Lady Tigers improved to 8-0 with a win over Louisville

(Gene Simmons - Ohsfbmedia.com)

By Gene Simmons | x.com | ig

MASSILLON, Ohio--Massillon girls basketball just keeps rolling improving to 8-0 on the season after a victory over Louisville 69-44.

Much of the first quarter was a slow pace game, going scoreless until the 4:24 mark when junior guard Hannah Nicola drove to the basket, fouled then knocking down both free throws.

The quarter would end 7-7 with Louisville doing a solid job defensively down the stretch blocking several shots by the Tigers.

Final from Massillon Gymnasium @MTigerGBasketb1 69
Louisville Leopards 44

Massillon moves on to 8-0, face Jackson on Saturday.

Junior Hannah Nicola leads with 30 points, 6 3's for the game.
La Nia Moore 19 pts.
Delaney Pierce 15 pts.@MTigerAthletics @_Hannah_cola pic.twitter.com/b8IoaI5mPh

— Ohio High School Football/Basketball Media (@OHSFBMedia) December 19, 2024

Things would heat up a bit in the second quarter with Massillon senior guard Moore getting going scoring on the inside with put backs and driving the basket, Nicola would heat up from the outside knocking down couple three pointers and Louisville did not have an answer going in the half down 23-19.

"We were down obviously the first half," said Delaney Pierce.

In the third quarter Massillon would come out pressing causing a bit of difficulty for the Leopards as they would begin to turn the ball over, senior guard Courtney Barwick would start the quarter off hot hitting two big 3-pointers despite the full court press by the Tigers.

"We all just came up and finally got in that game and boom we just stopped them right there," said Moore.

With Massillon playing fast and disrupting the Louisville offense, those turnovers would lead to freshman guard Delaney Pierce to intercept and score leading the freshman to end the night with 15 points. 

"Our press is what kept us in the game, we had to stay aggressive," Nicola said.

More big outside shots by Nicola and more pressure defense by Moore and Pierce would be the deciding factor in a 25 point victory and send Massillon into a game with Jackson undefeated and primed to play fast.

"They took the air out of the ball and they made us play their pace we never played that slow before, that's our worst quarters we had all year," said Pierce talking about the sluggish first half.