Both came in at 3-0 and loaded with returning talent from outstanding 2011-12 seasons. Bellbrook went 22-4 last season, losing in the D-II state semifinals to eventual champion Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown. Clinton-Massie went 19-4 with its season ending with a 44-42 loss in the sectional finals to Chamiande Julienne.
Bellbrook has four of its top six players back from the state tournament team. Seniors Erin Dorn and Gabrielle “G” Etter are the top returning scorers. They were the leaders Tuesday with Etter scoring 17 points and Dorn adding 16.
Both are shooting better off the dribble than last season. Dorn was 3-of-5 from 3-point range with two big shots early in the second quarter. A 6-0 run in the final 1:10 of the first quarter got C-M within 16-8.
Dorn took away the Falcons’ momentum burying back-to-back treys for a 22-8 Bellbrook lead. C-M could never get that margin below seven points the rest of the night. Every time it challenged, Bellbrook made a 3-pointer as part of 6-for-11 shooting night from long range.
“This was a big win for us because they’re a really good team,” Dorn said. “We saw they could play last year in the tournament. So it was a good test for both of us. I think we stepped up and made big shots as a team, didn’t make many mistakes and had composure when they made runs at us.”
Clinton-Masse’s Sydney Brackemyre is one of the top juniors in the state. She has gotten a lot of recruiting attention from a host of NCAA Division I schools. The 6-foot-1 junior, who had 17 points and 14 rebounds, has her choices whittled down to Dayton, Michigan and Louisville.
“Good night all around for all of us,” said C-M coach Allen Wilkinson. “We’d like to have come away with a win, but we showed we can compete with a state tournament team like Bellbrook. Sydney showed she can play.
“Dorn hit those 3s in the second quarter to give them the cushion they needed. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see them again in the tournament.”
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