COVINGTON – The Ansonia Lady Tigers earned a convincing 53-27 first-round Division VI OHSAA tournament victory over the Newton Lady Indians, snapping Newton’s 13-game winning streak and punching their ticket to the next round.
“Our girls were fired up, they were ready to go,” said third-year Ansonia coach Connor Custenborder. “The intensity was there from the get-go. Got to have that the rest of the way.”
Newton entered Saturday’s tournament matchup riding a 13-game win streak and sporting an 18-5 overall record. Ansonia came in at 14-9 on the season, with both teams finishing 7-3 in the WOAC during regular-season play.
The Lady Tigers wasted no time setting the tone.
Charlotte Barga drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 7:45 mark of the opening quarter, and just seven seconds later, a steal led to an Olivia Creager layup, giving Ansonia a quick 5-0 advantage. The Lady Tigers would never trail.
Ansonia handled Newton’s press effectively, taking a 14-6 lead after one quarter. Sophomore Charlotte Barga led the way with seven first-quarter points, including a triple.
“We played really well, took care of the ball, beat their press really well,” Custenborder stated. “We got a lot of layups off their press. We put in a new press breaker. Our girls executed it very well. Very proud of our girls for being able to throw something in just this week and have them come out and execute it so well.”
The Lady Tigers continued to apply relentless full-court pressure in the second quarter. Balanced scoring and a momentum-shifting midcourt 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer by senior Rose Barga helped Ansonia double up Newton 16-8 in the period, sending the teams to the locker room with a commanding 30-14 Lady Tigers lead.
Charlotte Barga went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line in the second, while Shyann McKenna added two baskets.
Ansonia maintained control in the third quarter, outscoring Newton 9-6. Charlotte Barga poured in seven more points in the frame as the Lady Tigers built their lead to 39-20 heading into the final eight minutes.
Ansonia sealed the win in the fourth, holding a 14-7 edge in the quarter. C. Barga and McKenna each scored five points in the period as the Lady Tigers closed out the 26-point victory.
“These girls have been playing together a long time now,” Custenborder noted. “We lost two seniors last year, so a lot of these girls were all playing varsity together last year. The juniors and seniors were all playing varsity for me their sophomore years. They have had three years under my system now, and they know exactly what we want.”
One of the night’s most inspiring storylines came from senior Rose Barga.
Earlier in the season, Barga was believed to have suffered a season-ending ACL injury. Determined to return for her final campaign, she attacked rehabilitation with intensity and was cleared to play much sooner than expected.
“Rose Barga is playing on a torn ACL,” Custenborder said. “A week and a half ago, they told her if she really wanted to, she could do physical rehab, and in three weeks, she could play if we were still playing. She took it super seriously, four days a week, got her on a diet, and on Wednesday, she was cleared. They told her it was three weeks, and she did it in a week. That is just dedication, you don’t see a high school student do very often, so very impressed with that.”
Barga’s halftime buzzer-beater was a fitting moment.
“Happy to see her get a shot go in,” Custenborder said. “Obviously, playing on a torn ACL, she’s not going to have the speed, but her basketball IQ helped us break the press. Even if she is giving us a minute or two at a time is big for us. Very happy that she took her rehab so serious in helping us out.”
Charlotte Barga led Ansonia and all scorers with a game-high 23 points.
Playing their final varsity basketball game for Newton were seniors Brilie Hines and Rylee Hess. The Lady Indians return a young core next season with seven freshmen, one sophomore, and one junior.
With tournament wins over Dixie (55-34) and Newton (53-27), the No. 6 seed Ansonia Lady Tigers advance to face No. 3 seed Legacy Christian, a 58-32 winner over Twin Valley South. The sectional final is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, at Covington with a 6 p.m. tipoff.
BOX SCORE:
ANSONIA 53, NEWTON 27
ANSONIA – C. Barga 23, S. McKenna 10, O. Creager 9, L. Reichert 5, R. Barga 3, A. Best 2, L. Hahn 1 – TOTALS 17 13-19 2 53
NEWTON – M. Cosby 9, R. Hess, B. Hess 6, M. Denlinger 3, K. Holbrook 2 – TOTALS 5 5-10 4 27
3-POINTERS
Ansonia 2 (C. Barga 1, R. Barga 1)
Newton 4 (M. Cosby 2, B. Hess 1, M. Denlinger 1)
SCORE by QUARTERS
14-16-09-14 53 Ansonia
06-08-06-07 27 Newton
