by Frank Aceto

Associate Sports Editor

Akron — A poor start and a double-digit deficit at halftime.

Sound familiar?

This time, however, the Hudson girls basketball team couldn’t find a way to overcome such obstacles.

Green captured the Akron Ellet Division I district title after posting a commanding 59-40 victory over the Lady Explorers March 6.

The Lady Bulldogs, led by former Hudson head coach Tony Whitmer, took complete command of the contest with a 31-6 run in the first half. As a result, Green had a comfortable 35-12 lead at halftime.

Well, it looked comfortable at least.

Three days earlier, the Lady Explorers erased a 27-14 halftime deficit with a 36-9 spurt to earn a stunning 67-63 win over Wadsworth in a district semifinal contest.

Hudson, which trailed 35-20 against the Lady Grizzlies early in the third quarter, exploded for a season-high 32 points in the period.

The Lady Explorers played a better second half in the district final, too. But it wasn’t nearly enough against the athletic Lady Bulldogs.

“They [the Lady Bulldogs] had the experience on their side and it showed,” Hudson head coach Dennis Lawler said. “We did a better job in the second half, but Green won most of the 50-50 balls.”

The Lady Bulldogs also kept the Lady Explorers’ super star, junior guard/forward Jessica Monsman, in check.

Monsman, who scored 29 of her career-high 37 points in the second half against Wadsworth, finished with 14 points.

The 6-foot-2 Monsman played in the post during the first half before moving to the outside after halftime.

“They double- and triple-teamed her in the post, so we went to our open motion offense and moved her back on the wing in the second half,” Lawler said.

Whitmer knew a big outing by Monsman could have ended his team’s season.

“We wanted to control Monsman,” he said. “She’s the key. Monsman is one of the best athletes in the area. She’s almost as good as Logan Pastor.”

Whitmer was referring to Green’s starting sophomore forward, who seemed to make everything happen for the Lady Bulldogs.

Pastor electrified the crowd with her stellar ball-handling and crisp one-handed passes to teammates throughout the game.

The left-handed Pastor finished with 10 points and three steals and also dished out several assists to a number of teammates.

While Pastor had the biggest impact, Green had plenty of stars.

Senior forward Kelsey Corle scored 15 of her game-high 18 points in the first half and senior guard Deanna Wheeler added nine points for the Lady Bulldogs.

Green controlled the tempo with its defense. The Lady Bulldogs forced eight first-quarter turnovers to take a 19-8 lead.

When the Lady Explorers didn’t lose the ball, they didn’t make shots.

Green, on the other hand, made plenty of shots. The Lady Bulldogs had a bevy of skilled penetrators who had a knack for finding their teammates off the dribble.

Green had its share of turnovers, but it controlled the pace of the game and proved to be a bit too fast and athletic for Hudson.

Nevertheless, the Lady Explorers have come a long way.

They finished 17-7 and reached the district championship game for the first time in seven years.

“I’m proud of my kids,” Lawler said. “They really turned things around. This was a great season for us so hopefully, we can work hard and keep things going.”

Monsman, junior guard Hayley McCandless, who had eight points, and sophomore forward Laura Mummey expect to play bigger roles next season after contributing valuable minutes during the tournament.

Hudson, however, loses its starting back court in guard Lindley Hill and Callie Drohan. Also graduating are guard Ali Czarnecki and Alex Marous, who made an impact as reserves.

E-mail: faceto@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-686-3914