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| Michelle Meyer (right) and Abby Davenport (left) will go head-to-head Monday. |
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Team
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CCC
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ALL
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Franklin Monroe
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11-0
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15-5
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Covington
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10-1
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20-4
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Tri-Village
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9-2
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16-5
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Arcanum
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8-3
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17-4
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Mississinawa Valley
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7-4
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10-11
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Twin Valley South
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6-5
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9-11
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National Trail
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4-6
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7-11
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Bradford
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3-8
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7-11
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Ansonia
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3-8
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4-15
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Bethel
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2-7
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5-12
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Tri-County North
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1-9
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3-15
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Newton
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0-10
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0-19
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January 18, 2005 – COVINGTON
If you haven't been to a girls basketball game, Monday night at Covington High School is the place to be. That's because there is a heated rivalry developing in girls basketball between the Covington Lady Buccs and the Franklin Monroe Lady Jets.
For the second year in a row the two teams will meet in a match-up which will likely decide the Cross County Conference championship.
Both teams come into Monday night's contest with unbeaten conference records. Both teams also are sporting excellent overall records despite facing stiff non-league competition as well. Covington comes into the contest at 13-2, while Franklin Monroe is 9-4.
Last year these two teams tangled in a physical, back-and-forth basketball game that saw the Lady Buccs come out on top, 52-45. The win propelled Covington to an 18-2 regular season record and an unbeaten 11-0 campaign in the Cross County Conference.
It's obvious that Franklin Monroe is still smarting from last season's defeat as most of its roster remains.
Four of those returning players are averaging over 10 points-per-game this season. Leading the way is Abby Davenport with nearly 16 points-per-game. The sophomore guard is the leader of the Lady Jets' attack and is deadly from long-range. She tallied a season-high 10 three-pointers in a game against Newton, which saw the Lady Jets win 102-15.
Also contributing to the Franklin Monroe are Courtney Oswalt, Mara Howell, and Elaina Kakatolis. Oswalt is second on the team in scoring with 11 points-per-game, while Howell and Kakatolis average a little over 10 points-per game.
Covington, on the other hand, has had significant roster changes since last year's contest. Gone are 36 of the 52 points scored the last time these two teams tangled in Heather Fields, MaryBeth Bayman, Meredith Besecker, and Audrey Doseck.
But, the Lady Buccs do retain the services of their leading scorer from a year ago in Michelle Meyer. The junior leader is averaging nearly 19 points-per game this season, despite being double-teamed on a consistent basis.
Also, returning are seniors Caitlin Sargent and Mandy Kuharik. Both played key roles off the bench last year and have moved into starting positions this season. They have also become leaders on the floor.
The pleasant surprises for Coach Besecker and the Lady Buccs has been the development of the sophomore class.
After learning by fire last year at the junior varsity level, Alex Christian, Ashley Johnson, Andrea Meyer, and Chelsea Tebbe have come up big this season.
Johnson and Meyer have become dangerous long-range shooters, Christian has developed a solid inside game, and Tebbe is a defensive guru. Last year the Lady Buccs had one of the most dominating defensive players in coach Besecker's career in MaryBeth Bayman. With the way Tebbe is improving with every minute on the floor, she could be even better.
Both teams come into Thursday night's contest with unbeaten conference records. Both teams also are sporting excellent overall records despite facing stiff non-league competition as well. Covington comes into the contest at 13-2, while Franklin Monroe is 9-4.
The stage is set for the big showdown between arguably the top two teams in the Cross County Conference. Sure, both teams have key conference games ahead, but the winner of this game will have the rest of the league trying to catch them from behind.
Better get there early. It'll be well worth the price for admission.
