Warriors allowed Marlington to close the gap to 30-24 at the half.

Marlington drew within three points with 6:00 left in the third at 32-29. Both teams went cold over the last six minutes, only scoring a combined six points, resulting in a Warrior 36-31 lead at the end of the third.

Carrollton hit two 3-pointers to increase the lead to 42-34 with 5:38 left in the game. Six straight points by Marlington gave the visitors the momentum to pull within two points with 3:29 left to play. But a 3-pointer by Kylie Ujcich, a field goal by Baker and a charge call taken by Ujcich gave the Warriors a 47-40 lead with 1:59 left.

With no other options left, the Dukes began to send the Warriors to the foul line. The Lady Warriors hit all eight foul shots. Baker was 4-4, Emma Shafer 2-2 and Haley Leslie 2-2 to put the finishing touches on the victory.

Baker led the Warriors with 16 points, nine in the fourth quarter. Leary added 12 points on four 3-pointers. Carrollton had eleven 3-pointers, seven in the first half. In addition to Leary’s four, Baker and Davis each had two. Shafer, Roudebush and Ujcich each had one 3-pointer. The girls were also 10-10 from the foul line, all in the fourth quarter.

The Warriors held a 25-17 edge on the boards. Roudebush grabbed six and Ujcich pulled down five.

See CHS GILRS, A7

Carrollton won the junior varsity game 26-22. Kenley Mitchell and Kami Shaw scored five points each. Alaina Moore and Jordan Pittman each added four.

Carrollton won the junior varsity game 26-22. Kenley Mitchell and Kami Shaw scored five points each. Alaina Moore and Jordan Pittman each added four.
East Liverpool
The Lady Warriors tied a school record with thirteen 3-pointers in a 67-17 victory against the East Liverpool Potters Jan 6 at Carrollton.
Leading the charge was Hillari Baker with six, Braelynn Roudebush and Emma Shafer each with two and Demi Leary, Paige Davis and Kylie Ujcich each with one.
The Warriors used four 3-pointers in the first quarter to build a 22-8 lead. Four more 3-pointers in the second quarter helped the girls build 37-13 lead at the half.
The second half was all Warriors as the hosts outscored the Potters 30-4. They hit five 3-pointers in the third quarter and held the visitors scoreless in the fourth.
Nine Lady Warriors scored points in the game, led by Baker with 27 points. Roudebush contribute 10 points while Shafer and Ujcich added seven apiece.
The Warriors outrebound the Potters 22-17. Roudebush grabbed seven and Maleyna Havens pulled down six.
Carrollton (11-1, 5-1) will travel to Alliance on Jan. 10.
The junior varsity team rebounded from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to lose by one-point, 33-32. Kenly Mitchell scored nine points. Emma Eddy added six on two 3-pointers.