Oneida suffers double-digit loss to Loretto for second straight year in state tournament

Aaron Torres
Knoxville News Sentinel

MURFREESBORO — It felt similar to last year for Oneida coach Marv West, from the bad shooting to the big deficit, all of it culminating in a 58-33 loss to Loretto in the Class A girls basketball quarterfinals Thursday. 

For the second straight year, Oneida couldn't get past Loretto, whether it was  hot shooting from the field, length at every position, defense or anything else in between. 

Last year, Oneida lost to Loretto by 19 points in the quarterfinals, shooting 24.5 from the field. On Thursday, the Lady Indians shot 32.5 percent from the field. Loretto (30-3) shot 50 percent from the field. 

West watched last year's quarterfinal game earlier this week so he could see what worked and didn't work. 

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"We ran some sets tonight that got great looks, (and) we made some, missed some," West said. "They're a very aggressive defense and they try to push you out way beyond the 3-point line, which they did." 

The Lady Indians shot 2-of-17 from 3-point range, and 5-of-11 from the free throw line. Oneida (29-7) never led. 

Oneida's Kelsey Pike (4) attempt to score while guarded by Loretto's Victoria Chadwell (10) in the Division 1 Class A girls' basketball quarterfinals on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

"I felt like they were better this year than they were last year," said senior guard Kendyl West, who is West's daughter and finished with a season-low three points. 

Oneida cut a nine-point deficit to 23-17 with five minutes left in the second quarter. Loretto then went on a 12-2 run as the Lady Indians missed their next five shots and two free throws, resulting in 35-19 lead. Loretto's lead stayed at double-digits the entire second half. 

"When they expand the game like that," West said, "it's hard to come back against that." 

Kendyl West sat at the end of the bench during the final two minutes, when the outcome had been decided, with her face buried in a towel. She called those final minutes "depressing." 

It felt like a repeat of last season. The kind of repeat she didn't want.