Knapp, Strickland combine for 48 pts, 34 rebs in Green's 65-51 win over SV

LUCASVILLE — In Wednesday evening's OHSAA Division V District Semifinal matchup between the Green Bobcats' and Symmes Valley Vikings' girls basketball programs, the low post play of Green's Abbie Knapp and Laney Strickland was efficient enough on Wednesday evening that one could've mistaken the duo's play for a law firm.

K&S Associates certainly closed out Wednesday's case with a bang, as the duo combined for 48 points and 34 rebounds — 31 points and 25 rebounds for Knapp and 17 points to go along with nine rebounds for Strickland — in the Lady 'Cats' 65-51 victory over the Lady Vikings at Valley High School, lifting Green to its second consecutive OHSAA Division V District Championship Game appearance.

The performance by the two forwards proved to be much needed for longtime Green head coach Melissa Knapp, who desired more from her group as a whole.

"We underestimated Symmes Valley, and I don't understand why," Knapp said. "We lost two players (one to the OHSAA transfer rules and one due to season-ending injury). That's it. And most of these girls have been here before. Our heads were elsewhere. We need to come to practice (on Thursday) and our heads need to be in it. I need focus. I need your full attention for two-and-a-half weeks. We needed total focus, and I don't think we had that. We severely underestimated Symmes Valley."

While Green, as a unit, didn't play its most crisp basketball, Strickland and Knapp were productive for much of the contest. The duo combined to score each of the Lady 'Cats first 24 points, including all 12 in the opening quarter to keep Green engaged as the Lady 'Cats trailed Symmes Valley by a 13-12 margin after a quarter of play.

In the opening quarter alone, Knapp posted 10 points, five rebounds and two blocks while Strickland added in four rebounds, two points and two assists.

The pair added to that production in the second quarter.

With the score tied at 16 apiece early in the frame, Green went on a critical 8-0 run as Knapp scored two low-post buckets, the second off of a Sydney Bainer assist, while Strickland and Knapp each scored off of offensive rebounds one time apiece in the quarter as the Lady 'Cats turned the 16-all tie into a 24-16 advantage before settling for a 29-22 lead at the halftime break.

Knapp ultimately finished the first half with 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks while Strickland posted seven rebounds and six points at the half.

Symmes Valley closed to within 31-28 at the start of the third quarter as the Lady Vikings' Lydia Saunders, who finished with a game-high 22 points, scored four straight points to pull Symmes Valley within three tallies.

However, Green answered with its best basketball of the night from a team perspective, as Knapp and Strickland combined to hit six consecutive free throws for the Lady 'Cats while Bainer, Elizabeth McBee and Addison Blizzard all connected on three-point field goals, extending Green's lead to 48-35 after three quarters of play.

By the time Strickland scored on a quarter-opening trifecta in the fourth quarter, followed by a pair of free throws and a bucket from Knapp, Green had utilized a 24-9 run to turn the 31-28 lead into a 55-37 advantage.

The Lady 'Cats never led by 11 the rest of the way.

Green (17-4) will play Notre Dame (11-11) in the third meeting of the year between the two SOC I rivals in a OHSAA Division V District Championship Game, which will be played at Valley High School in Lucasville on Saturday afternoon at 3:15 p.m.

The winner advances to the OHSAA Division VII, Region 27 Semifinals, where Green or Notre Dame would play the winner of either Eastern Meigs or South Gallia on Thursday, March 5 at 8 p.m.

"It's hard to beat a team three times," Knapp said of both Clay and Notre Dame prior to the last semifinal matchup in a game that the Lady Titans won. "We've got two days to get it together. Again, we can't underestimate either of them. Notre Dame gives us a good game every time we play them. Clay has two 1,000-point scorers and they've gotten a lot better since we played last. They've set a lot of records and have gotten a lot better. We need to come in here, play confident and play like we're the reigning district champions."