Girls Basketball: Pickerington Central falls to Springboro in state semifinal
Friday, March 15, 2024
By Jarrod Ulrey
julrey@cbussports.com
Pickerington Central’s Jaden Tucker (left), Berry Wallace and Springboro’s Brooke Clear battle for a loose ball during a Division I state semifinal game Mar. 15 at University of Dayton Arena. Photo: Shane Flanigan
The Pickerington Central girls basketball team was within one possession against Springboro during the final two minutes of its Division I state semifinal Friday at the University of Dayton when its hopes of a rally slipped away for good.
Panthers junior guard Bryn Martin, a Ms. Basketball finalist, was at the crux of the reason why.
In what was their latest state tournament appearance, the seven-time state-champion Tigers never had an answer for Martin as she poured in a Division I state-tournament record 38 points to lead her team to a 63-54 victory.
While Central was in its 15th state tournament – including its second in a row after losing to Olmsted Falls in a semifinal last winter – Springboro’s only other state appearance came in 1978 when it was runner-up.
“Obviously our team is disappointed since we got here last year and lost in a semifinal,” coach Chris Wallace said. “You can say whatever you want, but I’ve gone against some of the top players in the country and I’ve never had someone score 38. We probably could have tried some different things to try to slow her down. We tried to switch on her but she went 13-for-14 from the (free-throw) line. She was just incredible, and she’s done it before.
“I looked at my whole team during a timeout and said, ‘Do you guys believe we can do this?’ They had the fight in them whenever I asked them that question. I could tell they were going to fight until the end. We got some good looks. It was right there at our fingertips, and when you’re playing against great teams, it’s about possessions. We got the turnovers but couldn’t put it in when we needed to.”
Pickerington Central’s Rylee Bess goes in for a layup during the Tigers’ Division I state semifinal game with Springboro Mar. 15 at University of Dayton Arena. Photo: Shane Flanigan
While Central finished 25-4, Springboro improved to 24-5 and will play for the title Saturday against Olmsted Falls, last year’s state runner-up.
In the Tigers’ semifinal loss, they trailed 27-19 at the half but cut it to 44-41 by the end of the third quarter.
A layup by Central junior Mikaila Asamoah cut it to 48-45 with 4 minutes, 21 seconds left, and the Tigers got to within 50-49 with 3:50 to go on a jumper by junior guard Kennady Gordon.
After a layup by the Panthers’ Chloe Downing made it 55-49 with 2:01 left, Central freshman guard Zoe Coleman hit a 3-pointer to get it back to within 55-52 with 1:43 to go.
Martin made four throws and teammate Morgan Meek hit two foul shots after that to seal the win for the Panthers.
Martin wound up going 11-for-23 from the floor and added eight rebounds and four steals while being the only player for Springboro to score in double figures.
“I just took whatever came to me, and my teammates saw I was hot and set amazing screens,” Martin said. “It wasn’t just me playing out there. It was a team effort. I scored 38, but what matters to me is just winning.”
Mike Holweger is in his first season as coach at Springboro, which needed two overtimes to win a regional title. The Panthers committed 20 turnovers but had 28 points in the paint and limited Central to 19 of 53 shooting.
Pickerington Central’s Faith King shoots during the Tigers’ game with Springboro at University of Dayton Arena Mar. 15. Photo: Shane Flanigan
“Hats off to Central, what a team,” Holweger said. “It was a hard-fought game. They have a number of weapons and so much talent. I felt like the game was going to come down to rebounds. We were able to get out on their shooters, clog the lane a little bit.”
Central, which didn’t lose to any other teams from Ohio all season, got 16 points from junior guard Rylee Bess and 11 apiece from sophomore Blossom Wallace and Coleman.
“I’m just going to remember the relationships we had,” Bess said. “We obviously took a lot of trips and our preparation was just great. Whether we were winning or losing, we just had fun. Whether it was on or off the court, we were just close. With our preparation, we all worked so hard. We all put in the time, so I feel like there’s nothing to regret.”
Central’s Berry Wallace, who was the district’s Player of the Year and a finalist for Ms. Basketball, was held to seven points. She was one of two seniors in the program along with Jaden Tucker.
“I had a great experience,” said Berry Wallace, an Illinois recruit. “Pickerington Central is big about culture, and we want to play as a family. I’ve learned so much from everyone, and I just love the way our team bought into what we wanted to do. We all wanted to come back here.”
From left, Pickerington Central’s Jaden Tucker, Ameera Jenkins and Kallie Almond react in the waning moments of a 63-54 loss to Springboro in a Division I state semifinal game Mar. 15 at University of Dayton Arena. Photo: Shane Flanigan
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