Wynford shocks state-ranked Crestview

• Ellie Richmond scored 20 points to lead Wynford.
• Sarah Ogden hauled in 18 rebounds for the Royals
• Wynford held Renee Stimpert to 13 points%2C 18 under her average.
• Crestview ends at 20-3%2C while Wynford is 15-8.

SHELBY – Wynford did more than just hang around. The Royals shook up the Division III super sectional Saturday night, upsetting top seed and the state's sixth-ranked Crestview Cougars 55-51 in double overtime.

"We tried to tell the girls to hang around. We told them it would take five to stop (Renee) Stimpert. We knew we had to bring our A-game and we had to hang in there," Wynford coach Amy Taylor Sheldon said, the sixth seed in the sectional.

The Royals (15-8) will travel to Seneca East Thursday night at 8 p.m. for a district semifinal game.

Crestview (20-3) led 6-4 midway through the first quarter and wouldn't lead again until the first overtime. The Cougars trailed 37-29 with just 4:20 left in the fourth quarter, but tied it up in the matter of 88 seconds. Wynford missed four shots and had a turnover down the stretch, while the Cougars missed the front-end of a pair one-and-ones, plus missed a couple shots and had a turnover as well.

Crestview got a 3-pointer from Caitlyn Fulk on its first possession of the first overtime for the team's first lead in almost 29 minutes. But the Royals (15-8) would rally to take a 45-42 lead with under 20 seconds to go.

All-Ohio candidate Renee Stimpert, who had been held to 21 points below her average to that point, gave Crestview hope. The junior point guard knocked down a long 3-pointer from the right wing in front of the Cougars' bench to send it to a second overtime.

"Wow," Taylor Sheldon said. "We had people on her. We knew she had the ability to make deep 3s. We knew we had to stop her to even have a chance, so I'm really proud of the way we performed."

In the second overtime, Stimpert fouled out with 2:41 left. She had 13 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals, as the Royals faced-guarded her in a diamond-and-one defense, forcing her to get her teammates involved.

"I don't think we came out scared. I'm not sure if it was nerves playing on the big stage. We can't score 13 points in a half. I don't get it. A lot of shots didn't fall," Crestview coach Aaron Goon said of his team that averages more than 70 points but trailed 18-13 at halftime. "(The Royals) were a really good defensive team tonight and that was the way things shook out."

With Stimpert out, the Royals took advantage, scoring on its last four possessions to pull away.

"It was tough," Goon said. "We didn't play our best game and I didn't coach my best game, but the girls fought hard to climb back in it and I'm proud of what they accomplished."

Crestview was 22 of 69 from the field, but just 2 of 12 from the foul line. Wynford hurt the Cougars from the stripe, making 26 of 36 despite hitting just 13 of 50 from the floor.

Senior guard Ellie Richmond was huge for Wynford, putting up 15 points in the second half to finish with 20 points, six rebounds and three steals. Sophomore forward Sarah Ogden was a force in the paint, adding 10 points and 18 rebounds, while junior guard Jade Stuckman came off the bench for nine points, seven in the second half.

The Royals needed that effort when 6-1 junior post Alyssa Harrer left the game early with an apparent concussion. She tried to come back in the second half, but was not allowed due to the new protocol. Taylor Sheldon said she will be re-evaluated this week.

"(Ogden) is driven and intense and is like whatever I have to do to go get it," Taylor Sheldon said.

It was a disappointing finish for the Cougars in what was an otherwise outstanding season, losing two games in the span of three days. They were denied a share of a Firelands Conference on Thursday night at South Central, then were knocked out in their first tourney game.

Besides Stimpert, Caitlyn Fulk scored 13 points with six rebounds, three assists and three steals. Macie Restille added nine points and nine rebounds, while Lexie Shriver had eight points and five rebounds.

rmccurdy@gannett.com

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Twitter: @McMotorsport