BARWICK GIVES LEOPARDS REASON TO CELEBRATE

SALEM OH- The area was treated to a premiere matchup on Saturday afternoon. Louisville made the trip to Quaker country to take on the vaunted Quaker defense. Salem went further than any other girls team in the YSN family last season, and it’s games against teams like Louisville that got them that far.  In this edition, it was a low scoring nail biter.  Usually that would be leverage to Salem, but the Leopards were able to match the defensive intensity.

With the Leopards holding a 35-31 lead late in the game, Salem made their final push. After cutting it to 2, 35-33 the Quakers got the ball back. On a wonderfully executed play the Quakers got Lauryn Barton open for a split second. It was just long enough for her to get off a tough shot and drill it giving Salem a 36-35 lead with about 7 seconds left. It made the entire gym erupt.  Louisville went to Brooke Haren on their last possession and she drove the length of the floor, put up a tough shot and left it short.  She gave Courtney Barwick enough to time to grab a rebound and get fouled putting up a put back.   At the free throw line with .7 seconds left Barwick hit both her shots and took the 37-36 win.

Barwick and Haren both led the Leopards with 12 points a piece.  Taryn Miglich hit 2 threes on her way to 8 points for Louisville.  Abbie Davidson continued to put together great games as she scored a game-high 17 points for Salem.  Barton’s perimeter game got her to finish with 9 points while Kami Rohm finished with 6.

Louisville stays on the road on Wednesday as they travel to GlenOak.  Salem stays home on Wednesday as they return to league play against Minerva.