CHAGRIN FALLS–Richmond Heights took down host Chagrin Falls, 39-36, in a key Chagrin Valley Conference Chagrin Division win on Wednesday.
With the win, the Spartans improved to 8-3 overall and took over sole possession of first place in the Chagrin Division with a 5-0 mark.
“Overall, we’re just happy to get out of here with the win,” said Richmond Heights coach Eugene White. “The most important thing is we needed a tough win. Sometimes, you need a signature win, and this win is ours. It’s a big win for us.”
Honor Hall started the night with six first-quarter points and Mya Johnson added three more, leading the Spartans to an 11-5 lead.
The Tigers found their rhythm in the second quarter, going on an 8-2 run to tie the game at 13-13 at halftime.
Molly Wheatley converted an and-one, and Lilly Stukus and Gabby Byrne also scored in the quarter.
“We knew going into halftime with it tied up we had the potential to knock down some big shots in the second half,” said Chagrin Falls coach Brittany Laseak. “It was a slow start in the first half. We’re moving in the right direction.”
Chagrin Falls kept the pedal to the metal in the third quarter, with Byrne and Stukus hitting 3-pointers, while Avery Russell buried a pair of 3-pointers herself, giving Chagrin Falls a 25-23 lead after three.
Hall scored four points in the frame to help Richmond Heights keep pace with the Tigers, then she took over in the final quarter with seven points, while Alanna Scott knocked down a clutch 3-pointer that gave the Spartans a 33-30 lead.
Stukus nailed two more 3-pointers to keep Chagrin Falls in it, but ultimately, it was not enough as Richmond Heights held on for a three-point win.
This win for the Spartans was untraditional, as they had won every other game by an average of nearly 28 points, but it’s exactly what the doctor ordered for Richmond Heights.
“We learned to stick together,” said Richmond Heights junior forward Honor Hall. “We have to stay locked in, and this was a nice win.”
The win extended Richmond Heights’ conference win streak to 22 straight games.
“Our whole goal is to win the conference championship first,” Coach White said. “Then win the district, regional, and get to the state Final Four. A lot of schools just want to win the conference; that’s not all we want to do. We pride ourselves on practicing and going 110 percent, getting better every day.”
Hall led all scorers with 21 points, Johnson pitched in with seven, Scott had five, and Raquel Dickson pulled down 12 rebounds.
Chagrin Falls trailed early and took the lead in the third quarter but fell short.
“We knew we needed to play better defense; we started out the season giving up way too many buckets,” Laseak said. “We started to get some momentum in the last couple of games, and (Richmond Heights) has a lot of offensive firepower, so we had to make sure we were working together as one unit.”
Chagrin Falls will need to win its last set of conference games and get some help to keep itself in the hunt for the conference title.
“We put ourselves behind the eight-ball,” Laseak said. “With two losses (in conference play), now we’re chasing people. We don’t control our own destiny, and we have to pray that someone else pulls off a win. The bottom line is we have to focus on ourselves and what we do as a team.”
Russell led the Tigers with 13 points, Stukus pitched in with 11, and Byrne added five more.
Richmond Heights hosts Hawken on January 11, while Chagrin Falls visits rival West Geauga on the same day.
