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Thursday, March 19, 2009
Marshall holds off Wilmington, 67-60, in D-II regional thriller at Cintas Center
The Thurgood Marshall Cougars can smell the state tournament in Columbus. Now they’re one victory away from tasting it.
Heroes were everywhere as the Cougars clawed past Wilmington, 67-60, in the thrilling Division II regional semifinal nightcap at Xavier University’s Cintas Center on Thursday, March 21.
DeAngelo Gates led four players in double figures with 18 points and point guard Juwan Staten was clutch down the stretch after Wilmington fought back from a nine-point deficit (48-39) to tie the score at 54 with 4:10 to go.
Staten, a junior who has committed to the University of Dayton, scored 11 of his 14 points in the second half. He snapped the tie with a dazzling three-point play on a drive through the lane with 3:44 to go, then went 4-for-4 at the free throw line the final 19.6 seconds to seal the win.
The Cougars (20-4) will face the Columbus Bishop Watterson Eagles (15-10) for the D-II regional championship at 3 p.m. on Saturday with the winner earning a trip to next week’s state tournament.
“It was the self-determination of the players that gave us that nine-point lead,” Marshall coach John N. Ralph said. “That gave us a cushion, some working room. The big factor for us is we were able to hold our poise and do the things that were necessary at the end — like make free throws.”
Wilmington’s trio of Quinten Rollins (16 points), Craig Osterbrock (16) and Jordan Berlin (14) was brilliant. The Hurricane trailed 48-39 after three quarters only to turn it on.
Malcolm Heard scored all seven of his points in a two-minute spurt, then Osterbrock’s trey and 3-point play tied the score, sending the ‘Cane’s “Sea of Orange” crowd into a frenzy. Athletic Director Mike Wallace said Wilmington (21-3) was competing in a regional for the first time since 1928.
“We gave more than enough effort and we had enough left,” Wilmington coach Mike Noszka said. “(The Cougars) just made plays. Every time we tied it, they took the lead back.”
The Cougars nailed 7 of 17 treys. Shawn Robinson dropped a team-high three bombs en route to 13 points and Melvin Banks added 10 points.
Staten emerged from the locker room with a sore thigh, a brace on his sprained right thumb and a smile on his face.
“I’ve been smelling state since the season started,” he said. “We all have.”
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Versailles falls in state semis
COLUMBUS — Versailles nearly pulled it off, but the Tigers fell in the Division III state semifinals to Oak Hill 47-43 on Thursday, March 19.
Oak Hill’s Lakin Caudill hit a pair of free throws with 1:09 left to give the Oaks the lead, 43-41. After a Versailles turnover, Oaks teammate Taylor Hale added a pair of bonus tosses with 58 seconds left to push it to 45-41 and Mikie Strite added two more with 22 seconds, making it 47-41.
Versailles’ Karen Smith scored inside with 2.6 seconds left for the final.
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Versailles one quarter away
COLUMBUS — The Versailles Tigers are just eight minutes from the D-III state title game.
Versailles, the defending state champs, leads 34-29 going into the fourth quarter.
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Versailles trails at halftime
COLUMBUS — Turnovers helped evaporate Versailles lead in the second quarter as Oak Hill took a 19-17 advantage at the half.
Oak Hill’s Breanna Butler drained a 3-pointer with three seconds left for the game’s fifth lead change. Versailles, paced by Emily Frey and her seven points, turned the ball over 15 times in that first half. Oak Hill had eight turnovers.
Other key stats:
Shooting: Versailles 5-11 (45 percent); Oak Hill 8-23 (34 percent)
Free throws: Versailles 6-6; Oak Hill 1-4 (25 percent)
Rebounds: Versailles 12, Oak Hill 10
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D-II FINAL: Watterson 45, Graham 44 (OT)
In a shot straight out of the final scene in the movie “Hoosiers,” Chris Grabosky of Columbus Bishop Watterson mirrored the heroics of the Hickory Huskers’ Jimmy Chitwood.
Grabosky buried a 3-point jumper from the top of the key with 1 second remaining in overtime, lifting the Eagles to a stunning 45-44 overtime victory over No. 1-ranked Graham in the Division II regional semifinals at Xavier University’s Cintas Center.
