Lady Jackets narrowly defeated by Ashland

By Lauren Vargas

The balmy evening of February 12 brought quite the match for Cedarville’s Lady Jackets. Coming up against the Ashland Eagles for a second time this season, the Jackets stepped onto the court determined to redeem themselves after a loss from their previous encounter. Coming out with a speedy first basket, Cedarville gained a foothold against Ashland. It was a close game, but with Ashland ending on top, 59-56.

The Lady Jackets started off the game with incredible speed. However, after several unsuccessful jumpers and added turnovers, the Jackets lost the lead and remained nine points behind the Eagles going into the second quarter. 

Ashland’s competitive shooting and efficient passing made it challenging for Cedarville to gain ball control. Sensing a change was needed to get back into the game, head coach Addy Miller switched up their strategy, reinstating some vigor in the Jackets.

“We had forced nine turnovers… at the time, I believe we had five, so we were really debating whether the turnovers we were forcing were worth it,” Miller said. “Yes, we were getting some things out of the press, but it wasn’t worth it overall.”

With that, new gameplay was put in place.

The change helped close the gap as more Cedarville baskets made their way in. Regan Hubert led the scoring charge with nine points on the board leading into halftime, followed closely by Emma Kay Martin with eight, who would go on to end the night with 16. For the first time in nine games, the third quarter seemed promising for the Lady Jackets.

“It is so hard to understand the process on a losing streak,” Miller said. “It is so hard to stay in, it is so hard to keep playing hard. I don’t feel like we played hard last game, and so I challenged them this week.” 

“We have to be back to our identity: we have to rebound, we have to get on the floor, we have to give effort. I felt like overall for 40 minutes they did that consistently, and that’s what I want this team to be known for.”

Offensive rebounding became the name of the game during the third quarter. Chloe Downing led the Jackets in regaining possession after those initial shots. With several missed three-pointers for both teams, every chance there was an advantage near the net, the Jackets fought to take it. A mere four points behind Ashland during the 22nd minute, the Jackets picked up speed.

Shot accuracy determined the final outcome. The fans held their breath as the final seconds on the clock ticked. Both teams had equal opportunity at the net, but Ashland managed to squeeze in a few more shots, while Cedarville had some costly turnovers that made the difference between victory and defeat. They lost the game by three. 

The Lady Jackets (8-15) gave their fans quite the show despite their ninth loss in a row, but Miller has hope for their turnaround, especially after the promising plays made this game. Their continued progress will hopefully show more results in their next head-to-head this Saturday, February 14, against the Northwood Timberwolves.

Lauren Vargas is a sophomore biology student with a minor in Spanish and a sports writer for Cedars. She’s an avid weightlifter and loves watching movies in her free time.