MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- It was a tale of two halves in Saturday night’s OCC crossover matchup between #4 ranked Marysville and #9 ranked Olentangy Liberty. The Patriots erased a 16 point deficit in the second half and heroics from junior Gigi Bower fueled Liberty to a 54-53 upset of the Monarchs in overtime. 

With one quarter to play, Liberty trailed Marysville by a score of 45-38. A quick two by senior Ryan Chapman cut the lead to just five points. On the next possession, Bower intercepted a pass and stepped into a three pointer to cut the lead to two. Stifling defense by the Patriots forced several turnovers early in the period and made it challenging for the Monarchs to score. 

Finally, at the 6:14 mark of the fourth, junior Addy Tweed connected for Marysville to stop the bleeding and push the lead back to four points. Bower answered with four straight points, tying the game at 47. After a near ten second violation, Bower was fouled, sending her to the line for a one-and-one opportunity and a chance to take the lead for the first time since early in the first period. 

With ice in her veins, Bower drained both attempts, pushing the Liberty lead to two points. Marysville had a chance to tie the game but failed to convert. Marysville was forced to foul again, sending Bower to the line a second time. She missed her first attempt and the Monarchs retained possession. 

With just a few seconds left, Marysville prepared to inbound the ball in front of the Liberty bench, forcing them into a nearly impossible situation. Senior Leah Brown threw the perfect pass three quarters of the court leading junior Jojo Eberhart into a layup to tie the game at 49 and send it to overtime. This was only the second basket of the quarter for Marysville. 

In overtime, Eberhart picked up right where she left off with another layup, giving the Monarchs a momentary two point lead. Senior Addison Marston answered for the Patriots tying the game but Tweed responded for Marysville, giving them a two point lead yet again. Chapman attempted a three pointer that fell short late in the period and Marysville maintained possession again. 

Soon after, Brown was fouled and headed to the line for a one-and-one attempt. She was unable to convert and the Patriots secured the rebound. Liberty drew up a final play but nearly turned the ball over. Sophomore Claire Mikola saved the ball and passed it to a wide open Bower for the game winning three from the top of the key. Marysville had a final chance to take the lead on a last second attempt but turned the ball over and never got a shot off. 

After starting the game down four, Marysville controlled the rest of the first half. The Monarchs were held scoreless until the 4:58 mark when they finally came alive thanks to a basket by senior Ava Wilkerson. They finished the first on a 15-4 run highlighted by two three pointers by senior Leah Brown. Her second three was a buzzer beater from beyond the volleyball ten foot line off of a diving save and pass by a teammate. After one, Marysville led Liberty 15-10. 

In the second, Marysville turned up the defensive pressure which gave Liberty fits. Senior Ava Krutowskis continued the run with a three pointer and Brown added two. The Patriots finally scored at the 4:06 mark in the second period thanks to a basket by Bower. Junior Emma Karagheuzoff sank a three late in the quarter to cut the Monarchs’ lead to 11. Brown drained two more threes and Tweed got in on the action to end the quarter with a layup. After two, Marysville held a 30-17 lead. 

Senior Gab Lee started the third quarter with a three for Marysville but Mikola quickly answered with a three of her own which kicked off an 11-3 run for the Patriots to cut the lead to single digits. Both teams traded baskets in the frame and Bower and Brown drained two three pointers each. Brown’s last conversion occurred at the end of the period, pushing the Marysville lead to seven points (45-38) with one quarter to play. 

Liberty battled back to tie the game and take the lead in the fourth but Eberhart sent the game to overtime with a last second layup. Bower drained a three pointer with seconds remaining in OT to seal the game for the Patriots. 

Bower led all scorers with 26 and Brown added 19 in the loss for Marysville. 

The atmosphere in the gym on Saturday was unbelievable and the best we have seen in a long time. It felt more like a district final than a regular season game which bodes well for the upcoming OHSAA State Tournament. These teams could see a rematch in the sweet 16 if they continue to win.

1. Full Court Press: After giving up 30 points in the first half, Liberty needed to make adjustments in the second if they wanted to pull out a win. They deployed a full court press coming out of the locker room that troubled Marysville. It forced numerous turnovers leading to easy points. It definitely got the Patriots back in the game and gave them a chance to win. 

2. Gigi Bower: Bower is one of the most highly recruited players in central Ohio, gathering offers from most of the MAC. Marysville held her to just seven first half points which slowed Liberty’s offense. She exploded for seven points in the third, nine in the fourth and three in overtime to push her team to victory. She scored six straight points in the fourth to tie the game and take the lead and drained the game winning three pointer in OT for the win. 

3. Pressure Defense: When the full court press did not result in a turnover, Liberty’s half court pressure defense picked up the slack. The front court of Karagheuzoff and Mikola was intense in the second half forcing ball handlers and passers into tough situations. They disrupted passing lanes and pushed Marysville out of their offensive flow. 

4. Free Throws: While Liberty did not shoot a high percentage from the free throw line (7/16), they got to the line significantly more often than Marysville (4/5). In a one point game, every free throw counted. 

5. Offensive Production: For the majority of the first half, Liberty looked lost on offense. They had a difficult time finding open looks and spent a lot of time dribbling. In the second half, they focused on setting screens and moving the ball. They saw more open looks and shot a higher percentage from the floor. As mentioned previously, their press also led to easy baskets that fueled their offense. 

MVP: Gigi Bower (2024 / Olentangy Liberty / Guard)

Top Scorer: Gigi Bower (2024 / Olentangy Liberty / Guard) - 26

Hustle Players: Leah Brown (2023 / Marysville / Guard), Claire Mikola (2025 / Olentangy Liberty / Guard)