Senior scores game-high 15 in 48–37 CBC victory
By Don Hensley
For Garage Sports
Ricley Lokai turned the paint into her personal workspace Wednesday night, carving out space, points and rebounds with calm authority that never wavered.
The Tecumseh senior scored a game-high 15 points and anchored the interior as the Arrows pulled away for a 48–37 Central Buckeye Conference girls basketball victory over Bellefontaine.
The win lifts Tecumseh to 2–14 overall and 2–6 in the Kenton Trail Division, while the Chieftains fall to 2–15, 1–6.
“Lokai was a problem,” Bellefontaine head coach Meghan Ashcraft said. “She works hard, and our post players are young. We just need to keep getting better at defending the post and playing more physical down there.”
Bellefontaine came out intent on using its quickness, pressuring Tecumseh end to end and forcing a fast pace early. The opening quarter was tight and physical, but Lokai quietly set the tone, scoring six of Tecumseh’s 11 first-quarter points, including a strong finish to end the period with the Arrows ahead 11–9.
“It feels like every game is physical,” Lokai said. “I just focus on going up strong with the basketball. That’s the key to my game — being strong under the basket.”
Tecumseh handled the pressure better in the second quarter, showing growth that has been hard-earned throughout the season. After Bellefontaine trimmed the deficit to 15–12 on a basket by Haley Lamb midway through the quarter, the Arrows responded with an 8–0 run. Lokai scored four of those points deep in the paint, helping Tecumseh take a 23–13lead into halftime.
For the Arrows, simply reaching this point has required resilience. Tecumseh lost starting point guard Caylah Bednarczyk to a torn ACL before the season began, then saw all-conference performer Sammy Russell suffer a season-ending ACL injury in the third game.
Head coach Chasity Russell said those losses have made Tecumseh a frequent target for pressure defenses — and she’s beginning to see progress.
“We’ve been trying to figure that out all season,” Russell said. “We don’t have a lot of experience at the guard position, but Ashley (Dersarkisian) has been working on it and doing a good job. She goes 100 percent all the time. Tonight, we did a good job of getting the ball inside where we could score.”
Tecumseh opened the third quarter with a pair of quick baskets to extend the lead, but Bellefontaine refused to fade. The Chieftains closed the quarter with a late push to keep the margin at 32–23 entering the fourth.
Still, missed opportunities lingered for Bellefontaine.
“We have to do a better job of being patient,” Ashcraft said. “We got good looks, but sometimes we panic, and we go through stretches where nothing seems to fall.”
Tecumseh made sure the Chieftains wouldn’t get back into the game, opening the fourth quarter with a decisive 14–2 run that effectively put the contest out of reach.
“We’ve been playing better lately and being in the games we’re supposed to be in,” Russell said. “We just haven’t been able to find a way to come out on top. Tonight, we found a way.”
Bellefontaine returns to action Wednesday at Urbana, while Tecumseh is back on the floor Saturday, Jan. 31, when it hosts London.
🏀 Game Stats
Tecumseh 48, Bellefontaine 37
Tecumseh (2–14, 2–6)
Lokai 5-9, 3-6, 15; Dersarkisian 4-9, 0-0, 8; Newman 4-5, 0-0, 8; Louthan 3-4, 0-0, 7; Brown 2-4, 0-0, 4; Green 2-4, 0-0, 4; Collins 1-2, 0-0, 2; Kessler 1-2, 0-0, 2.
Totals: 18-40 FG, 3-12 3FG, 8-12 FT, 48.
Bellefontaine (2–15, 1–6)
Brown 3-8, 2-3, 9; Lamb 2-4, 2-2, 6; Green 2-5, 1-2, 6; Bowness 2-5, 0-0, 4; Miller 2-4, 0-0, 4; Gresham 2-4, 0-0, 4; Anderson 1-2, 0-0, 2; Wilson 1-2, 0-0, 2.
Totals: 15-34 FG, 6-15 3FG, 5-8 FT, 37.
Quarter Scores
Tecumseh: 11 12 9 16 — 48
Bellefontaine: 9 4 10 14 — 37
Three-Point Field Goals
Tecumseh: 4 (Lokai 2, Newman 1, Louthan 1)
Bellefontaine: 4 (Brown 2, Green 1, Lamb 1)
Fouled Out
None
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