Unbeaten Malvern boys basketball survives scare from Martins Ferry, wins district title

UHRICHSVILLE − The team from the land of Lou blew in living on the edge.

The tournament wins that put Martins Ferry in Friday's district finals were by scores of 59-55, 62-61 and 60-58.

Malvern ended the suspense by subduing the Purple Riders 61-50 to advance to the Division III boys basketball sweet 16.

Getting to 26-0 got hairy for the Hornets, though, against elite big man Alex Reese. A 25-0 season flashed before their eyes when they trailed midway through the third quarter.

"We hadn't made our run yet," Malvern head coach Dennis Tucci said. "We make a run every game. Sometimes two. It took a little longer this time, but we got it."

In rapid fire at the end of the third quarter, Rodney Smith hit a short jumper, J'Allen Barino faked out Reese on a layup, Drake Hutchison got free for a basket, Hutchison sank two foul shots, and Mitchell Minor hit a putback at the buzzer.

The 10-point run sent the Hornets to the fourth quarter up 46-39. The Purple Riders never got closer.

"One little spurt," lamented Martin Ferry head coach Derek Edwards. "In a game like this, that's all really good teams need."

The atmosphere was the best of small-town basketball, from the time John Mellencamp's "Small Town" blared during warmups.

A perspective: A Division I game between Massillon and St. Vincent-St. Mary on Thursday drew a crowd of 802. More than twice that number were in the Claymont gym 20 minutes before Friday's Division III tipoff. The 3,300-seat Claymont gym filled up.

Malvern's past four seasons ended in the district finals, three times with losses to Hiland, last year in defeat against Garaway.

"We've had these atmospheres," said senior Dylan Phillips. "It's definitely more fun when it ends in a win."

Martins Ferry, 60 winding miles southeast of Malvern, is one of those Ohio River towns with a steel mill and a football stadium side by side overlooking the water.

The whole town should be a national historic site. The school's only four trips to the state basketball final four were in the 1940s, jammed into a five-year period when local workmen cranked out parts for World War II.

The 1941 team won it all, beating Canton McKinley in the state quarterfinals, making the semifinals in a foursome that included Massillon, and taking down Lakewood in the Class A championship game.

Six-foot-7 Alex Groza was the LeBron of his day, going on to lead Kentucky to two national championships before rapidly pressing George Mikan for bragging rights as "best in the NBA."

Groza became football's Shoeless Joe, banned for life after two NBA seasons over a point-shaving scandal. His brother Lou "The Toe" emerged as the more famous Groza from Martins Ferry.

Lou, wearing No. 76, was the left tackle and kicker on Cleveland Browns teams that reached 10 straight league title games. The Browns' current complex is at 76 Lou Groza Boulevard in Berea.

Malvern has its own proud sports history-in-progress. Tucci reached the 600-win milestone in January and is in Ohio's top 20 all-time, trailing the likes of local legends Bob Von Kaenel of Dover and Red Ash of Canton South.

It follows that Malvern has one of the great followings, and this crowd made quite a celebration of the net-cutting. There must be 10,000 pictures floating around today.

Martins Ferry also brought a big crowd, the kind that reflects a strong community identity despite the city's shrinkage in population from 14,729 in 1940 to just over 6,000 now.

Edwards, a former Martins Ferry star guard, had hoped the game would be in Steubenville, 20 miles up the river.

Reese helped the Purple Riders contend with Malvern's athletic, rangy roster. He plays bigger than his listed 6-foot-6. He scored 23 points and was a shot-blocking, shot-changing, rebounding machine.

"He attacked and got to the rim," said Minor, a 6-5 senior. "I could have done a better job on him. We got the win. That's all that matters."

Reese, a junior, conjures images of Christian Parker, a former GlenOak star who helped lead Mount Union to the 2023 NCAA Division III national finals. He said he hasn't decided whether to play college basketball or football. He packs 225 pounds onto that 6-6 frame.

"He's a complete player who can score from all three levels," Tucci said. "He plays a whole 'nother level of defense."

Malvern reached regionals for the first times since 2017. The Hornets will play in Ohio University's 13,000-seat Convocation Center at 6 p.m. Wednesday against the winner of Saturday's Wheelersburg-McDermott Northwest district final.

Better shooting will be needed for a chance to win four more games and take a state championship.

Malvern's press was a nightmare for Martins Ferry, as the Hornets took a 6-0 lead on baskets after steals.

When Martins Ferry did hang onto the ball, the Purple Riders got a variety of scoring from Reese and several key 3-pointers from teammates. Malvern tried eight 3-pointers in the first quarter, making just one.

The fast-paced game stayed a tossup for quite a while after Martins Ferry caught up. It was 11-11 after one quarter. Malvern trailed 30-28 at halftime.

"We were so bad offensively we had to keep pressing, because that was the only way we were scoring," Tucci said. "When we didn't get the ball, they were spraying the 3s.

"We're a lot better in transition, a lot better in space. We don't shoot it really well, and sometimes that gets to us."

Hutchison, a 5-11 junior, made clutch shots down the stretch and finished with 14 points. Barrino, Inter Valley Conference North Division Player of the Year, scored 13 points.

"Everybody on their team seems to know his role," said the Martins Ferry coach, Edwards. "Their guard play is really good. No.10, Barrino, controls the game. He's so good.

"They're very difficult to press, so if they get a lead late, it's hard."

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Malvern High School boys basketball wins OHSAA district title