Galena girls move on

A scorching defense held Wooster's Maggie Lazzari to only three points, and Galena High School's girls earned a 64-35 win in the opening round of the Northern 4A Zone basketball playoffs on Wednesday night.

The Grizzlies advanced to a semifinal matchup with Carson at 6:10 p.m. Friday, and they also earned a berth in next week's NIAA/U.S. Bank State Tournament.

Galena raced to a quick lead with an 18-4 first quarter, frustrating Lazzari, Wooster's top outside-scoring threat, into missed shots and eventual foul trouble.

"We started out just kind of intense, and everything was working on offense and defense," said Galena coach Karen Friel. "Maggie took their first six or seven shots and didn't get anything, so that helped. Then she got in foul trouble. We knew going in that stopping her would be the key."

Galena (26-4) gradually added to its lead and led 46-27 by the end of the third.

Joanna Hixon led the Grizzlies with 15 points, while Kellie Burton added 13. Jayleen Chen had nine points, including a 3-pointer.

Friel praised the play of her two top scorers.

"Joanna played great," she said. "She shot well and rebounded very well. Kellie had 13, and she always seems to get her points one way or the other."

Galena has already split two games with Carson, and Friday's matchup could be a battle of the North's top two teams, although Friel said it's too wide-open to tell.

"There's too many good teams to say that," she said. "We're going to have to find a way to stop Pam (Williams) and Alyson (Thurman). That will be the key Friday."