PICTURED IS the 2021-22 Monroe Central girls basketball team. Front row, from left, are Grace Swisher, Karlie Haslam, Kirra Boyd, Kensington Hiles, Lanie Largent and Kaleigha Harriman. Second row, from left, are Jaysa Henthorn, Hailie Hoyt, Haylyn Hiles, Kalista Friday, Trista Morris and Riley Bettinger. Back row, from left, are assistant coach Doug Yoho, Olivia Valkovic, Abby Thompson, head coach Troy Baker, Kinzy Bishop, Crystal Powell and assistant coach Trevor Friday.

WOODSFIELD – Good teams learn something from every loss.

For Monroe Central, the setback that came on Feb. 5 to Steubenville Catholic Central in the OVAC Class 2A championship game must have felt like a post-graduate college class because the lessons were plentiful.

The Seminoles dropped a 47-37 decision to the Crusaders that afternoon at Harrison Central, but since then, Coach Troy Baker’s squad has reeled off five consecutive victories, including last Saturday’s 41-37 victory against Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans to reach the ‘Sweet 16’ for the first time since 2009.

“As disappointing as the OVAC (championship) game was, it put us back at the bottom of the hill, making us realize that we can be beaten,” Baker said. “It was a reality check for both the players and coaches. You can say all you want about avoiding that, but until it happens, no one is really listening or it’s not sinking in.”

Clearly the message has been absorbed at this point.

Throughout the tournament, the Seminoles have won their four games by an average of more than 20 points a game. However, last Saturday’s win was one where Baker and his players truly had to utilize what they learned from the OVAC title game and prior tournament experience.

“This group has been through some gut-check games in their careers,” Baker explained. “As freshmen, they lost to Beallsville, then they lost to Fort Frye in the district final and last year, we got knocked out early by Caldwell, so this group has had some feel-bad moments. Those probably only made us better and stronger.”

They turned into a feel-good moment, but now the Seminoles are back to work, preparing for Thursday’s Division IV regional semifinal against a 21-4 Glouster-Trimble outfit. That game is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Pickerington North High School.

“Trimble is a very solid team with a really nice inside and outside game,” Baker explained. “They have four players who can handle the ball and they look to push it. We’ll need everyone to contribute and do their part.”

Trimble’s time between regional appearances is three years longer than Monroe’s. The Tomcats cut down the district net for the first time since 2006 after they defeated South Webster. Trimble had been in the district final each of the last two seasons only to come up short to Peebles. On top of getting over the district hump, Trimble had lost to South Webster, 58-56, during the regular season.

Scoring the ball has been of little issue for Trimble. The starting lineup it will put on the floor on Thursday has three players – Briana Orsborne, Emily Young and Jayne Six – who have scored 1,000-plus points in their careers.

“Those numbers don’t surprise me because all three have been key contributors for them since they were freshmen,” Baker said. “They’re a very sound team. We are going to have to play well.”

Orsborne leads the way for the Tomcats with 15 points a game. She also pulls down eight rebounds, recorded three steals and blocks three shots a game.

Six is a double-double machine with her 6-2 frame. She scores 13 points and yanks down 10 rebounds a game. Plus, she swats three shots a night.

In the backcourt, Young serves as the shooting guard. She’s netting 13 points and handing out five assists per contest.

Running the show for the Tomcats is point guard Laikyn Imler. She stuffs the stat sheet to a tune of nine points, seven rebounds, three steals and five assists a game.

“I think transition defense is going to be huge for us, but we also have to keep them off the offensive glass,” Baker said. “They have so many weapons and girls who can push the ball and then once they get it into the halfcourt, they can score from all five spots. We have to get back (defensively) and be matched up or we’ll be in trouble.”

On the other side, Trimble will need to find a way to handle All-Ohio point guard Kalista Friday. The 5-2 senior has done basically everything except sell tickets for Athletics Director John Ischy this winter.

Friday became the all-time leading female scorer in Monroe Central history in mid January and is currently averaging 17.6 points a game and has 1,550 points. However, the owner of three triple-doubles does a lot more than just score. She averages 6.9 assists, 6.4 steals and 5.3 rebounds a game.

“Kalista means so much to our success,” Baker said. “It’s like having a coach on the floor and thank God she never gets tired because we don’t take her out and she gives everything she has on every possession.”

Though Friday is the only Seminole averaging double figures, they have no player in their top six who averages below five points a game.

Seniors Haylnn Hiles, who has hit 43 bonus goals, is second on the team in scoring at 9.9 points a game. Classmate Trista Morris is third at 9.7 points a game.

Kynzi Bishop is scoring at an 8.8 points a game clip and leads the team with 5.6 rebounds a contest. Abby Thompson checks in at 6.3 points and five rebounds a game.

Riley Bettinger averages five points a game as the sixth person.

The survivor of Thursday’s game will return to Pick North on Saturday night to play for a berth in the Division IV state semifinals. The other half of the regional bracket finds Waterford taking on Berne Union.