Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes West Branch junior Sophie Gregory eyes the basket during the first half against Fitch earlier this season. Averaging 16.5 points per game, the YSU verbal commit has rebounded after missing a slew of games due to an injury.

It’s fair to deduce that West Branch isn’t used to having the label of an underdog.

As one of the most historic and successful girl’s basketball programs in the state of Ohio, the Warriors generally maintain high aspirations.

A slew of injuries and a slow start to this season left West Branch at 4-10 on January 14th. Now, with a record of 11-11, they’ve won seven out of their last eight contests heading into tournament play this Wednesday.

The pieces are coming together at the right time in Beloit.

“Even though we struggled, we learned we got some losses, and a lot of times you can learn from losses,” coach Walt DeShields said after a win over Austintown Fitch. “I think this team is playing their best basketball right now. Going into tournaments you want to continue to keep getting better and keep driving forward one game at a time, but you’re seeing the product of a lot of girls who got a lot better without Sophie (Gregory) on the floor.”

One of the major storylines was the loss of six-foot-two junior guard Sophie Gregory for eight games. The YSU verbal commit came back in the middle of the season after suffering a tweaked ankle. Gregory has been playing some of her best basketball as of late, averaging 16.5 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.6 assists a contest, while breaking her career-high in scoring the last two outings with 28 and 31 points respectively.

It took a few games to find herself back in the flow of things once she returned in early January against Minerva, but Gregory didn’t let the time off the floor discourage her.

“It was really tough sitting out recovering, I just kinda got back into the work of things and we started playing together how we would in the summer,” said Gregory. “I think we’re just molding together now. I stayed focused at practice, I stayed involved with all the teammates, kept everyone close as friends on and off the floor, and kept working on skills.”

“It was a little hard, especially for my teammates, they were getting used to playing without me and then when I came back it was a little different for them. I kinda felt bad, but I was trying to get used to things, and they were trying to get used to things, but we got the hang of it.”

Junior guard Chloe Dennison helped fill some of the void that Gregory’s absence created while averaging 6.5 points per game. She found herself able to move around to the wing or the point with the Warriors at full strength. Senior Hannah Egli has contributed with 8 points a game and 2.7 rebounds and six-foot-one junior Livvie Showalter has added 8 points a contest with 7.5 rebounds.

As one of the upperclassmen, Showalter saw a team that wasn’t phased by a slow start to the season.

“Having everybody back, it’s like the team is finally whole and we’re finally gelling again, and it’s good,” said Showalter. “I kinda just tried to be a leader especially for the underclassmen just by setting examples off and on the court, just working hard. I know all of the other upperclassmen are doing the same thing. I think we know there are so many younger girls not in high school, but middle school to looking up to us, so we just try to be leaders off and on the court to show what we are as a West Branch team.”

Gregory adds “I think being the underdog is definitely going to help us get a name again. I can’t even remember the last time we’ve been the underdog, it’s been a while. We’ve all had winning seasons for years and years.”

West Branch’s last non-winning season was 2015-2016.

“I think I like being the underdog. It’s a different take on things,” said Gregory.

The Warriors kick off their postseason this Wednesday at home as the 11th-seed versus Ravenna in the Division II Northeast 1 bracket.