ST. LEON — Although it was a heavy favorite going into Friday night’s sectional semifinal, Columbus North didn’t want to leave anything to chance.
The Bull Dogs came out and forced turnovers on Bloomington North’s first three possessions and jumped out to a 17-2 lead on their way to a 52-26 victory and a berth in tonight’s final against Class 4A No. 9 and host East Central.
“We wanted to jump on them early and pressure them and get them to turn the ball over so we could get off to a really quick start, and I think we did that pretty well,” Columbus North senior Madison White said. “We really wanted to get that momentum going into (tonight), so we did pretty well for the most part.”
The Bull Dogs (13-5) used a 3-pointer from White and a basket by Lauren Barker to take a 5-0 lead just 22 seconds into the game. They led 17-2 late in the first quarter.
“We wanted to get a good lead on them early, and I think our defense at the beginning of the game, getting the pressure and getting some turnovers helped us get the lead on them,” Barker said.
The Cougars scored the final two points of the first quarter and the first five of the second to cut the lead to 17-9. But a Barker 3-pointer sparked a 14-2 run that pushed the lead to 20, and Columbus North led 31-13 at halftime.
The Bull Dogs then outscored Bloomington North 11-4 in the third quarter to put it away. Coach Pat McKee removed his starters in the final minute of the third quarter and played mostly his bench the rest of the way.
Barker finished with 12 points to lead Columbus North, while Alexa McKinley and White each added nine. Emily Herndon came off the bench to grab five rebounds and lead the Bull Dogs to a 25-17 advantage on the boards.
“It was Mission Accomplished,” McKee said. “I thought the first group’s execution was really good both at the beginning of the game and the beginning of the third quarter. Our first group played really well, and the others came in and did a nice job, too. Hopefully, we can carry it a step forward again (tonight).”
While East Central will have the home-court advantage tonight, the Bull Dogs might have an advantage in rest. They didn’t have to exert nearly as much energy in their semifinal win as the Trojans, who needed double overtime to knock off 4A No. 10 Martinsville 68-62 in Friday’s opener.
Columbus North beat East Central by 10 points at home last month, but the Bull Dogs know tonight’s matchup likely will be much tougher.
“This is a new game, and it’s on their home floor,” McKee said. “There’s some challenges here both because of the geography of it and because they’re a really good team. I thought we played really well when we played them the last time, and hopefully, we can do that again.”
“We know that they’re a good team,” Barker added. “They’re well-coached. They have players who can score in all areas. But I think we’ll be ready, and I’m looking forward to the game.”
Columbus North 52, Bloomington North 26
Bloomington North;4;9;4;9;—;26
Columbus North;17;14;11;10;—;52
Bloomington North (6-17): Emma McDivitt 2 0-0 5, Mia Robbennolt 4 0-0 8, Mallory Barrow 2 0-0 5, Elyse Goad 1 0-0 2, Madison Edie-Booker 1 0-0 3, Ava Reitmeyer 0 2-2 2, Isabelle Himebaugh 0 0-0 0, Stephanie Nicola 0 1-2 1, Libby Rice 0 0-0 0, Amya Mayes 0 0-2 0, Mallorie Elliott 0 0-1 0. Totals: 10 3-5 26.
Columbus North (13-5): Greta Brown 0 0-0 0, Lauren Barker 5 0-0 12, Elise Preston 0 0-0 0, Emily Herndon 2 0-0 4, Kylah Lawson 0 0-0 0, Andrea Justis 2 0-0 4, Lucy Norman 1 0-0 2, Alexa McKinley 3 2-2 8, Kanon Matsuno 2 0-0 4, Emma Long 1 3-4 6, Madison White 1 1-2 4, Kathryn Wilson 1 0-0 2. Totals: 19 9-13 52.
3-point goals: Bloomington North 3 (McDivitt, Barrow, Edie-Booker); Columbus North 5 (Barker 2, McKinley, Long White).
