By Eric Frantz

Contributing Writer

BERLIN, Ohio – In its first trip to the prestigious Classic in the Country girls basketball invitational, Bellbrook’s first impression wasn’t a good one Sunday. The Golden Eagles trailed Akron Hoban 25-12 with 3:30 left in the third quarter.

“Some people were probably wondering why we got invited here,” BHS coach Jason Tincher said. “I was wondering if the ball was ever going to go in.”

The Eagles eventually produced answers, buckets – and a big win.

Closing the third quarter with a 13-0 run, Bellbrook rallied to force overtime and finally hit some free throws to outlast Hoban 45-40 in a match up of state-ranked teams at Berlin Hiland High School’s Reese Center.

Bellbrook, No. 8 in the National Guard JJHuddle Power Poll and No. 9 in the AP state poll, improves to 13-2, while Hoban, ranked No. 10 in the AP Poll, falls to 9-4.

“Hoban is an aggressive in your face team on offense and defense,” Tincher said. “We knew that going. But we struggled offensively. One thing I love about my team is that they keep pressing on.”

The conductor was junior Chea Taylor. Taylor’s basket at the 3:30 mark of the third quarter spurred the Eagles game-tying run, which ended on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by senior Kelly Neumann. Neumann’s first 3 of the season tied the game 25-25.

After Hoban built a 33-28 fourth quarter lead, Taylor responded with five straight points to knot the game again. Her two free throws with 37 seconds left forced the extra stanza.

In overtime, Bellbrook hit 6-of-8 free throws, including the last two by Taylor with 22 seconds left to separate itself. In regulation the Eagles were just 6-of-15 from the free throw line.

Taylor scored a game-high 17 points but earned additional praise for her defense on Hoban’s 6-foot-2 senior center Meghan Donohue. Donohue, headed to Sienna, had 12 points.

“(Chea) was key,” Tincher said. “Her physicality sets the tone. When college coaches call that’s what they want to know about and they got to see that today.”

Said Taylor: “To win that game you had to work hard.”

Sophomore Hannah Songer and senior Gabrielle Etter each added 10 for Bellbrook, which forced Hoban into 29 turnovers.

“Near the end of regulation I told the girls that what we want to do as a program is keeping moving forward,” Tincher said. “Being invited to come (to the Classic in the Country) is an honor and a privilege and for our girls it was special. We want to try to put Bellbrook more on the map every year.

“I think some people left here saying ‘I know where Bellbrook’s at now.’”