It may have taken double overtime to finish the job, but the Rootstown Rovers ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Aquinas and snuck past 58-55. Given Rootstown's advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 97th, while Aquinas is ranked 560th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Nadia Lough was her usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 17 points and 21 rebounds. She has been hot recently, having posted ten or more rebounds the last nine times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Brooklynn McIntyre, who scored eight points along with nine steals and seven rebounds.
Despite the defeat, Aquinas had strong showings from K'Lynn Carter, who dropped a double-double on 25 points and 17 rebounds, and Janya Jeter, who scored 20 points along with five rebounds and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Jeter has scored all season.
The victory (which was Rootstown's third in a row) raised their record to 16-2. As for Aquinas, they have not been sharp recently as the team's lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-12 record this season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Rootstown will challenge Mogadore at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Rootstown is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 61 points per game this season. As for Aquinas, they will head out on the road to square off against Southeast at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
