Goodwin’s 39 help UA clinch title
With 35 points in three games already this season, Upper Arlington junior guard Dane Goodwin has already had what most players would be proud to call career nights.
Not so in the super-competitive Goodwin family.
“My sister Addie scored 36 (in 2010 for Hilliard Davidson), and when I got 35 three times she always let me know I wasn’t ever going to catch her,” Goodwin said.
The 6-foot-5 sharpshooter and Ohio State commit finally gained bragging rights with a career-high 39 points in Upper Arlington’s 75-57 victory at Dublin Coffman on Friday night that secured the Ohio Capital Conference Central Division championship for the Golden Bears.
The performance also shattered the UA career scoring mark held by Kevin Vannatta, who led UA to the Division I state title game in 2014 and now plays at North
Carolina-Asheville.
“I’m still trying to beat my Dad’s family record, though,” Goodwin noted. Damon Goodwin, the Capital University coach, scored 39 at both St. Marys High School in west-central Ohio and the University of Dayton.
After being torched for 27 points by Goodwin in the first half, Coffman came out with a diamond-and-one defense, face-guarding him whenever he touched the ball. In the process, the Shamrocks chopped a 15-point deficit to seven.
“Teams have tried every conceivable defense on Dane, and we’re prepared for that,” UA coach Tim Casey said. “It took a little while for us to adjust, but we’re not one-dimensional and other kids stepped up and hit some big shots when we needed them.”
Max Martz (15 points) and Jordan Bailey (13) each hit three threepointers to thwart Coffman’s comeback hopes.
“The main thing about our team is our guys know exactly what to do when opponents try to take me away,” Goodwin said.
In the first meeting Jan. 20, Coffman stymied UA with a 1-3-1 zone defense in posting a 64-59 overtime upset.
“They came out fast early and kind of took us out of many of the defensive looks we hoped to show them,” Coffman coach Jamey Collins said. “I thought we could have defended better, but as talented as Goodwin is and the many ways he can beat you, he’s so hard to stop.
They maximized their opportunities, and the other kids came through when we finally did get him slowed down.”
Coffman (10-10, 7-3) pulled to 61-52 with 5:38 left, but missed backto-back one-and-one opportunities and Upper Arlington (20-2, 9-1) pulled the ball out and sealed the deal.
The longtime OCC rivals have split their meetings each of the past three years and have accounted for the past four division titles.
Promising freshman point guard Dominiq Penn — son of former Ohio State standout Scoonie — led Coffman with 16 points.
“We were just more prepared and dialed in this time around,” Casey said. “In the other meeting we were a little too passive, and Coffman had something to do with that.
“The big difference tonight was we defended better. The scoreboard might not show it, but Coffman hit some really tough, welldefended shots.
“We knew we had to stay in front of Penn and keep (Nick) Carlson contained.”