Because of cancellations related to COVID-19, the Tri-Eastern Conference girls basketball teams did not play a complete schedule during the 2020-21 season. At season’s end, Northeastern and Winchester were declared co-champions even though they did not play the same number of games and did not play each other.
On Wednesday, Jan. 29, when Northeastern hosted the Lady Falcons, the TEC title was again on the line between the two rivals. A Northeastern win meant that the Lady Knights earned the conference title outright for the first time since 1989. A Winchester win meant that the two teams would be co-champions. The Lady Knights were not in a sharing mood.
From the opening tip, Northeastern was the aggressor on both ends of the floor. The Lady Knights hit four 3-pointers and forced eight Winchester turnovers to take an 18-8 lead after the first quarter. The second quarter was more of the same. The Knights forced nine more Falcon turnovers and hit three more 3-pointers to extend their halftime lead to 34-14.
The Falcons competed in the second half, but the die was cast and they fell further behind. The Knight lead ballooned to 29 points at the end of the third period, and the Northeastern defense held the Falcons without a field goal in the fourth quarter, eventually winning by the score of 59-30.
Ady Kircher led the Knights with 16 points, Ava Mikesell scored 11 points and Mackenzie Johnson added 10 points. Alivia McCoy led the Falcons and all game scorers with 17 points, converting on nine of 10 free throw attempts.
Northeastern (21-1, 7-0 TEC) 18 16 19 6 59
Mikesell 11, Ady Kircher 16, Ariel Shuler 5, Cami Angi 8, Johnson 10, Karri Gammon 1, Brooklynne Adams 5, Amiyah Davis 0, Chloe Peters 3, Ti’aja Adams 0, Macey Oler 0, Jayden Hildebrand, Sammi Kircher 0— Total 59
Winchester (8-9, 6-2 TEC) 8 6 10 6 30
McCoy 17, Madyson Hummel 0, Auden Hummel 7, Kendall Patterson 2, Morgan Harris 0, Addyson Bogue 2, Becca Overlease 0, Autumn Nebel 2, Wendy Harris 0 — Total 30
A version of this article will appear in the February 5 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.