'Greatest group of kids I've ever had': Mariemont boys basketball hits end of road
The Mariemont Warriors saw their season end on Wednesday night, falling 68-43 to Versailles in the regional semifinals at James S. Trent Arena at Fairborn High School.
The Warriors kept up with the Tigers for the first eight minutes thanks to 5 points from Charlie Tully and 6 combined points from Sam and Socko Stalzer. Thanks to a staunch defense and an offense with a propensity to run the length of the court, the Tigers outscored the Warriors 54-29 in the final three quarters.
"They did what I think we were afraid of, just really beating us up and being physical," Mariemont head coach Dave Caldwell said.
How the Tigers won
Interior presence: The Tigers scored their first 6 points of the game in the paint, on their way to 20 close-range points in the first half and 44 in the game. On defense, Versailles held Mariemont to 15-of-49 shooting. The Warriors made just nine baskets inside the 3-point arc and had four air balls.
"I think they scored about 86 percent of their points in the paint or at the foul line. Our biggest goal was trying to prevent that, and sometimes we did, we just didn't get the rebound," Caldwell said.
Rebounding: Versailles outrebounded Mariemont 24 to six in the first half alone, grabbing nine offensive rebounds that led to 10 second-chance points. The final tally was 40 to 16 in favor of the Tigers.
"We tried all week to work on boxing out. Early in the game, (we) were letting them push us around a little bit and they just got some offensive rebounds that sometimes, we just can't overcome those," Caldwell said.
Scoring droughts: After a 14-14 tie at the end of the first quarter, Versailles turned up the defensive pressure. The Tigers held the Warriors without a bucket for a two-minute period and a four-minute period in the second. Mariemont scored just 5 points in the second quarter and was outscored 21-10 in the third quarter.
Impact players
Carson Heitcamp, Versailles: He was one of two Tigers to finish with a double-double, compiling 21 points and 13 rebounds.
Charlie Tully, Mariemont: The senior led the Warriors with 14 points, three assists and two rebounds.
Jace Watren, Versailles: The junior guard had 19 points and gave the Tigers an outlet for an uncontested layup on multiple fast breaks.
Senior sendoff
The Warriors say goodbye to Daniel Bronson, Pierce Hanser, Sam Klekar, Tanner Letton, Socko Stalzer, Nolan Theye and Charlie Tully. The group put together four straight winning seasons after the Warriors went 12-13 in 2019-2020, the year before they entered high school.
"I told them in the locker room that they are the absolute genesis of our program turnaround," Caldwell said. "In my almost 30 years of coaching, that is absolutely the greatest group of kids I've ever had."
Versailles 68, Mariemont 43
Versailles (15-11): Heitcamp 9 3 21, Watren 8 2 19, Griesdorn 4 3 11, Ahrens 5 1 11, Wilker 1 1 3, Moorman 1 0 2, Hess 0 1 1. Totals: 28 11 68.
Mariemont (19-7): Tully 6 0 14, Theye 2 1 6, Letton 2 1 5, Sa. Stalzer 2 0 5, So. Stalzer 1 1 3, Bronson 1 0 3, Hill 1 0 3, Hanser 0 2 2, Lindner 0 1 1, Klekar 0 1 1. Totals: 15 6 43.
Half: V 28-19. 3-pointers: V 1 (Watren); M 6 (Tully 2, Bronson, Sa. Stalzer, Hill, Theye).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: OHSAA boys basketball: Versailles beats Mariemont 68-43
