MONROE — Ross High School girls basketball coach Ben Buehner has done it a handful of times this season. He’s neglected calling a timeout to see how his Rams would respond.
Buehner did it again Wednesday night, and they answered.
Lanie Lipps scored a game-high 14 points, Carmen Bosse had 13 and Ross wore down host Monroe in the second half to secure a 41-21 Southwestern Buckeye League Southwestern Division victory.
The Rams (11-4, 4-1 SWBL), winners of four straight, have a six-game winning streak against the Hornets (5-9, 2-4 SWBL).
“We go through these times where there’s not much more we can do unless you help yourselves,” Buehner said. “There’s been moments in the past where they don’t figure it out, and they figured it out today.”
Things didn’t take shape for the Rams until after the halftime break. Buehner held off on using a timeout as the second-quarter clock was winding down with Monroe clinging to a 14-12 lead.
Lipps pulled up and drained a 3-pointer right before the buzzer sounded to send Ross into the second half with a 15-14 advantage.
“I didn’t call a timeout there,” Buehner said before mirroring his halftime speech. “‘I’m not going to save you guys. You guys have got to figure this out and play like the veterans that you are and do what you’re supposed to do.’
“I told them, ‘We’re in a ballgame right now, and you guys have to figure this out. You guys are putting yourselves in this position. Monroe is playing well, and they are playing hard. You guys are giving them more opportunities than there should be. You guys have to figure it out.’”
Ross outscored Monroe 26-7 in the final two quarters — including a 16-2 fourth period burst.
“In the past, I felt like he would have called those timeouts because we may not have come back and played as hard or as good,” Lipps said. “When we came out after the half, we just grinded it out. We just figured we had to play hard and do what we do.
“The physicalness of this game was a lot. We haven’t had that in a minute.”
And that was without the inside presence of Monroe leading scorer and rebounder Emma Adolph, who is out with a leg injury. Hornets coach Justin Clemmons said he doesn’t have a timeline on when the junior forward will return.
Monroe got five points apiece from Ryan Buskirk, Priscilla Martinez and Ellie Buskirk.
“I’m proud of them for battling,” Clemmons said. “I told them it sucks because we’ve been right there against some good teams.
“I think we play pretty well, which makes other teams hurt offensively,” Clemmons added. “But we’ve been right there against other teams. Then in the fourth, the wheels kind of fall off — the lead stretches to a 20-point game.
“I just got done telling them that I’ve got to find ways to put us in better positions in the second half and in the fourth quarter to help them. I do this. I like taking full responsibility when we lose. I’ve got to find better ways to get the ball in the basket. So, I’ve got to be better.”
Both teams get back to action on Saturday for 1:15 p.m. tips. Ross hosts Carlisle, while Monroe travels to Fairborn.
