Southern’s Allyssa Shroades shoots over the Caldwell defense during her 27-point effort in Saturday’s OVAC Class 2A victory. (Special to the Journal/JT Higgins)

Southern 49, Caldwell 40

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Southern Local girls basketball team is making history.

The top-seeded Indians won their first Ohio Valley Athletic Conference championship by topping second-seeded Caldwell, 49-40, in a Class A final Saturday at the ECO Center.

Southern improved to 21-0, tying the school record for wins in a season.

Allyssa Shrodes led the charge with 27 points, shooting 6-of-12 from three-point range. Katie Kellogg totaled 11 points, seven rebounds, seven steals and five assists.

The Indians scored the first 13 points of the game before the Redskins tied the score at 22-22 late in the second quarter. A Shroades basket gave Southern a 24-22 halftime lead and the Indians stayed ahead the rest of the way.

Southern will wrap up the regular season on Wednesday with a home game against Columbiana on Wednesday. Southern has already clinched a share of the Eastern Ohio Athletic Conference title and the Clippers need to win to gain a share.

It will be a varsity-only contest beginning at 7 p.m.

Caldwell drops to 10-9.

In the other OVAC finals Saturday, Cameron beat Frontier 39-31 in Class 1A, Shenandoah beat Monroe Central 60-52 in Class 2A, Indian Creek beat Oak Glen 45-38 in Class 4A and Steubenville beat John Marshall 64-48 in Class 5A.

Minerva 52, Beaver Local 31

MINERVA — Six-foot-one junior Rachel Benedict scored 15 points in leading Minerva past Beaver Local, 52-31, in girls basketball action Saturday.

Ivey Rettig added 13 points and Peyton Beaumariage 10.

The Lions won for the second time in 10 games to improve to 4-16. The Beavers drop to 8-13.

Ally Wright scored 15 points to lead the Beavers.

There was no junior varsity game.

Minerva will play at Fairless today, while Beaver Local hosts Salem on Wednesday.

M: 13 -15-14-10–52

BL: 10- 5- 4-12–31

MINERVA SCORING: Ireland Kirkpatrick 2 2-4 7, Willa Shick 2 0-2 5, Ivey Rettig 5 3-5 13, Peyton Beaumariage 3 4-8 10, Rachel Benedict 7 1-2 15, Lillie Stoltzfus 1 0-0 2. TEAM TOTALS: 20, 10-21: 52.

BEAVER LOCAL SCORING: Gianna Congrove 1 0-0 2, Macie Bourne 2 2-2 6, Bella McLevey 1 2-4 5, Mallory Miller 0 0-2 0, Madi Gaydos 1 1-1 3, Ally Wright 6 1-2 15. TEAM TOTALS: 11, 6-11: 31.

Three-point goals: Beaver Local Wright 2, McLevey), Minerva 2 (Kirkpatrick, Shick).

Fouls: Minerva 16, Beaver 18.

Crestview 68, Fitch 40

AUSTINTOWN — The Crestview girls matched a season high with 10 three-pointers and were 20-of-24 from the foul line in a 68-40 win over Austintown Fitch on Saturday.

The Rebels improve to 19-1 and will travel to LaBrae today to decide the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Gray Tier title. The Rebels have already clinched a share of their fourth straight title, but LaBrae can get a share with a win.

LaBrae (18-2) has won nine in a row since losing to Crestview (62-22) and Lakeview (47-45) in back-to-back games.

Addison Rhodes scored a game-high 30 points, including 11-of-11 from the foul line, for the Rebels to go along with 10 rebounds.

Rhodes scored 14 points in the second quarter as Crestview took a 35-16 halftime lead.

Kerrigan Miller contributed 11 points and six rebounds and Karli Perry had 10 points, five rebounds and five assists. Ava Bucey added eight points and six rebounds and Katie MacKay had seven rebounds and three steals.

There was no junior varsity game.

Fitch (8-13) will play at Warren Harding on Feb. 18.

C: 16-19-13-20–68

F: 11- 5-10-14–40

CRESTVIEW SCORING: Karli Perry 2-4-10, Ava Bucey 3-1-8, Addison Rhodes 8-11-30, Piper Harvey 0-0-0, Kerrigan Miller 4-0-11, Katie MacKay 0-1-1, Makenna Ray 0-0-0, Brianna Baker 2-3-8, Lilli Neese 0-0-0. TEAM TOTALS: 19, 20-24: 68.

FITCH SCORING: Amiya Harris 3-0-6, Amira Harris 2-1-5, Kaliana Ray 2-1-5, Kylie Fokwein 2-8-12, Kaelyn Bower 3-0-6, Jeweliana Farmer 3-0-6. TEAM TOTALS: 15, 10-15: 40.

Three-point goals: Crestview 10 (Thodes 3, Miller 3, Perry 2, Bucey, Baker), Fitch 0.

Indian Creek 45, Oak Glen 38

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Saturday inside Ohio University Eastern’s ECO Center was the third championship in four years involving the Oak Glen Golden Bears and Indian Creek Redskins. Thanks to a late scoring run, all three contests have gone to Indian Creek.

Indian Creek’s girls basketball team secured a fourth-straight OVAC Class 4A championship on Saturday, defeating rival Oak Glen 45-38 on the back of a clutch 11-1 scoring run to end the fourth quarter in a game where the Golden Bears had consistently clung onto a small lead before the pivotal final frame.

Kaydence Walker poured in 18 points and was the John Howell Memorial Most Valuable Player of the game.

Riley Sadler added 10 points and teammates Gracie Klinesmith and Gabby Taylor each scored seven.

Ella Stewart finished with a team-high 10 points for the Golden Bears. Emma Everett scored seven.

The teams will be back at it today as Indian Creek (16-4) hosts Oak Glen (10-6).

——

BOYS

Williamstown 69,

Oak Glen 59

WILLIAMSTOWN, W.Va. — Williamstown used a 34-point third quarter as the Yellowjackets stung Oak Glen, 69-59, in boys basketball action Saturday.

The Yellowjackets trailed 25-20 at halftime before taking a 54-42 lead after three.

Williamstown won its fourth in a row to improve to 9-6. Oak Glen drops to 10-7 heading into Tuesday’s game at United.

OG: 16-9-17-17–59

W: 14-6-34-15–69