The McKinley and Jackson standouts are both closing in on the mark held by former Pup Ameryst Alston.
On Jan. 24, with America’s most famous athlete watching from the bleachers and a bevy of Division I coaches taking notes from the stands, Stark County’s two best basketball players — Jackson senior Taylor Mikesell and McKinley’s Kierstan Bell — faced off like it was Magic vs. Bird. Like Beyonce vs. Rihanna. Like Pepsi vs. Coke.
McKinley won. So did everyone else.
Bell finished with 38 points and Mikesell had 30 as the two Stark County standouts put on a better show than anything you’ll find on Netflix.
“Arguably the two best basketball players in the state of Ohio are living five miles apart from each other,” Jackson coach Anthony Butch said. “Night in and night out, the performances they’re putting together, it’s probably something this area has never seen before.”
Probably never again, either.
Entering Saturday's action, Mikesell and Bell were both in striking distance of Stark County’s all-time girls scoring record of 2,032, set by McKinley’s Ameryst Alston (2,032). Mikesell had 1,989 through 20 games this season, which is second all-time in Stark County. Bell had 1,891 through 19 games, putting her fifth all-time. Both teams are scheduled to play 22 regular season games.
“I think it’s pretty amazing what they’re doing,” said Perry coach Beth Sternberg, who ranked second in Stark County history in scoring (1,609 points) when she graduated from East Canton in 2002 and is now 10th. “I don’t know if people think they just hop on the floor and score 40, but I know they both put in a tremendous amount of time in the offseason. Fortunately, they were blessed with god-given talent, but basketball is their life.
“When you’re preparing for them, that’s who you’re focusing on. The fact that they’re still able to score 30-plus points a game is pretty phenomenal. You just focus your defense on them and hope they have a bad shooting night.”
If not, you can call for a timeout or a priest. Mikesell (the top-ranked senior in Ohio according to ESPN) has scored at least 30 points in eight games this year, including a school-record 50 against Padua. She had 40 points in a 59-55 overtime win at McKinley in December, snapping Jackson’s 20-game losing streak in the series, and scored the Polar Bears’ final 33 points in a 58-53 overtime win over Hoover.
“I’m just trying to do what needs to be done to help us win that night,” said Mikesell, a Maryland recruit who is averaging 29.2 points per game — the only Polar Bear in double figures. “If my role is scoring … that’s what I’m going to do. You just go by the flow of the game. I don’t have to score 40 every night. As long as we win, I’m fine with it.”
Problem is, if she doesn’t score at least 24, they lose. Mikesell’s three lowest scoring totals this season are 18 (against GlenOak), 19 (Green) and 21 (Gilmour). Jackson lost all three.
“She knows what she needs to do for our team to have success and she knows her role is to score on this team,” Butch said. “But she’s always trying to get everyone else involved. Sometimes she over-passes and we have to tell her to be more assertive and score.”
That same is true of Bell, the top-ranked junior in Ohio who tied a season-low with 23 points in the loss to Jackson (facing double- and triple-teams). She averages an area-best 33.0 points per game.
“Yeah, sometimes coach will yell ‘stop deferring!’” Bell said of assistant coach Willie Davis. “But I never go in there trying to score a certain amount of points. I just go in there every game and do what they ask of me.”
Although Stark County has seen its share of talented girls basketball players — nearly 86 players have reached the 1,000-point milestone — it has never seen this type of intraconference rivalry from two players with this type of talent. (Probably the closest comparison is Hoover’s Brittany Orban facing off against McKinley’s Porsche Poole in the mid- to late-2000s.)
Still, they’re different players. Although she’s athletic enough to score off the dribble or in transition, Mikesell’s biggest strength is her shooting. She leads the area in free throw percentage (91 percent) and is second in 3-point percentage at 41 percent (81 of 197).
Bell has good shooting form — although she sometimes rushes her outside shot — but is deadliest near the basket, where her long arms and jumping ability make her a matchup nightmare.
And if she gets going in the open floor? Forget it.
“She’s incredibly tough to prepare for,” Butch said of Bell. “She’s a 6-2 point guard who can play in the post. She’s a special talent.”
Both are also terrific passers and both can handle the ball, but there’s a difference in their size and speed. Mikesell is 5-foot-9 with good athleticism, but if you watch her in warmups, she won’t jump out. Bell, meanwhile, is 6-2 and moves likes she’s been bit by a radioactive spider.
That athleticism is what separates Bell from every other player in Stark County history, GlenOak coach Paul Wackerly said.
“She’s outside of Ameryst Alston’s league,” Wackerly said of Bell. “Ameryst was good, but she was only like 5-7, 5-8. Bell is 6-2 and I’m telling you, that girl is good. I love watching her. I’ll watch my game tapes and I’ll be thinking, ‘That’s nice’ and she’s doing it against me.
“You’re not going to have just one girl chase her around and shut her down. You better get ready.”
Barring injury, Bell will easily finish her career as Stark County’s all-time leading scorer, boys or girls. (Jackson’s Jami Bosley is No. 1 overall with 2,077 points.) She could also finish in the top five on Ohio’s girls scoring list (Katie Smith is fifth with 2,740 points), although Marlene Stollings’ state record of 3,514 is out of reach.
“Scoring 2,000 points is remarkable and I think the pace that Kierstan is on as a junior is indescribable, but both players (Mikesell and Bell) — regardless of how many points they score — have a championship on their mind,” McKinley coach Pam Davis said. “Kierstan may outscore Ameryst, but Ameryst has a state title under her belt, so she’s one up on her.”
And don’t think Bell doesn’t know it.
“That is one of my goals, to have that (county) scoring record, but my main goal is to win a state championship,” Bell said. “That’s what I’m focusing on.”
Reach Joe at 330-580-8573 or
joe.scalzo@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @jscalzoREP