'We're not satisfied': Springboro to play for Division I state championship
Springboro's dream season continues.
The Panthers have knocked off three top 10 teams in a row, the latest a 63-54 win over No. 2 Pickerington Central, on their way to their first Division I state championship appearance since 1978.
"If anybody was around the huddle, I've been saying it for a long time. 'You're the best, and I mean it.' I love these kids and their grit and their energy and their toughness. It's been a joy to watch them play and to get to this point. We're not satisfied. We're still very hungry," Springboro head coach Mike Holweger said.
They wore white as the home team, but a full student section and a few thousand fans coordinated a "blue-out" and were one of the loudest crowds of state semifinal Friday.
The Panthers faced a 6-point deficit in the first quarter, but took the lead on a Bryn Martin layup and free throw at the 6:25 mark of the second quarter and never trailed again.
The Tigers cut it to a 1-point game in the fourth quarter before more Martin marvels and a complete team effort allowed the Panthers to pull away.
Analysis
The Bryn Martin show: She was unstoppable. The junior scored the game's first points, then ripped off 15 straight in the second quarter on her way to a game-high, career-high and Division I state tournament record 38 points. Most importantly, she made 13-of-14 free throws. Six came in the fourth quarter as the Panthers held off the Tigers.
"I just took whatever came to me, and my teammates did a great job of getting me open. They saw that I was hot. They set me amazing screens and kudos to them. They worked really hard today," Martin said
Pickerington Central head coach Chris Wallace believes it is the first time he's had anyone score that many points against any of his teams.
"She had an incredible game. No other kid scored in double figures. I take my hat off to her," Wallace said.
An extended zone: Springboro turned away from a man-to-man defense in the second half and ran a two-three zone that picked the Tigers up at half court. This was in part to match Pickerington Central's full-court press, but it also kept the Tigers uncomfortable before they could get in an offensive rhythm. Holweger actually had never used the defense this year but had some success with it when he was the Lebanon boys coach in 2005. He introduced it in practice on Wednesday and thought, "Why not?" when he turned to it on Friday night.
The Tigers improved from 33 percent first-half shooting to 37 percent in the second half, but most of that was in the third quarter as they went 4-of-17 in the fourth quarter.
Key shots from the seniors: Morgan Meek scored all three of her points in the first quarter. A lone 3-pointer gave the Panthers a 7-5 lead. Five of Chloe Downing's 7 points came in the fourth quarter. She drained a 3-pointer and converted an offensive rebound into a layup as the Panthers expanded a 1-point lead to a 6-point lead.
"I've been working on my shot with one of my coaches and he told me right before the timeout had ended, he was like, 'We need a three out of you. We need you to make the big plays.' We got open, they drove. They all collapsed on Bryn, they kicked it and it was open. I just knew that I had to take that shot in order to get some momentum going," Downing said.
A battle in the post: Aniya Trent has been playing some of her best basketball in the last few games. The stat lines might not raise eyebrows but her intangibles have given the Panthers a boost. She had 6 points, four rebounds and three assists tonight but held Tigers' leading scorer Berry Wallace to 7 points on 25 percent shooting from the field.
Stars of the game
Rylee Bess, Pickerington Central: The senior sharpshooter led the Tigers with 16 points, gathered five rebounds, stole four passes and dished two assists.
Chloe Downing, Springboro: Her 7 points were key, but she also had four blocks, four rebounds, two assists and a steal.
The last game of the year
Springboro will face Olmsted Falls (25-3) in the DI championship at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday. The Bulldogs were in the championship game last year, losing to Princeton 69-51.
Springboro will be the away team and must choose between their blue or black uniforms. The fans will again be dressed in blue, making the choice a little easier.
"We hear you and we need every one of you to be back tomorrow night and bring five more people with you," Holweger said.
Springboro 63, Pickerington Central 54
Springboro (24-5): Martin 11 13 38, Downing 3 0 7, Wade 3 1 7, Trent 3 0 6, Meek 1 2 5. Totals: 21 16 63
Pickerington Central (25-4): Bess 6 2 16, Coleman 3 2 11, Bl. Wallace 4 2 11, Be. Wallace 2 3 7, Asamoah 3 0 6, Gordon 1 0 3. Totals: 19 9 54.
Half: S 27-19. 3-pointers: S 5 (Martin 3, Meek, Downing); PC 7 (Coleman 3, Bess 2, Bl. Wallace, Gordon).
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Springboro takes down Pickerington Central in state semifinal
