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Audrey Doseck had an outstanding game which included 10 points.
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Team
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CCC
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ALL
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Covington
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11-0
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18-2
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Franklin Monroe
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7-1
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11-2
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Arcanum
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3-1
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7-3
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Tri-Village
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8-2
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11-8
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National Trail
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2-1
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5-2
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Twin Valley South
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2-1
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5-3
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Bradford
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1-2
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2-5
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Ansonia
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1-3
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2-7
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Bethel
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0-3
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2-5
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Mississinawa Valley
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0-3
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2-4
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Tri-County North
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0-3
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1-8
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Newton
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0-8
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0-13
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March 6, 2004 – VANDALIA
It will go down in Covington girls basketball lore as "The Swat".
With the Lady Buccs clinging to a 42-40 lead over Southeastern in a Division IV district girls championship game at the Vandalia Student Activities Center Saturday afternoon, the Lady Trojans inbounded the ball after a Covington foul, Lady Buccs senior Heather Fields took center stage.
As Katie Hupp prepared to launch a 3-point shot as the clock ran down, Fields knew what was at stake.
"I could see she was going to pull up and shoot," Fields said. "I knew I couldn't just let her shoot. I am not much of a shot blocker, but I knew I had to go after it even if I fouled her."
What the 5-4 Fields did against the 5-7 Hupp was leap high and swat the shot attempt harmlessly into the hands of Covington sophomore Michelle Meyer as the clock ran out.
Nobody had a better view than Covington's "defensive stopper" MaryBeth Bayman...and who could admire a play like that more.
"I was thinking if she made the shot we were going to lose," Bayman said. "Then I saw her (Fields) block it and Michelle Meyer grab it...It was like Way to go Fields."
It set off a wild celebration from the Covington bench as the Lady Buccs claimed their first district title since 1992. Covington will play the Fort Loramie vs Franklin Monroe winner at 8 p.m. Thursday at Vandalia.
Fields ran to Covington's side of midcourt and slid on her knees to the foul line.
"It was the culmination of everything we had worked for this year," Fields said. "It is incredible. (At the end of the game), I was like Yes, Oh my God, Yes."
For Bayman, the color of the gold championship trophy was significant after being district runnerup in volleyball twice and basketball once over the last two years.
"This is special in so many ways," Bayman said. "I was talking with my teammates about how the volleyball trophies and basketball last year was silver."
For Covington coach Chris Besecker, it had been 12 years since the climb to the top of the ladder to cut the last cord on the net.
Seniors Bayman, Meredith Besecker Audrey Doseck and Fields made it particularly rewarding.
"Words can't describe it," Chris Besecker said. "It is an unbelievable feeling. I just feel really happy for the seniors. They have worked so hard for this."
It seemed only fitting in a game where both teams were so evenly matched that the game would come down to the final possession.
"Jim (Southeastern coach Jim Lightle) and I were talking about it (how similar the teams were) before the game," Besecker said. "You never know what is going to happen."
The Buccs did it by making 15 of 41 field goal attempts for 37 percent and 10 of 17 from the line for 59 percent, while Southeastern was 17 of 37 from the floor for 46 percent and four of seven from the line for 57 percent.
Covington won the battle of the boards 22-20 and both teams had 13 turnovers. Meyer led the Lady Buccs balanced attack with 11 points, while Doseck had 10 points and eight rebounds. Fields had nine points and five rebounds, Bayman had eight points and Besecker pulled down five rebounds.
Covington had leads of six points in the first quarter, five in the second quarter, eight in the third quarter and seven in the fourth quarter, but the Lady Trojans answered every time.
"We talked about that in the locker room (after the game)," Besecker said. "We were a little inconsistent."
With Doseck scoring eight of her 10 points in the opening half and Fields hitting two free throws after time expired, Covington led 23-19 at the break. Threes by Meyer and Bayman early in the third quarter stretched the lead to 29-21.
"We got off to a great start (in the third quarter)," Besecker said.
With Meredith Besecker grabbing some big offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, and Bayman slowing down Alison Lemon after the break, Covington never lost the lead.
"I thought that was important," Besecker said. "I thought if we had fallen behind on the scoreboard, that would have put pressure on the kids. Lemon was really hurting us in first half, so I put MaryBeth on her the second half."
Bayman wouldn't have had it any other way.
"I love challenges," Bayman said. Usually, he (Chris Besecker) will challenge me before a game. He came up to me at halftime and told me I needed to take her in the second half."
While Lemon matched her first half total of nine after the break, most of those came off turnovers in transition.
Covington led 41-35 with 1:36 remaining, but several missed free throws and a three by Kayleigh Delk led to the game coming down to the final possession.
"I was upset, because I don't normally miss free throws," Fields said. "I didn't really think of it that way (needing to do something), but I knew I could do something on defense to stop them."
A big "Swat", as it turned out.
by Rob Kiser – Piqua Daily Call
BOXSCORE
Covington Scoring (42)
Fields 2-5-9, Meyer 5-0-11, Bayman 3-1-8, Doseck 3-4-10, Besecker 2-0-4, Kuharik 0-0-0, Sargent 0-0-0, Furrow 0-0-0. Totals: 15-10-42.
Southeastern (40)
Maggard 0-0-0, Lemon 8-1-18, Roach 1-0-2, Hupp 4-1-9, Cline 2-2-6, Delk 2-0-5, Workman 0-0-0. Totals: 17-4-40.
3-point field goals – Covington: Meyer, Bayman. Southeastern: Lemon, Delk.
Score by quarters
Covington........10....23....36....42
Southeastern.....9....19....30....40
Records:
Covington 22-2, Southeastern 18-6.
