Members of the 740 Thunder girls basketball team pose with the trophy after winning the Run 4 the Roses Tournament earlier this month in Louisville, Ky. The Thunder won six games en route to claiming to the trophy. Courtesy photos

Coming out on top in their division was the 740 Thunder, a team made up of players from the Mid-Ohio Valley. The Thunder, coached by mother-daughter tandem Cathy and Brooke Borich, won six games to earn the tournament championship in their 32-team division.

“The kids were pretty excited to come away with a win,” said Cathy Borich. “There were a lot of very, very good teams.”

They opened pool play with a 58-53 win over New Jersey Freedom. Their second game was a 49-44 victory against Wisconsin Impact Nikolic. In round three, they took down the Vikes by a score of 59-41. That win put the Thunder in the Platinum Bracket. They defeated DC Premiere 52-46 to advance to the semifinals, where they bested Hoopers NY 57-50.

The championship game pitted the Thunder against Always 100 Wright, with the Mid-Ohio Valley girls coming out on top by a score of 40-35.

The team was made up of nine players — Kelly Jackson and Alexis Frazee of Warren; Sydney Reynolds and Jennifer Parker of Eastern; Riley Medley of Marietta; Mackenzie Suprano of Waterford; Kaitlen Bush of Belpre; Deborah Hardbaugh of Parkersburg Catholic; and Carrie Rhodes of Parkersburg South.

The tournament provides valuable exposure for high school girls basketball players, as more than 600 college coaches registered and signed in to attend the tournament. Run 4 the Roses was played inside the Kentucky Expo Center, which contains more than 70 courts under one roof. The tournament returned to Louisville this summer after taking place in Indianapolis in 2020 due to COVID-19.

“They represented the Mid-Ohio Valley extremely well,” Borich said. “Everybody on the team is a team player. They pass the ball extremely well. When they need to make that extra pass, they’ll do it.

“We had some very close games, and I was impressed with how they never lost their composure. If a team made a run, we hung in and fought back. The mental toughness is impressive.

“What they accomplished is an amazing feat. Lots of teams hope to have it happen, but very few get that experience. It says a lot about the girls and their determination.”

The Thunder wrap up their 2021 season this weekend in a tournament at Capital University in Columbus.

Jordan Holland can be reached at jholland@mariettatimes.com.