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SPORTS
’Dogs top Trojans to win sectionals
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| YSHS Senior Dustin Rudegeair
grabs a rebound while surrounded by Southeastern defenders during
the Bulldogs' sectional championship win on Saturday, March 6, 2004 |
By the fourth quarter of the Division IV
sectional championship game, last Saturday at University of Dayton, YSHS
was using a crisp passing game and quick defense to pull away from the
Southeastern Trojans, 48–35.
Jordan Skinner scored a game-high 18 points and
Dustin Rudegeair had 17 to lead the Bulldogs, who improved their record
to 19–3 and earned a shot at the Dayton 1 district championship on
Wednesday March 10, against Russia.
The Bulldogs, who are making their first appearance
in the district tournament since 1992, felt vindicated over last year’s
sectional final loss to Cedarville.
They also impressed Southeastern coach Aaron Perry,
whose team, seeded second and which finished the regular season ranked sixth
in the state, committed 24 turnovers. “The bottom line is the Bulldogs’
athleticism and pressure forces you to do things that are uncharacteristic,”
Perry was quoted as saying in the Springfield News-Sun on Sunday.
The game featured a tough battle between the game’s
two big men, Southeastern’s Matt Poole and Rudegeair. But Southeastern
did not have an answer for Skinner, the Bulldogs’ top scoring forward,
and Anthony Brandon, who scored 12 points.
Brandon and fellow guards Rory Hotaling, Brandon
Frye and Duncan Silvert-Noftle shut down the Trojans’ second top scorer,
Wade Rice, who scored 8 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.
The No. 3-seeded Bulldogs scored first and kept
on going with their press. One misstep, like when a Trojan threw a pass
that bounced off his teammate’s back, and the Bulldogs were right
there to take possession and score.
But Southeastern stayed with the Bulldogs, and the
teams were tied at 11 at the end of the first quarter. The Trojans played
tough underneath, making it difficult for the Bulldogs to establish anything
early in the low post, but midway through the second quarter Brandon found
a hole in the Trojan throng and hit an elegant hook shot close to the basket.
Skinner, Rudegeair and Brandon were able to hit
several more baskets underneath to give the Bulldogs a 25–18 lead
at the half.
The Bulldogs held the lead in the third quarter
with an airtight defense that closed on the Trojans like sliding doors.
But the Trojans also stepped up their defense and trailed 33–29 at
the end of the third.
By the fourth quarter, however, the Bulldogs began
to pull away. When Hotaling drove the length of the court and passed to
Rudegeair, who hit a field goal to make the score 37–29, the Trojans
called time out to regroup.
The Bulldogs countered the Trojans’ pressing
defense by holding the ball and waiting for the best opportunities before
shooting. The strategy led to several easy Bulldog baskets.
With just a few minutes left, Poole stole the ball
and drove to the hoop when Skinner stole the ball from behind and passed
to Rudegeair, who was waiting for an easy layup. The Bulldogs’ fans
went wild, and before they had a chance to sit back down in their seats,
Skinner fed Brandon for an easy score underneath, giving the Bulldogs a
46–33 lead. Skinner and Brandon hooked up again for another basket
moments later to cap the scoring.
With just 20 seconds left, Hotaling’s quick
hands won possession for the Bulldogs and passed to Skinner, who calmly
dribbled at half court as the clock ran down.
Though the Bulldogs did not make a 3-point shot
(Southeastern had four), they had just 10 turnovers. Skinner had 12 rebounds
and Rudegeair 10.
“Our effort was sky high this game,”
coach Brad Newsome said. “The turnovers were huge for us, and when
we score and get our press going, it’s hard to stop it.”
The Bulldogs were able to keep Poole from establishing
his presence inside early and caused Southeastern to make several turnovers
by wearing the Trojans down with their press.
Newsome said the Bulldogs’ deep bench —
the Bulldogs regularly play eight — allows the team to press throughout
the game.
Skinner also came up with some big plays, Newsome
said. “He made things happen for us,” the coach said. Rudegeair
attributed the team’s faster transition game to “the hardest
week of practice we’ve had all year.”
Hotaling remembered losing to Southeastern in middle
school and said that beating the Trojans was “the best feeling I’ve
had all season.”
After the game, the Bulldogs turned their attention
to Russia, the No. 2 seed in the Piqua bracket. The two teams played Wednesday
night, after the News went to press.
With a win, Yellow Springs will advance to regional
semifinals, where they will play the winner of the Wapokoneta district on
Tuesday, March 16, at 6:15 p.m., at Miami University.
Win that game and the ’Dogs could face rival
Jefferson in the regional finals on Friday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m., at Miami.
—Lauren Heaton
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