ASHLAND – Arrow Arena will host one of the biggest basketball games in its history at 7:30 Thursday night.
Riding a nine-game overall winning streak and a perfect 9-0 start in Ohio Cardinal Conference play, the Ashland High School girls basketball team will look to lock up an outright league title for the first time in 30 years when second-place New Philadelphia comes to town.
The Arrows (13-3 overall) and head coach Renee Holt were able to secure a share of the conference crown Monday night despite being inactive, as the Quakers (11-6, 7-3 OCC) dropped a 46-36 outcome at West Holmes.
Top performers
- Sophomore Kennedy Lacey (15.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game)
- Sophomore Cici Steury (7.1 points, 2.1 assists per game)
- Junior Camryn Cox (6.6 points, 6.6 rebounds per game)
- Senior Lauren Green (4.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game)
- Junior Madison Hoffman (7.8 points per game)
It marks the first time since the 1994-95 season that the AHS girls have won even a share of a league title. That team, guided by head coach Dan McFadden, finished the year 13-7 overall and won the Ohio Heartland Conference with a 6-2 record for the second consecutive season.
Ashland had not even finished runner-up in the OHC or the OCC (joined in 2003-04) since that season until Monday.
With a maturing core of talent returning from last year’s 9-14 squad, the Arrows are aimed at closing out one of the most successful regular seasons in their history.
“From Day 1, we told each other we were going to win the OCC,” Arrows junior guard Madison Hoffman said Jan. 16 after AHS beat Lexington, 49-32. “It felt far at first, but I think as we started playing as a team and practicing hard, I think it’s becoming more of a reality for us.
“(Head coach Renee Holt) always tells us, ‘If you guys want the OCC, this is your chance, this is your opportunity to show them who Ashland basketball is.’ … Every single one of us wants it more than anything.”
Already this winter, the Arrows have won more league games (nine) than ever before in a single season. They have played at least 12 conference games in every year but one since 1999-2000.
With six total games left in the regular season, they could also chase down some big numbers in the overall win column.
Ashland hasn’t won 15 games since 1991-92, and the only time the program ever won more than 16 was in 1977-78 and 1978-79, when it posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns under head coach Gary Guemelata.
The Arrows also could become the only AHS girls squad other than those 20-win teams to have a perfect league record with three more OCC victories (they were 3-0 in both 1977-78 and 1978-79 in Cardinal Conference play).
After Thursday’s showdown with New Philadelphia, they will host Madison on Saturday and travel to Mansfield Senior on Feb. 6 to close the conference slate.
