Girls basketball: Julia Maddox leads Wadsworth to win over Solon

While certainly not as talented as when it reached the Division I regional finals three years ago, the Solon girls basketball team still has a unique style that dares opponents to maintain a fast pace. Wadsworth didn't mind Wednesday. All-around athletes like Julia Maddox, Natalie Maddox and Lauren Decker can run all day. Julia Maddox was the unquestioned star during a brilliant start, as the Grizzlies roared to a big lead, nearly blew it and regrouped in the third quarter to blow out the Comets 68-50 in a sometimes break-neck, sometimes foul-filled Suburban League National Conference game. Off to its best start since winning the 2015-16 D-I state championship, Wadsworth (12-0, 7-0) maintained its one-game lead on Brecksville (9-1, 6-1), which stunned defending fellow tri-champion Twinsburg 50-48 on a buzzer-beating prayer of a 3-pointer by Caiya La. The Grizzlies are seeking their first league crown since the COVID-19 quagmire of 2020-21. "I thought our pace to start the game was really good," coach Andrew Booth said. "What we did was open up driving lanes early. When they tried to adjust, that opened up kick-out threes. We did a good job being fundamental, stepped in and knocked them down." Like her twin a spitfire wing who isn't afraid to play with physicality down low, Julia Maddox scored the first seven points of the game in a mere 76 seconds, which caused veteran Solon coach Trish Kruse to burn a timeout. The sophomore ended the first quarter with nine points as the Grizzlies roared to a 23-11 lead, and she ended the night with a career-high 20. Decker was consistent, showing off her 3-point range early before getting to the rim in the second half. The Robert Morris volleyball recruit posted 18 points, nine rebounds and three steals, while Natalie Maddox starred over the final three quarters en route to 10 points, 10 rebounds and two assists. Wadsworth made a season-high nine 3-pointers in 20 attempts, including 3-for-6 efforts in each of the first three quarters. Julia Maddox's lone trifecta was the first. "We've got a lot of kids who like to play fast, but she's right up there at the top," Booth said. "I know it's cliché, but her energy is contagious. Just the pace she plays with, the energy she brings offensively and defensively, she certainly came ready to play tonight. "This (Solon) team is dangerous, especially on its home court, so it was important to get off to a good start. She set the tone right off the bat." Using a 2-2-1 press that transitioned into a half-court trap, Solon made a furious 14-2 run in the second quarter to cut to 31-25. Decker made a momentum-halting 3-pointer, however, as Wadsworth went into the break up 34-25 and slammed the door with a rim-attacking 23-10 third quarter. The Comets, who play position-less basketball and shoot without fear, got 13 points and three assists from Kaylie Gaiter and 12 points from veteran Marissa Blackford. They interestingly made 7-of-11 3-pointers and 13-of-23 free throws, but porous defense early and even more horrific rebounding — Wadsworth won that battle 34-19 — were too much to overcome. "The challenge is they force you to play basketball," Booth said. "You can't run many sets. I don't think we ran any sets. You've got to let your instincts take over. You can't just play A-B-C, which I think we've gotten so much better at with this group. They don't ever let you feel comfortable. "This isn't on the girls because of the way we're playing our five-out offense, but we had to make a couple adjustments at halftime. We needed to play downhill toward the rim. We were settling a bit in the second quarter shooting threes. We hit three, but I think we only took (three) twos in the second quarter. We would rather play a little more inside-out than that. We also turned them over and we got layups, so that was big." Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com. Wadsworth 68, Solon 50 WADSWORTH &emsp;&emsp;23 11 23 11 — 68 SOLON &emsp;&emsp;11 14 10 15 — 50 Wadsworth — Lauren Dekcer 7-1-18, Natalie Maddox 3-3-10, Marah Minor 2-0-6, Julia Maddox 7-5-20, Natalie Moser 2-0-4, Analise Lucey 2-0-6, Leah Blake 2-0-4, LydiGray Tetzel 0-0-0. TOTALS: 25-9-68. Solon — Jamiyah Sullins-Burke 1-3-5, Madeline Kormuth 3-1-7, Marissa Blackford 4-1-12, Atayla Steiner-Phillips 1-2-5, Kaylie Gaiter 3-6-13, Jacey Simms 1-0-3, August Maddox 2-0-5, Grace Gerhard 0-0-0, Josetta Mauceri 0-0-0, Sanaa Stallworth-Reese 0-0-0. TOTALS: 15-13-50. 3-point goals — Decker 3, Minor 2, Lucey 2, N. Maddox, J. Maddox, Blackford 3, Steiner-Phillips, Gaiter, Simms, A. Maddox. Rebounds — Wadsworth 34 (N. Maddox 10), Solon 19 (Sullins-Burke, Steiner-Phillips 4). Assists — Wadsworth 12 (Moser 4), Solon 9 (Gaiter 3). Wadsworth (12-0, 7-0), Solon (6-6, 3-4). Junior varsity — Wadsworth 38, Solon 8 (3 quarters).