The West Liberty-Salem Lady Tigers claimed at least a share of the Ohio Heritage Conference North Division championship Tuesday night, Feb. 3, with a 52–46 victory over guest Mechanicsburg.
The win lifted the Lady Tigers to 16–2 overall and 14–2 in Ohio Heritage Conference play, a record that assures them of no worse than a tie for the league title for the second consecutive season with Fairbanks. WL-Salem can secure the program’s first outright conference championship since the 2020–21 season if Fairbanks is defeated by Northeastern on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Ava Astorino paced the Tigers with 16 points, while Addi Wallen added 13. Ellery Wygal finished with 10 points, Ava Poppe and Lucy Cole scored six points apiece, and Arianna Weaver contributed one.
West Liberty-Salem’s season has been marked by dominant conference performances, including a 74–3 victory over Triad and a 52–16 win against Northeastern earlier this winter.
It was a successful night across the program, as the junior varsity Lady Tigers opened the evening with a 53–36 win over Mechanicsburg.
The Lady Tigers are coached by Dennis McIntosh, one of Ohio’s winningest girls basketball coaches with more than 500 career victories. He is assisted by Aaron Hollar, Stan King, Danielle King and Rich Johnson. The staff’s emphasis on disciplined play and strong defensive fundamentals has been a consistent factor in the team’s sustained success.
Photo credits: John Coffman & Dave Bowden
