IN THE PAINT — Big Red’s Nylah McShan puts up a shot in the paint against University on Thursday night inside the Crimson Center. - Andrew Grimm

And, when the game got rolling, Steubenville did not have anywhere close to its best night shooting. 

Did not matter, though. 

The shorthanded Big Red line up kept grinding all the way to an impressive 10-point victory over visiting Morgantown University inside the Crimson Center Thursday evening. 

“That’s what makes it so nice is to know that even if we have an off night shooting, we can make up for it in other ways,” Big Red head coach Angie Forte said. “I asked for 32 minutes of basketball and these girls gave us 32 minutes. I’m happy with the effort and happy with where we are at this point in the season, but we have a lot of basketball left.

Big Red’s Lucy Saccoccia drives to the basket for a shot against University Thursday. - Andrew Grimm

“We talk a lot about not taking anything for granted and finding ways to push through adversity when things don’t go our way, and they’re going a great job of that.”

Big Red has been without freshmen starter Mikah Taylor for a couple weeks. Thursday, senior Bailee Beall was not in the lineup either. 

Thrust into the starting lineup was sophomore Terionah Thompson, and freshmen Brynn Bowers — who’s been a key contributor all season — started and played an even bigger role. Thompson netted 10 points and finished with a double-double, while Bowers netted seven and was a key defensively. 

“We were two kids down and our next girl in line comes in and has a double-double,” Forte said. “Terionah came in and played a great game for us. It makes a difference when other girls can come in and give us 32 minutes of basketball. I told them this is a collective win. Every girl on the bench was cheering, motivating their teammates. Every girl that touched the floor played their butt off. 

“Teroniah being able to come in and do what we she did with Baillee not being in the lineup helped make up for what Baille usually contributes. 

Big Red’s Brynn Bowers moves up the floor after a steal. - Andrew Grimm

“Brynn is just becoming a reliable kid even as a freshman. She’s becoming a natural part of the flow of our offense. She’s done a great job.”

While the supporting cast stepped up, senior standout Nylah McShan and sophomore Phynyx Fleming — both of whom are in the top 10 in the OVAC in scoring and rebounding — led the way as expected. 

McShan tallied 17 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and three steals for another all-round performance gem, while Fleming followed close behind with 14 points. 

“Nylah and Phynyx are going to be the consistent players we can lean on,” Forte said. “Not everything they do always shows up in the stats, a lot of people look at stats but sometimes it’s more about your presence on the court. Phynyx has a presence on the floor that is a dominating presence. That becomes just as important as her scoring a double-double. And Nylah is going to give you what she gives you in every game. The two of them did a great job of leading the way.”

Big Red (17-1) got off to a quick start, opening a 7-3 lead, before the Hawks (10-5) jumped ahead 8-7. Big Red, though, scored the next six and Thompson netted a putback at the buzzer to make it 16-11 Steubenville after one. 

After opening the lead to as many as nine early in the second, Big Red started to struggle to get shots to fall and the visitors came pushing back, taking the lead late in the half with a 10-0 run. Bowers, however, got a 3 to fall at the horn to put Big Red on top 27-25 at the half. 

While the shots still didn’t quite fall as much as Steubenville would have liked early in the third, Big Red used some second chance opportunities and good defense to open the margin back up to eight after three quarters. McShan netted nine of her 17 in the third, including a key and-one late in the quarter. 

Big Red pushed the margin to as many as 12 in the fourth. The Hawks clawed back within eight, but got no closer as Lucy Saccoccia drained a 3 the other way with under two to play and the margin stayed in double digits from there. 

University was led by a game-high 18 from Isabella Hall and 17 from Taylor Vanscoy. 

POTENTIAL TO MEET AGAIN

The OVAC tournament fields were finalized and announced on Thursday, and both teams are in the field in Class 5A, in opposite semifinals, making a rematch next Saturday morning in the ECO Center a possibility. 

Big Red is the top seed and will host No. 4 Wheeling Park in the semis for a second-straight year. University is the No. 3 seed and will travel to No. 2 seed John Marshall in the semis. Both games are set for Monday. 

Either match up would be a rematch for Big Red, as they have two wins over JM this year as well, but they’re not looking past Park. 

“We have to get through Monday first, Wheeling Park is always well-coached and we’re not looking at the record, we’re looking at them being a high-caliber program,” Forte said. “We have to come out Monday ready to play. Then, if we make it through that, whether it’s JM or University, we know that we will have a battle on our hands.”

The semifinals are varsity only contests with a 6 p.m. opening tip. The Class 5A championship game is the early game on Championship Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. to begin the day of action in St. Clairsville. 

Steubenville 55, University 45

U 11-14-9-11 — 45

S 16-11-15-13 — 55

UNIVERSITY (10-5): Vanscoy 7 1-4 17; Campbell 0 0-0 0; Cox 2 0-0 6; Fox 7 2-2 18; Hall 1 0-0 2; Riffle 1 0-0 2. TOTALS: 18, 3-6; 45. 

STEUBENVILLE: (17-1): Bowers 3 0-2 7; Saccoccia 3 0-0 7; Fleming 6 2-2 14; Thompson 5 0-0 10; McShan 6 5-7 17; Younce 0 0-0 0. TOTALS: 23, 7-11; 55. 

3-POINTERS: University 6 (Vanscoy 2, Cox 2, Fox 2); Steubenville 2 (Bowers, Saccoccia).