'Unbelievable battle': Springboro outlasts Mount Notre Dame in regional championship
A thriller. A back-and-forth epic. Absolute madness.
It's hard to accurately describe the regional final that saw Springboro beat Mount Notre Dame 54-48 in double overtime to advance to its first state tournament since 1978.
"First of all, hats off to Mount Notre Dame. Great coaching staff, great team, unbelievable battle. Just back and forth all night. That's what competition is all about right there," Springboro head coach Mike Holweger said.
Former Springboro coach Don Ross was in the building, as were members of that historic 1978 team. This year's squad received letters from alumni all year long, encouraging them as the season wore on. That encouragement was never needed more than Saturday night as the Panthers went up against a team they hadn't beaten since 2016.
How the Panthers emerged victorious
Trailing 4-0 after three minutes, Springboro put together a 14-2 run in which four different players scored. They led 18-11 before MND finished the half on a 10-2 run to take a one-point halftime lead.
After the break, neither team led by more than five until the closing seconds. The crowds let out deafening roars for baskets and foul calls that went their way. In the end, it was the Panther faithful that got the last cheer as their squad made history.
The Cougars achieved their goals of holding Bryn Martin in check and not allowing the Panthers to shoot well from beyond the three-point line. Martin was held scoreless in the first half as MND threw a variety of defenses at her, mixing a two-three zone with a box-and-one. That defense also held Springboro to 18 percent from deep.
"She's such a tremendous scorer. We watched her live against Mason and we had to take her away somehow," MND head coach Drew Fladung said.
The other battle was between Laila Harrison and Aniya Trent in the post. Who got the better of the other isn't definitive. Harrison was coming off consecutive double-doubles while Trent hadn't scored in double figures in nearly three weeks. The two players have played together previously and are very familiar with each other's games. It was no surprise that they finished with similar stat lines.
"I'm more defensive than offensive, so I knew I had to shut her down. But I wanted to come in this game and help my team," Trent said.
Even though the Panthers committed 21 turnovers of their own, they forced 22 turnovers. They were also more forceful on offense, drawing 13 fouls that led to 18 free-throw attempts.
The biggest factor for Springboro was its resiliency. The girls weren't fazed by a 5-point deficit in the fourth quarter or a 2-point deficit with two seconds left in overtime. From the starters to every player who came off the bench, they made the right plays when called upon.
"No one really expected us to come this far. Everyone thought we were going to lose to Mason or we were going to lose this game. (Holweger) was just saying, 'Block the outside noise. It's not over yet.' He just kept saying that over and over, which I think was very helpful because you can't get too excited. Things can change in two seconds," junior Ava Wade said.
Big shot after big shot
The Panthers only made four 3-pointers during the game, but two of them came with the game on the line.
Trailing by five entering the fourth quarter, Chloe Downing made a three from the wing to tie the score at 35. Two minutes later, Wade connected on her second triple to give Springboro a 41-36 lead.
"I don't really look at the scoreboard that much because I think that just makes it worse for me. I knew it was a close game and I hit the three and everyone went bonkers," Wade said.
Mount Notre Dame responded with a Laila Harrison 3-point play and a Sara Hofmann corner three tied the score at 42 with 54 seconds left in regulation.
Then came a Trent layup at the first overtime buzzer to force a second extra period. Holweger wanted to find Martin in the corner for a game-winner, but Trent made an exceptional play at a crucial point.
"It was a little nerve-wracking, but when I got that shot up, it was an amazing feeling," Trent said.
Another close postseason loss
After appearing in the 2021 state tournament, MND lost to Mason in the 2022 regional final by 2 points, and to Princeton in the 2023 regional semifinal by 10 points.
Fladung didn't rehash the game with his team in the locker room but chose to ruminate on what this roster meant to him in his first year as a coach.
"I just told them how proud I was. I think when a lot of people looked at our roster or looked at our schedule this year, I don't think they would have anticipated us having as good of a year as we did and being here tonight. It's a great building step for our program," Fladung said.
Impact players
Laila Harrison, Mount Notre Dame: The senior ended her high school career with a third straight double-double, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
"It's hard to think about her not being in an MND uniform anymore just because she's playing her best basketball right now," Fladung said.
Aniya Trent, Springboro: She scored 8 of her 12 points and grabbed all six of her rebounds after halftime.
Ava Wade, Springboro: She stepped up in big moments for the Panthers, compiling 16 points, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals before leaving the game at the end of regulation. This was her first game in double figures since Jan. 24.
Up next: Dayton
The Panthers will play Pickerington Central (25-3) in a state semifinal at 8 p.m. on March 15 at University of Dayton Arena. The Tigers were No. 2 in the season's final Associated Press poll. The Panthers last played the Tigers on Nov. 25, 2018, which was a 78-42 loss.
"We know our next opponent is very, very good. We scrimmaged them earlier (this year) and it's going to be a battle," Holweger said.
Springboro 54, Mount Notre Dame 48 (2OT)
Springboro (23-5): Wade 7 0 16, Martin 3 8 14, Trent 5 2 12, Meek 1 4 7, Downing 2 0 5. Totals: 18 14 54.
Mount Notre Dame (24-4): Harrison 4 6 14, Vieth 3 2 10, Bransford 3 2 9, Hofmann 3 1 8, Pitzer 2 1 7. Totals: 15 12 48.
Half: MND 21-20. End of regulation: 42-42. End of 1OT: 45-45. 3-pointers: S 4 (Wade 3, Meek, Wade); MND 6 (Pitzer 2, Vieth 2, Hoffman, Bransford).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Springboro beats Mount Notre Dame in thrilling regional final
