HILLIARD, Ohio -- Marysville left no doubt from start to finish in their season opener on Tuesday night en route to a 50-18 victory over Hilliard Bradley. The Monarchs used a 33-4 run over the first two quarters and balanced scoring to overpower the Jaguars. 

Junior transfer Allison Price kicked things off quickly with a three from the left wing thanks to a pass from senior JoJo Eberhart. Bradley responded with a basket from freshman Tate Dudley and a three by senior Reagan Voigt gave the Jaguars their only lead of the game. 

Eberhart converted an old-fashioned three point play, regaining the lead for Marysville for good and kicking off a massive run. Allison Price added two points and senior Addy Tweed scored four consecutive to push the Marysville lead to seven. Senior Abbey Price got in on the scoring action and was followed by a layup from Eberhart, a three from junior Emma Gilbert, and a layup from Ava Collins. The run was halted by a layup from freshman Elaina Dennison. After one period, Marysville held a commanding 21-7 lead. 

The Monarchs turned up the defensive pressure in the second quarter, holding Bradley to just two points in the frame. Allison Price kicked things off yet again for Marysville and Dudley responded yet again, accounting for the Jags’ only basket. Abbey Price scored back to back baskets and Eberhart scored five straight points, expanding the lead to 24. Marysville ended the quarter with a three from Tweed off of another Eberhart assist. With one half to play, the Monarchs were up 36 to 9. 

Marysville’s defensive aggressiveness continued to be a problem for Bradley in the third, forcing numerous turnovers and limiting offensive production to just four points. Abbey Price dominated early contributing five straight points followed by a steal and score layup from Eberhart. Freshman Sophia Lopez finally got the Jags on the board with 3:45 left to play in the quarter. With one quarter left in the contest, Marysville led 48 to 13. In the fourth, Bradley outscored Marysville 5-2.

Abbey Price led Marysville with 14 points and was backed by Eberhart with 12. Allison Price and Tweed added seven each. 

1. Defensive Pressure: Marysville’s on-ball pressure was the biggest difference maker on Tuesday. Bradley struggled to get the ball past half court and it paid dividends for the Monarchs.  This key should be no surprise to local teams. The cornerstones of Marysville’s program has been tough defense and hard work for the last several seasons.

2. Turnovers: The Monarchs limited turnovers on offense and forced a plethora on defense. Turnovers led to easy baskets on offense, especially in the first half of the game. It is easy to win games when you come out on top of the plus minus game and Marysville did just that tonight. 

3. Transition Basketball: Marysville is best when they are running in transition and their defensive pressure enabled them to run on Tuesday. They scored both at the rim and from three in transition, making defense a challenge. They push the tempo early and often no matter who has the ball in their hands and it makes for a fun game to watch. 

4. JoJo Eberhart: The two-time reigning OCC Cardinal player of the year makes everyone around her better. She pushes the team in transition, sets up teammates for success and is a winner. She did a little bit of everything on Tuesday and nearly tallied a triple double. Every time we watch Eberhart, we are impressed. 

5. The Price is Right: Transfers Abbey and Allison Price are going to be stars at Marysville. Their style of play and energy is perfect for Coach Klarke Ransome’s system. Abbey is an efficient scorer and can play all five positions. Allison is nearly ambidextrous, shifty with the ball and long. They are major keys to success for the Monarchs this year. 

MVP: JoJo Eberhart (2024 / Marysville / Guard)

Top Scorer: Abbey Price (2024 / Marysville / Guard) - 14

Hustle Player: Eberhart