High stakes in Margaretta-Willard rematch

A night to celebrate and a shot at redemption.Willard will get a chance to win at least a share of the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division championship when it hosts state-ranked Margaretta on Thursday at Robert L. Haas Gymnasium in the current senior's last home game inside the gym. Junior varsity tip is scheduled for 6 p.m."We have a tremendous amount of respect for coach (Eric) Kochendoerfer and his program," Willard coach Barry Pfahl said. "They have proven that they are one of the premier Division III programs in the state and we are looking forward to the challenge of competing."The first meeting was Jan. 11 and the Polar Bears took a 65-61 win at Cedar Points Sports Center in the first-ever game in the new building."We have been preparing for this game and the tournament since our Margaretta game at Cedar Point," Pfahl said. "This game and the atmosphere is what we work for. We are excited."The Flashes enter the game at 18-3 overall and 8-1 in SBC Bay action. Margaretta — ranked No. 3 in the final Associated Press state poll — comes in at 18-1, 8-0. The Polar Bears also have a makeup game at Oak Harbor on Saturday to wrap up their SBC slate."They have a lot of weapons, but we have to limit the offensive touches of Jayden Moore and Taylor Malson and not allow any of their other scorers to have a big night," Pfahl said.While Malson (16.5 points) and Moore (13.4 points) do pace Margaretta offensively, the weapons don't stop there. Devyne Eisenhauer (11.3), freshman Kylie Leibacher (10.6), and Elliana Schaefer (10.2) also average double-digit points a game for the Polar Bears. Margaretta as a team pumps in 72.5 points a contest."The biggest key to the game is discipline and focus," Pfahl said. "We will need to eliminate defensive breakdowns and finish offensively."Malson has hit on 89-of-150 two-point attempts, good for third in the league at 59.3 percent. Schaefer is 20-of-22 at the foul line, tops in the conference at 90.9 percent. Malson is second in the league at 80.9 percent (55-of-68) when it comes to free throw shooting. Schaefer is second in the Bay at 4.6 assists per game while Malson is second at 4.4 steals per night."We will need to play smart, consistent defense, and eliminate turnovers, hit shots and convert in transition," Pfahl said.Meanwhile, Willard will counter with an offense that averages 63.6 points a game. The Flashes are led by NCAA Div. II Ashland University commit Cassie Crawford, who leads the conference at 17.4 points per game. Crawford also averages 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.7 steals an outing."We need to hit shots and not foul," Pfahl said. "They are excellent free-throw shooters. Offensively, we missed too many easy ones in our first game. We have to convert."Mckenna Stephens has come on strong this season for Willard. The junior is averaging 14.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.9 steals a game."The toughest task when facing Willard is their size and execution," Kochendoerfer said. "They do a great job valuing the basketball and focusing on their strengths, especially in the half-court set." Presley Feltner (9.2 points, 8.8 rebounds), Layla Dials (8.0 points, Bay division leading 4.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds), and Kalli Sowers (4.7 points) round out the usual starting lineup for the Flashes."We think this is a great game to get us ready going into the tournament and are pleased where we are currently as a program," Kochendoerfer said. "We are going to focus on doing our best to control the tempo of the game and take advantage of some of our matchup advantages."The two teams have set themselves apart by far as the best when it comes to the conference. Edison, Oak Harbor, and Huron all have at least five league losses. Margaretta leads the league in scoring for conference games at 75.9 points a night, while Willard is second at 71.9 points per game.The two are also first and second as a team in two-point percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds a game, assists per game, and steals a game."Playing in Willard is always a tough venue and we do not expect anything less with a share of conference title on the line for them and outright title for us," Kochendoerfer said. Thursday's game also serves as a benefit for Sharon Bauer-Heisler, who is battling breast cancer. Bauer-Heisler graduated from Willard in 1994 and played for Pfahl on three teams with a combined record of 65-8, two Northern Ohio League championships and two district championships. "She has been battling breast cancer for the past three or four years," Pfahl said. "The Bauer family has been a Flashes basketball family since the 1980s. They are good people and we wanted her to know that the Flashes family cares about her." ---------------------------- SBC Bay standings Bay Overall Margaretta 8-0 18-1 Willard 8-1 18-3 Edison 4-5 11-10 Oak Harbor 3-5 7-12 Huron 3-6 7-12 P. Clinton 0-8 4-14