High school basketball: Sarah McKee makes presence felt in Medina win over Highland

GRANGER TWP. — Sarah McKee is back and all is well with the Medina girls basketball team. McKee scored a game-high 19 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, had two assists and made a pair of steals in her season debut, powering the Bees to a 51-40 victory over Highland in a non-league matchup of Medina County powers Saturday. The Ashland University signee had been in quarantine for Medina's first two games — both losses — but was cleared in time to participate in one practice before playing against the Hornets. "It felt so good to be back out there with my teammates," a smiling McKee said. "Even though I was away, I took pride in doing stuff on my own in order to keep in shape. I knew I had to come back ready to fill the role that my coaches expect me to play this season. "To return against a strong team like Highland and have everyone contribute in a full-team win was all I could have asked for." The 6-foot-1 center — an All-Ohio honorable mention selection as a junior — didn't miss a beat, making all of the basketball plays and cerebral decisions that are her trademark. She went 6-of-14 from the field and 7-of-13 from the foul line with one blocked shot and one turnover. "Sarah is an amazing player," Hornets center Alayna Tessena said. "She made a lot of big plays on both ends, not just offensively. With her length and defensive presence, we couldn't make layups and a lot of our outside shots just didn't go in." Making McKee's return even more special, her closest friend delivered the dagger with 1:12 remaining. Senior shooting guard Aly Dwyer stole the ball at midcourt, then received the ball back from her to bury a 3-pointer that extended Medina's lead to 46-38. Dwyer finished with nine points, five rebounds, a team-high tying three assists and two steals while sharing the court with McKee for the first time in exactly one calendar year. "I had the utmost confidence that shot was going in from the moment Sarah looked my way," Dwyer said. "I was like, 'Thank you for giving me the ball,' as soon as it was coming to me. "We've been playing together for 10 years now, so everything just felt right today. Her return gives our team a big boost in confidence that will carry through the rest of the season." McKee enjoyed Dwyer's special moment as much as she did, noting how strong her three-sport teammate has looked in her comeback from a second reconstructive knee surgery. "That was really cool, really cool," she said. "Aly and I have been best friends ever since we started playing together in third grade and I knew she was going to make that shot." Hillsdale College signee Kendall McCormick scored 15 points and dished out a game-high four assists for Highland (3-2), which celebrated senior day. Sophomore Tessena led all players with 13 rebounds, while junior shooting guard Maddie Miller had six points and six boards. Hornets senior center Alexis Furyes had five points, four rebounds and three blocks, while sophomore small forward Delaney Lawson added five points and two steals. Highland's top three scorers combined to make 7-of-39 field goal attempts in their fourth game in eight days. Medina sophomores Mylie Roberts and Kate Bobey, and juniors Leora Owings and Hailey Tripp were defensive pests throughout the afternoon. "Starting the season 0-2 wasn't acceptable, and I credit our leaders for buckling down and driving home that point," Bees coach Karen Kase said. "Defense and rebounding are two things that I'm huge on emphasizing, and I saw tons of effort in those areas. "Our players knew they were better than they showed against Wadsworth and Norton, and it was time to play like it." Small forward Elizabeth Stuart had eight points and six rebounds, and fellow senior Shannon Wojciak grabbed seven boards for Medina. Bobey scored five points, Roberts had four points and four rebounds, Owings had four points and two steals, and Tripp had three assists. As a result of a district-wide COVID-19 precautions, the Bees will not play again until at least Dec. 19 against North Canton Hoover. "We take our second pause just as we get (McKee) back, which is why today and the way the entire team played was so important," Kase said. "It gives us something to feel good about and build on while we wait for our next game." Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com. Follow him @BrianDulik on Twitter. Medina 51, Highland 40 MEDINA &emsp;&emsp;15 13 11 12 — 51 HIGHLAND &emsp;&emsp;12 12 5 11 — 40 Medina — Elizabeth Stuart 3-0-8, Shannon Wojciak 0-0-0, Sarah McKee 6-7-19, Aly Dwyer 4-0-9, Hailey Tripp 0-0-0, Leora Owings 2-0-4, Regan Todia 1-0-2, Mylie Roberts 2-0-4, Kate Bobey 1-3-5, Kayla Joyner 0-0-0, Maddi Rath 0-0-0, Ella Silvis 0-0-0. TOTALS: 19-10-51. Highland — Taryn Kenny 1-1-3, Lindsey Frederick 2-0-4, Alexis Furyes 2-0-5, Brooke Stuart 0-0-0, Kendall McCormick 5-3-15, Alayna Tessena 1-0-2, Maddie Miller 1-3-6, Calee Angus 0-0-0, Delaney Lawson 2-0-5, Savannah Podolan 0-0-0. TOTALS: 14-7-40. 3-point goals — Stuart 2, Dwyer, McCormick 2, Furyes, Miller, Lawson. Rebounds — Medina 43 (McKee 11), Highland 31 (Tessena 13). Assists — Medina 14 (Dwyer, Tripp 3), Highland 7 (McCormick 4). Records — Medina (1-2), Highland (3-2). Junior varsity — Highland 33, Medina 23 (H: Jillian Miller 11, M: Jenna White 13).