Graham came into the game 24-0 and the Associated Press Division II poll champion. The Falcons head back to St. Paris, Ohio, 24-1.
The Watterson Eagles soar to 15-10 and land in the D-II regional finals on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Josh Schuler’s 8-foot, right-side bank shot gave Graham a 44-42 lead with 9.3 seconds remaining.
Watterson called time-out at 7.3, rushed the ball up the floor and called time-out again at 3.4.
Grabosky, a burly, rugged power forward who led the Eagles with 15 points, came off a screen underneath, knifed to the top of the key, accepted the pass and found himself open.
He never hesitated.
Grabosky launched the shot, watched it splash through the net, and after the buzzer sounded, the Eagles leaped wildly in a celebration that spilled out to center court in a cardinal-and-gold pile.
Tied at 40 at the end of regulation, Ethan Ward’s two free throws at 3:12 of OT gave Graham a 42-40 lead, and the Falcons called time-out with the ball at that 2-point lead with 1:51 to go.
Austin Jones burst into the lane only to lose control of the ball at 1:23.
Eagles point guard Andy Winters’ layup at 0:59 tied the score at 42.
Grabosky led the Eagles with 15 points while Michael Tighe added 13 and Winters 8.
Schuler was Graham’s only player who scored in double figures with a 14 points.
Graham fell behind 26-11 in the second quarter, but used a 12-0 run to tie the score at 33 after three quarters.
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Graham, Watterson head to overtime
The Graham Falcons and the Columbus Bishop Watterson Eagles couldn’t settle their argument after 32 minutes.
So they’re headed to overtime, tied 40-40, in the Division II regional semifinals at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
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Third quarter: Watterson 33, Graham 33
Graham exploded for a 12-0 run and outscored Watterson, 16-7, in the third quarter to tie the score at 33 heading into the fourth quarter of a Division II regional semifinal showdown at the Cintas Center.
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No. 1 Graham’s win streak in danger
The Graham Falcons are in trouble. Deep, DEEP trouble.
They can’t throw the ball into the ocean from the beach … and they trail Columbus Watterson, 26-17, at halftime of the Division II regional semifinals at Xavier University’s Cintas Center.
Graham, the No. 1-ranked Division II boys high school basketball team in the state, ended the first half with a little momentum, however — a 6-0 run in the final 1:10.
Matt Schweitzer’s 3-pointer from the left wing gave the Watterson Eagles a 26-11 lead at the 1:30 mark.
Josh Schuler answered with two free throws at 1:10; Nick VanHoose nailed a trey at 0:05; then Schuler added a free throw with 1.3 seconds to go after getting the inbounds steal.
Graham sank just 5 of 21 floor shots to Watterson’s 10-for-14.
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Versailles leads after first quarter
COLUMBUS — Versailles takes an 8-3 lead over Oak Hill into the second quarter of the Division III state semifinal at Ohio State University on Thursday, March 19.
The Tigers, led by Karen Smith’s four points, sprinted to an 8-2 lead. Oak Hill hit a free throw with 37 seconds left to avoid tying the D-II state semifinal record for fewest points in a quarter. Sugarcreek Garaway still holds the mark, scoring two against Youngstown Ursuline in 2006.
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Versailles ready for Oak Hill
Here are the projected starting lineups in the Division III state semifinal between Versailles (18-8) and Oak Hill (24-1) at the girls high school basketball tournament in Columbus. Tip-off is 8 p.m. tonight, March 19:
Oak Hill
Rebecca Puckett, 5-10, junior, forward
Taylor Hale, 5-10, freshman, forward
Karissa Adkins, 5-9, junior, guard
Mikie Strite, 5-5, sophomore, guard
Breanna Butler, 5-7, freshman, guard
Versailles
Emily Frey, 5-11, senior, forward
Megan Campbell, 6-0, junior, forward
Emily Eilerman, 5-10, senior, forward
Karen Smith, 5-6, senior, guard
Susan Berger, 5-6, junior, guard
Versailles is the D-III defending state champion and making its third straight state appearance and fifth overall (2009, 2008, 2007, 1998, 1992). Oak Hill is making its second state appearance (2004).
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