Wellington Overcomes Early Struggles, Dominate Madison Christian in District Semifinals

Upper Arlington — “It feels like we just made history,” said Wellington sophomore Natalie Moore after the Lady Jaguars’ 42-26 win over Madison Christian in the Division VII Central District semifinals on Tuesday in Upper Arlington, securing a spot in the district championship in Ohio’s first year under the new seven-division format.

To Moore, the achievement held deep meaning. “Ever since Coach Johnson came into the program, we have all dedicated so much blood, sweat, and tears into it,” she said. “So, to achieve this feels so great.”

After a scoreless three minutes to start, a three-pointer by Jeanie DeSantis opened the scoring for Wellington, giving them a 3-0 lead. However, the Lady Jaguars went scoreless for the rest of the first quarter, plagued by turnovers and struggling on the boards, allowing Madison Christian to take an 8-3 lead after the first quarter.

Despite these struggles, Wellington remained confident that their defense would eventually spark their offense, and it did just that. The Lady Jaguars turned defense into offense, fueling a game-changing 20-2 run in the second quarter to take a 23-10 lead into halftime.

DeSantis emphasized that Wellington’s defense is the foundation of their success. “Our defense is the key. We focus so much in practice on our press and breaking it down,” she explained.

That defense would ultimately force 22 turnovers on the night, compensating for a 27-18 deficit on the boards and holding Madison Christian to just five field goals throughout the game. In contrast, DeSantis and Moore each managed to score at least five field goals offensively to lead Wellington.

Foul trouble allowed the Eagles to stay within 20 points, as they capitalized on 16 free throws from Wellington’s foul issues. However, the Lady Jaguars proved to be superior in the key areas that mattered most, in their defensive effort and offensive execution.

With the win, Wellington advances to the district championship game against Delaware Christian on Friday at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus. DeSantis reflected on winning their final home game of the season, saying, “It feels great. We had great energy, and we really liked it.”

As for the match on Friday, Moore has a simple mindset for victory: “Stay focused and put in the hard work. That’s it.” The Lady Jaguars will face Delaware Christian at 8:30 PM on Friday.