Girls Basketball: Vermilion can't rally second time in loss to Buckeye

MEDINA — Both halves of Vermilion's 42-36 loss to Buckeye on Wednesday night started in almost exactly the same fashion.The Sailors were down 8-0 midway through the first quarter after the Bucks got off to a flying start, but things turned quickly, with the Sailors responding to tie the game at 8 by the end of the first quarter and take a 21-20 lead into the break."We started playing defense," Vermilion coach Doug Mihalic said. "We moved the ball, we actually knocked down some shots, we sped them up and we let our defense create offense."Unfortunately for the Sailors, they could not replicate that response following a 10-0 run to start the second half that the Bucks rode all the way to a victory."We just kept throwing the ball to them," Mihalic said.Vermilion had 32 turnovers, something that has become a theme this season, as well as through the entirety of Mihalic's tenure."If I knew (how to stop it), we would," he said. "It's been four years of the same thing. When we make turnovers, we're trying to be unselfish, so I like that, but our unselfishness is throwing the ball between three people."Mihalic faces the difficult task of trying to curb his team's turnovers while still making sure his players move the ball on offense."It's hard to say, 'don't feed your teammates,'" he said. "But we've got to make the easier pass. Once we watch the film, it's easy to see, and they've just got to make the easier pass."Despite the loss, the biggest positive for the Sailors was their defense. Outside of the runs at the start of each half, they were able to limit the Bucks offense and keep the game within reach even when they were struggling offensively.Vermilion forced 33 turnovers, many coming thanks to their pressure, which caused problems for Buckeye all night."That's what we do," Mihalic said. "We force turnovers. It's just our ability to not throw the ball back to the other team, and we did that way too much tonight. I don't care how good the other team is, we're going to get turnovers, but we just have to be way smarter on the other end."Vermilion will have its next chance to play smarter Saturday against a Willard team that has won four in a row and will be hoping to make a statement in the Bay Division of the Sandusky Bay Conference.If the Sailors hope to make some noise in the conference this year, they will have to clean up the turnovers, or they will be sunk by them, just as they were Wednesday.Contact Will Cunningham at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Buckeye 42, Vermilion 36Vermilion (36): Kate Smith 0-0-0, Sofia Schaffer 0-2-2, Kara Russell 0-0-0, Jazlyn Rayl 4-1-10, Emma Gebhardt 0-8-8, Abby Gawry 0-0-0, Joscelyn Alvarado 2-2-7, Morgan Frenk 3-3-9, Maggie Falknor 0-0-0, Cassie Caffarel 0-0-0. Totals 9-16-36.Buckeye (42): Ava Piovarchy 3-1-8, Juliana Melillo 2-2-7, Kendyl Dukarm 2-2-6, Brooklyn Diegidio 0-1-1, Carlie Gunkelman 2-0-4, Kylee Kash 0-0-0, Molly Danilovic 3-1-7, Ava Wolf 3-2-9. Totals 15-9-42.Vermilion 8 13 9 6 — 36Buckeye 8 12 12 10 — 42Three-point goals: Vermilion (Rayl, Alvarado), Buckeye (Piovarchy, Melillo, Wolf). Field goals: Vermilion 9-46 (19.6 percent), Buckeye 15-44 (34.1 percent). Free throws: Vermilion 16-26 (61.5 percent), Buckeye 9-15 (60 percent). Rebounds: Vermilion 32, Buckeye 28. Turnovers: Vermilion 32, Buckeye 33. Team fouls: Vermilion 17, Buckeye 20.Junior varsity: Buckeye, 28-26.