Commentary: Even in state semifinal loss, Wadsworth girls show their toughness

Lauren Decker had a knot on her head and a sore jaw, which were unwanted accessories to the black eye and facial cut she received in the regional semifinals. Natalie Maddox was on her way to doubling Decker, with two black eyes forming from a vicious elbow that caused blood to pour out of both nostrils like a faucet. There was no doubting the toughness of the Wadsworth girls basketball team all season, but it was especially evident Thursday in the state semifinals at the University of Dayton Arena. The unbridled passion that the Grizzlies demonstrated, both for the sport and each other, will be the lasting images from their 53-43 loss to more physically mature Cincinnati Princeton. "I didn't expect anything less than a physical game, honestly," Decker said. "Both teams were fighting for a spot to play for a (championship) ring. We all had each other's backs and were willing to do what we had to in order to win." Senior small forward Decker wrapped up her basketball career with another gutsy performance, collecting 17 points, six rebounds and five steals in a game-high 29 minutes. She also drew five fouls, acquiring the scalp knot in the first period and the jaw pain in the second. The Robert Morris volleyball signee was no wallflower, either, body-blocking Kiara Harris and Kamryn Lowe of the Vikings in the open court as time wound down in the fourth. They weren't dirty plays, just reciprocal messages for what Wadsworth endured all evening. "We do not stack up with them physically," Grizzlies coach Andrew Booth said, choosing his words carefully. "Their intent was to go inside, which was a pretty smart move on their part." What transpired inside resembled hand-to-hand contact at times, but it must be noted that the Vikings' game-changing onslaught in the third quarter was all skill. Every point in their 19-0 run was scored in the paint or from the foul line. Coach Dee Davis admitted that Princeton couldn't match Wadsworth's speed or precise footwork, so it had to clog the frontcourt with as many long arms to create deflections and turnovers. "They were doing a lot of cutting and front-cutting, so we wanted to make it hard for them to see those passes," Davis said. "We had a sense of urgency. That's what tournament time is all about." What happened to Maddox, however, went beyond fair play. The vastly undersized power forward was hammered on the nose by an elbow from Simone Smith under the Grizzlies' basket, crashing onto to the hardwood while teammate Marah Minor rushed to her aid. A startling amount of blood immediately cascaded down her face, forcing Maddox to be hurried off the court for medical attention. Multiple rounds of gauze were stuffed in both sides of her nose before the flow was lessened on the bench. "I fell on my back and Marah was holding my neck, telling me not to look down, so I knew it was bad," Maddox said, breaking into a slight smile. "The trainer had to shove gauze really high up there. It took a while to get the bleeding under control. "But I wanted to play with my teammates, so it was an easy decision to go back in." The intentional foul occurred early in the fourth, but the determined sophomore only missed 29 seconds — there was a lengthy delay while the court was sanitized and officials discussed the play — before re-entering with both nostrils plugged up. "I had no doubt she'd be back because Nat's a fighter," Decker said confidently. Twin sister and shooting guard Julia Maddox was certain Natalie would attempt to come back, as well, but the scene left her shaken. "It's certainly hard to watch somebody you love get hurt," she said. "But she's strong." Blood was still trickling out of the inside of Natalie Maddox's upper lip as she walked up the arena steps. She said her entire face "hurts a lot," but took great pride in her resilience and the game-high 10 rebounds she hauled down. Decker was considerably more emotional, knowing one chapter of her athletic life had ended. She was the marquee player on Wadsworth's volleyball team when it reached its first state tournament in 2024 and the star of the Grizzlies' latest state basketball qualifier. "I'm really grateful I got to experience it all," Decker said. "I know there aren't many people who have the opportunity to be here with their friends. To do it twice was more than I could have dreamed of." Contact Brian Dulik at sports@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @BrianDulik on X.