The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Patriots, Phoenix set for rematch in Division IV
The matchup most everyone envisioned is set at the Division IV district tournament at Grand Valley.
But it didn’t come without a few sluggish beginnings.
Both top-seeded Cornerstone and second-seeded Andrews Osborne got off to slow starts in their district semifinals on Feb. 27, but both rebounded for double-digit victories.
Cornerstone (20-4) missed its first six shots of the game, but then made 17 of its next 18, to run away with a 57-13 blowout over fourth-seeded Maplewood.
In the nightcap, AOA (18-3) fell behind, 12-4, early, but allowed only 14 points the rest of the game en route to a 39-26 victory over third-seeded Bristol.
The result is a CornerstoneAOA district final on March 2 in a game that is a rematch of a Jan. 29 game.
In that contest, the stateranked Patriots pulled out a 57-48 win over the vising Phoenix.
“They’re a good team and they’re well-coached,” Cornerstone coach Lisa Stopp said of the Brittany Zele-led Phoenix. “They played us close last time, but I also don’t think we played our best game. I hope we do this time.”
After AOA held serve to advance to the district final in its first year in its return to the OHSAA, senior Nika Humeniuk bubbled over with emotion at the thought of a rematch with Cornerstone with a regional berth on the line.
“I’m nervous, but excited,” the native of the Ukraine said. “I’m ready to play.”
AOA needed a valiant defensive effort to get its shot at the rematch. When Bella Zirzow hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter, Bristol had a 12-4 lead. But AOA increased its defensive pressure and outscored the Panthers, 3514, the rest of the way.
Bristol was held without a field goal over the final 12-minutes and 50 seconds of the game.
“We had to play physical and give it our all,” said freshman Tai Roberts
of the comeback effort.
After taking a 17-16 lead at the half, AOA went on a 15-5 run in the third to take control. Humeniuk (16 points, 12 rebounds) took a pair of nice feeds from Amber Iffert for baskets, then returned the favor with a pass to Iffert for another hoop and a 27-21 lead.
Darina Dyazhuk hit a jumper for a 32-21 lead after three, and the Phoenix never looked back.
Zele characterized her team as a second- and third-quarter team. She credited Bristol’s defense for keeping her team well below its season average.
“I will take it,” Zele said. “It was a sloppy win. Our nerves got the best of us, but we battled through.”
Aside from Humeniuk, AOA got six points each from Roberts and Valentina Navarro. Navarro, the shortest player on the court, blocked five shots.
While AOA’s game had some drama to it with a close score, the first game of the night held little drama.
After missing their first six shots of the game, the Patriots made their final seven shots of the quarter for a 17-3 lead. When they hit eight of their first nine shots of the second quarter, they took a 38-11 lead into the locker room at halftime and were never threatened again.
Madison Cloonan scored 15 of her game-high 20 points in the first half, and Lauren Harris scored eight of her 10 prior to intermission.
Cornerstone’s full-court defense smothered Maplewood. The Patriots forced 16 first-half turnovers and allowed the Rockets to take only 15 first-half shots.
The second half was a mere formality, with a good hunk of the second half being played with a running clock once Cornerstone’s lead surpassed 35 points.
“Defense is something we really practice,” Harris said. “We focus on that.”
Many of the steals resulted in conversion layups at the other end.
“We were trying to push pace,” Stopp said. “I’m proud that we kept our composure. I’m a defensive coach. We spend a lot of time on that.”
Aside from Cloonan and Harris, Cornerstone got 10 points from Riley Stopp and a solid eight-point, eight-rebound, three-block night from Kailey Tyna.
“We had to pick each other up,” Cloonan said of the slow start. “I guess we played through it.”
Cornerstone played without junior Michaela Cloonan, Madison’s twin, who remains out of action with a knee injury. Stopp said Michaela Cloonan has another doctor’s appointment on March 1 to see if she’lll be ready to go.
“We’re hopeful, but we don’t know,” Stopp said.