The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Eagles rally for victory
Olmsted Falls was looking to go 3-0 against Avon this season.
The Eagles had something to say about that as they rallied from a 17-point deficit to defeat the Bulldogs, 49-44, in a Division II sectional semifinal Feb. 26.
Avon (10-13) advances to a sectional final, where it will face No. 1 Lorain on Feb. 29 at 7 p.m.
“We couldn’t get a stop early and I think they scored on their first five or six possessions,” Avon head coach Kevin Sapara said. “We were kind of stagnant offensively and our kids fought back. We knew if we were going to have a chance, we had to play defense no matter what the score was. I’m proud of their effort.”
With the game tied at 4-4 early on, Olmsted Falls (10-13) ramped up their defensive effort to get stops, while also converting on the offensive end. The Bulldogs used a 17-2 run to take a 21-6 lead after one quarter.
Things began to change in the second quarter. After Luke Dieckman put Olmsted Falls up by 17 with a basket early in the quarter, Avon’s comeback effort began.
Eagles guard Ben Rini (12 points, four rebounds) nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to fuel a 10-0 Avon run to close out the first half. Olmsted Falls scored four points in the second quarter and as a result, their lead was cut to seven at 25-18.
“(We) kept fighting, cut the lead and got back in it,” Eagles guard Cole Warren said. “That’s it.”
Warren was a major factor
for Avon on the glass in the second half. He tallied 10 points and grabbed six of his eight rebounds in the contest in the second half.
After halftime, the Eagles had a renewed energy and it showed on the defensive end. Their defense played with a lot more energy, which helped them get defensive stops, something they struggled with in the first quarter.
“I think we got a little more engaged in the game on the defensive end,” Sapara said. “That got us going and feeling a little more comfortable offensively.”
The Eagles outscored the Bulldogs, 12-7, in the third to inch closer as they trailed, 32-38, heading into the fourth quarter. Avon tallied two quick baskets to open the quarter and tie the game at 32-32. Olmsted Falls answered with a bucket of their own before the Eagles’ Connor Allomong hit a 3-pointer with 5:16 left in the fourth quarter to give Avon their first lead of the game.
After falling behind by five, Michael Candow hit a 3-pointer and Charlie Ciolek (12 points) converted on a layup for Olmsted Falls to tie the game at 43-43.
After an Avon timeout, the Eagles had a win in their sights. They hit just 4-of-8 free throws in the closing minutes. However, it was just enough to seal their victory. The Eagles locked in on defense and only allowed one Bulldogs point in the final few minutes of the contest.
“They picked up the physicality and we did a really bad job of handling it,” Olmsted Falls head coach Chris DeLisio said. “We didn’t play very intelligently to be able to handle how physically they were being.”
Avon forward Seth Broadbent led the charge for the Eagles in the fourth quarter. The senior scored all six of his points in the fourth and he went 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
“I really stepped up,” Broadbent said. “I had to hit free throws and that’s what I did and the team ... we put it all together.”
After the Eagles erased their deficit, Broadbent and his teammates knew they could close it out.
“We knew we were going to come back,” Broadbent said. “In the huddle we said (we needed to) play defense and get steals. We just knew we could come back.”
Up next for Avon is a date with the top seeded Lorain Titans. The Eagles lost to Lorain, 84-62, on Feb. 18.
“We get to practice tomorrow and get a shot at the No. 1 seed,” Sapara said. “Survive and advance and this is the best time of year. I know people like to come and watch these type of games, where the losing team has to go home. We’re embracing it, we’ll enjoy tonight and come back tomorrow.”