Being stationed at opposite ends of the hallway leading to The Pit at Oakwood High School seemed appropriate for the Madison and Stebbins girls basketball teams Friday night.

After all, the programs are on opposite ends of the spectrum heading into the season. Madison, coming off a 23-2 season, returns its top eight players and is looking to make the next step. Stebbins, 4-17 last year, is just trying to take a step in the right direction.

“We are trying to set the mindset from the beginning,” Stebbins coach Ron Coleman said after his Indians fell 51-31 to Madison in the opening game of the 34th Oakwood Girls Basketball Invitational.

“They have resisted coaching for three years and we are still fighting the fact that they know more (than the coaches). We are trying to get rid of old habits and it takes time; we are making strides and we are getting there with the proper discipline and decorum.”

For Madison coach Jon Rossi, the game helped point out what the Mohawks need to work on. Madison shot 19-of-65 from the floor, including 1-of-12 from 3-point range.

“What we have to do to take the next step is defend better, make the easy baskets and not let the teams we are playing get into their offense so easily,” Rossi said. “We loaded up our preseason with Division I teams and we need to take what they did to us and parlay it into our game.”

Madison jumped to a 17-6 lead after the first quarter behind seven points from Kaylee Bush, but Stebbins played the Mohawks even in the second quarter before cutting the lead 25-17 to begin the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Briana Williams.

Olivia Philpot began and ended a 15-0 Madison run to push the lead to 40-17 with just over a minute left in the third quarter and built the lead to 30 before the Indians closed with a 6-0 run.

“It wasn’t our best game, but it is a good way to start the season, I think,” Philpot said after leading the Mohawks with 14 points, four rebounds, four steals and two blocks. “We needed to play Madison basketball. Our defense spurs our offense and coach is a big fan of pressure defense.”

Madison forced 32 Stebbins turnovers. Meghan had seven of the Indians’ 19 steals.

Oakwood 58, Mariemont 47: It was not as easy for the hosts to move into their ninth consecutive title game in the nightcap, but they held off Mariemont.

Mariemont took a 25-24 lead less than a minute into the third quarter before Oakwood senior Elizabeth Haley took over.

Haley converted a three-point play to give Oakwood the lead back, 27-25, and scored 13 points during an 18-3 run to close the quarter with the hosts up 42-28.

The 6-foor-1 Haley finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds, five steals, three blocks and an assist. Anne Whalen added 14 for Oakwood.