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TORONTO -- The Madonna girls basketball team battled, but Ashton Thomas and Toronto were too much to handle.
Madonna was within striking distance with a little more than three minutes left in the third quarter, however, the Blue Dons ran out of gas and the Red Knights were able to take advantage as the hosts ended the game on a 23-2 run to pull away for a 50-22 victory Monday night at home inside the George J. Kunzler Memorial Gymnasium.
Thomas tallied a game-high 19 points, while also collecting a team-high eight rebounds.
"The girls came out after halftime refocused, and they decided they were going to get down and dig and play a little bit of defense," Toronto (4-9) head coach Rusty Hodgkiss said. "We have emphasized all year that we want to get out and run in transition, and we were finally able to do that at the start of the third quarter."
The hosts outscored the visitors, 30-7, in the second half.
Madonna was dealt a major blow in the first quarter when standout senior Shea McCoy left the game after bumping heads with Toronto's Gracee Fox while going after the ball. McCoy sustained a cut above her eye, and she ended up going to the hospital to get stitches. Toronto led 6-2 when the injuries occurred, and the clock was stopped with 3:09 left in the quarter.
"We lost Shea McCoy, and when we lost her we lost a senior who is averaging 20 points and 15 boards a game," Madonna (2-9) head coach Cory Wingett said. "When you lose that type of production and senior leadership, it is tough. Julia Wingett is a four-year starter, and Shea is a three-year starter.
"When you lose that quality of production and rebounds, it hurts, but I am so proud of the other 10 girls. They fought as long as they could. They continued to fight and do all they could do for two quarters.
"We just lost steam in the third quarter. The final score is in now way indicative of how this game went. We are praying for Shea. We hope she is OK. She's getting looked at right now.
"The other 10 girls fought. When you're leading scorer and rebounder leaves the game, it's tough. Julia hit some shots. Rylie (Birkhimer) took some shots. Rosa (Cody) took some shots.
"The girls played hard. It just was not enough. The girls work hard. They are pleasant to coach. We just had some uncontrollables go against us. I am extremely proud of the girls. We have got some wins coming."
Fox also did not return to the game.
"I felt terrible," Hodgkiss said. "Gracee has been asked to step up in the circumstances we are in, and she has done a phenomenal job. She does everything we ask. She plays the game the right way. She probably has a little bit of a concussion.
"She plays the game the right way. We all think she can be a special player before she leaves here. Losing her when we did, contributed to the game going sideways on us.
"The whole first half was disjointed. It was like a hockey game. No one was able to possess the puck. The ball was everywhere. It was just really disjointed."
The win allowed the Knights to sweep the season series.
"Losing Shea was big," Hodgkiss said. "I feel awful. She's like a hockey player. We went over to check on her, and she said, 'Stitch me up, and I'm going back in.'"
McCoy walked off the court before collapsing near the team bench. She sat up seconds later, and eventually, she was able to walk into the locker room.
J.J. Rebich recorded 16 points for the victors.
Julia Wingett tallied a team-high 10 points to lead the way for the visitors from Hancock County, while Birkhimer recorded six.
Thomas scored Toronto's first 10 points, including all eight of her team's points in the first quarter. The hosts led 8-5 at the end of the first.
"They played a different defense than they did over there," Hodgkiss said. "They tried to stop us inside.
"Ashton scores a lot of points. Bless her heart. She has worked really hard to develop in the post. Her foot work, from last year to this year, is light year's ahead of where it was. That is due to the coaching staff. My coaching staff has worked really hard with her."
The pace picked up during a stretch in the second as the girls in blue pulled within 12-11, however, the Red Knights regrouped and responded with an 8-0 run to take a 20-11 lead. Rebich hit two of her four 3-pointers to spark the surge. Toronto led 20-15 at halftime.
The Red Knights got off to a fast start to the third as they ripped off a 9-2 run to build a 29-17 advantage. A 3-pointer by Julia Wingett, who made two on the night, pulled Madonna to within nine points with 3:10 left in the quarter, however, the Blue Dons never got any closer.
Toronto ended the quarter on a 9-0 run to increase its advantage to 38-20 entering the fourth.
"We just got mentally and physically tired," Coach Wingett said. "It's tough when you lose you're top player. We lost a starter.
"The girls continued to fight. They gave everything they had, but when that happens, eventually you are going to get worn out physically and mentally.
"We kept it close. We just ran out steam. You don't have a chance when you run out of steam."
Toronto outscored Madonna, 12-2, in the fourth to account for the final margin.
Rebich provided a big spark off the bench for Toronto.
"If she can do that, it will makes us a really difficult team to defend," Hodgkiss said about her 16 points and four 3-pointers. "If she does that, it will stretch out the defense. It will create space for Ashton. The cuts will create space for Ashton.
"For the ast couple of years, we have tried to get teams to play man against us. I think we do well against man, but we have not been able to shoot them out of a zone.
The Blue Dons outrebounded the Red Knights, 27-25. Cody, who filled in for McCoy, pulled down eight rebounds to lead Madonna.
Madonna committed 26 turnovers on the night, while Toronto committed 21.
It was a rough night overall for the Blue Dons. Madonna lost another starter – Maddy Long – to injury in the fourth. She left the game after getting hit in the head with 6:03 remaining to be played. She also did not return to the game.
There was no JV game.
Toronto is scheduled to play Wheeling Central at 6 p.m. Thursday on the road before taking on Edison at 1 p.m. Saturday on the road in a makeup game.
Madonna is slated to play Weir in the annual City Championship Game at 3 p.m. Saturday on the road on Ron "Fritz" Williams Court inside the Carl Hamill Fieldhouse.
Toronto 50, Madonna 22
Madonna 5 10 5 2 – 22
Toronto 8 12 18 12 – 50
MADONNA (2-9): Long 0 0-0 0, Wingett 4 0-0 10, Littleton 0 0-0 0, Pietranton 1 0-0 2, Birkhimer 3 0-0 6, McCoy 0 0-0 0, Harbin 0 0-0 0, Szczerbinbski 0 0-0 0, Braken 0 0-0 0, Sole 0 0-0 0, Cody 2 0-2 4. TOTALS: 10 0-2 22.
TORONTO (4-9): Derrington 3 1-2 7, Fox 0 0-0 0, L. Anderson 0 0-0 0, Chevalier 0 2-2 2, C. Anderson 0 0-0 0, M. Anderson 3 0-0 6, Rebich 6 0-1 16, Crago 0 0-0 0, Owings 0 0-0 0, Thomas 9 1-2 19, Timko 0 0-0. TOTALS: 21 4-7 50.
3-POINTERS: Madonna 2 (Wingett 2); Toronto 4 (Rebich 4). REBOUNDS: Madonna 27 (Cody 8); Toronto 25 (Thomas 8). TURNOVERS: Madonna 26; Toronto 21.