Girls Basketball: Avon Lake puts clamps on Avon for SWC victory

AVON — There aren't many better ways to start a game than by forcing your opponent into 22 consecutive missed field goals. That's exactly what Avon Lake did Wednesday in its 47-31 victory over Avon. The Shoregals rode their suffocating defense all the way to the state title game last season, and it was on display again as they held the Eagles to 17.6 percent shooting. Avon Lake needed every bit of that defense, especially in a first half in which it shot 8-for-22 from the field and scored just 20 points, mostly thanks to turnovers. "We were uneven offensively," said Avon Lake coach Paul Appel. "We had some good moments, but we also had moments where we didn't make the best decisions with the ball. Defensively, we were really good in the first half, but we got away from some things we did well and that let them get back in the game." The Shoregals led 20-9 at halftime, with eight of those points coming from Molly Milligan, who led the team with 18 points, as well as dominating on the boards and on defense with a multitude of blocked shots. "Molly did a really nice job," Appel said. "She's physical, she's talented, she's got great touch around the rim. We need to get her the ball more." Milligan seemed to be open on most of Avon Lake's possessions, but even when she wasn't getting the ball, she stayed locked in and found a way to impact the game on both ends. "I have to put myself in their shoes, too," Milligan said. "It's not always easy to get me the ball, and I have to think about that, and that kind of just calms me down." Combined with Milligan's consistent dominance over all four quarters, it was the Shoregals' other star, Olivia Miller, coming alive in the third quarter that allowed them to take control of the game. Miller hit a pair of threes that helped extend Avon Lake's lead to 20 points midway through the period, which ended up being the knockout blow for Avon. "Olivia is a diverse player, and teams are going to game-plan to take her away," Appel said. "She was able to get in a bit of a rhythm in the third and hit some big shots for us, and she did what she does." For Avon, which played without two of its best players in Alaina Pagan and Abby Owens, the game provided valuable experience for some of its younger players despite the result. "It's never easy with our schedule, and I think it's all great for these kids," said Avon coach Adam Castrilla. "Silver lining, they're going to be so much better for it. One of our goals is to keep things positive, and we defended really well." Three freshmen played significant minutes for Avon, and all three were able to find the bottom of the net. Additionally, two of them, Janelle Antrum and Chloe Collins, did the majority of the ballhandling for the Eagles. "We have two girls that are doing a fabulous job," Castrilla said. "But both were playing eighth-grade basketball last year and we're asking them to handle the ball against the state runner-up." Avon's tough schedule continues with a matchup against Walsh on Saturday, while Avon Lake is off until next Wednesday when it will take on undefeated Berea-Midpark. Contact Will Cunningham at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Avon Lake 47, Avon 31 Avon Lake (47): Riley Koury 1-2-4, Bri Droke 1-0-2, Frankie Persia 1-0-3, Mariela DiTullio 0-2-2, Olivia Miller 5-3-16, Evelyn Ritt 0-0-0, Rachel Besaw 0-0-0, Erin Dean 1-0-2, Molly Milligan 9-0-18. Totals 18-7-47. Avon (31): Emma Fitch 0-0-0, Molley Kennedy 2-3-9, Emily Mangan 0-0-0, Audrey Lammer 2-1-5, Sophia Sharp 0-0-0, Janelle Antrum 2-0-4, Isla Anderson 0-3-3, Ava Mitchell 0-0-0, Chloe Collins 0-2-2, Kaylee Zurawski 3-2-8. Totals 9-11-31. Avon Lake&emsp;8&emsp;12&emsp;17&emsp;10&emsp;—&emsp;47 Avon&emsp;4&emsp;5&emsp;13&emsp;9&emsp;—&emsp;31 Three-point goals: Avon Lake (Miller 3, Persia), Avon Lake (Kennedy 2). Field goals: Avon Lake 18-50 (36 percent), Avon 9-51 (17.6 percent). Free throws: Avon Lake 7-8 (87.5 percent), Avon 11-14 (78.6 percent). Rebounds: Avon Lake 36, Avon 24. Turnovers: Avon Lake 16, Avon 12. Team fouls: Avon Lake 13, Avon 11. Junior varsity: Avon, 49-21.