“I always guard the hardest (opponent).”
Bailey’s next assignment is anyone with a hot hand for Carroll. The Patriots also advanced to Friday’s regional final following a sluggish 43-31 elimination of Clinton-Massie in the nightcap.
It’s fitting that Carroll and CJ should battle for a final-four berth next week at Columbus. Either those two or Alter – all Girls’ Greater Cincinnati League Grey North rivals – advanced to the D-II final four from 2008-11.
Bailey did her part, locking down Central District player of the year and All-Ohio nominee Tajanee’ Wells. Matched up for most of the game, Wells scored six points and didn’t have a field goal in the second half.
“She might not score a ton, but she’s our best defender,” CJ coach Mandy Myers said of Bailey. “She gets the things that aren’t in the stat column.”
CJ benefited from balanced scoring. Brittaney Jefferson led the Eagles (18-9) with 13 points. Krista White added 11 and Haleigh Shaw and JaCole Tabor 10 each.
CJ was eliminated by Bellbrook in this round last season.
Both the Carroll and C-M offenses needed constant rebooting after the first quarter. Massie, out of the upstart South Central Ohio League, was game until fading in the fourth quarter.
Ciara Poppa led Carroll (22-5) with 13 points and Susan Wollenhaupt added 12. Mary Moyer paced Massie (21-6) with 10 points.
Carroll defeated CJ twice in the regular season, 52-35 and 58-45. That was part of a midseason slide in which CJ dropped five straight games and was wobbling at 9-9. It hasn’t lost since.
“All year we’ve talked about the second season,” said Myers, in her second year as the Eagles’ head coach. “Keep working hard is our motto. All we want is a chance and we got what we wanted.”
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