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March 2, 2006
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March 2, 2006 |
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sports ’Dogs end best tourney in decade
Before last week, the YSHS girls basketball team had advanced further in the Division IV district tournament than the Lady Bulldogs had in 10 years. The team finished third in the Metro Buckeye Conference and had won its first two tournament games while building a formidable 16–6 record. But last Friday, Feb. 24, for the fourth-straight year, the Covington Buccaneers, top seed in the Vandalia 2 District and Yellow Springs’ perennial roadblock, breezed by the Lady ’Dogs in a resounding 61–32 win in the district semifinals. Covington (20–3) proved its worth in the game’s first few minutes, mounting an easy 12–0 lead. The Buccs’ monster rebounders and their 60 percent shooting in the first half helped them open the lead to 40–12 by halftime. Though in the third quarter the Buccs built an insurmountable lead, the Lady ’Dogs owned the final period, outscoring Covington 13–2. Megan Burrick, the only senior with the Lady Bulldogs, scored 8 of those off fast breaks to finish with a team-high 12 points. Carly Bailey scored 7, Ashanta Robinson scored 6, Tenia Scarver had 4 and Alisha Walker, 3. Burrick attributed the team’s success this year to its cohesion and to a coach, Alex Autry, who let the players play their own game. “He kind of let us do our own thing, like the way we played a faster game,” she said of Autry. Though she thought the Lady ’Dogs had trouble shooting against Covington and keeping their focus in the beginning of the game, Burrick said she let loose in the final quarter since she had nothing to lose. “It was my last game, and I figured I might as well take advantage of it,” she said. Autry said he knew the Lady Bulldogs felt the pressure of playing Covington, but he thought his team played with great intensity. “I’m proud of the way the girls kept sticking with it. They played hard and didn’t give up,” he said. “It showed the character of the kids.” With only one senior and more than half the team in their first year of high school basketball, the Lady ’Dogs have gained valuable experience this year, Autry said. Their commitment, he added, will also help propel them next year. “These girls love to play basketball, and it shows,” he said. The team includes Burrick, juniors Bailey, Walker and Alisha Lucas, and freshmen Scarver, Robinson, Ryder Comstock, Jessica Kellar, Olivia Chen, Jenny Barnett and Kristin Foster. Bulldogs advance to semis The Bulldogs, who have a record of 18–4 and are seeded second in the Dayton 2 District, will play unseeded Ansonia in the district semifinals on Friday, March 3, at Wright State. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. If they win, the Bulldogs will play on Friday, March 10, at the University of Dayton. Game time will be determined later. The Bulldogs matched the Tigers point for point through the first three quarters and entered the last period tied at 30. Brad Benning-Clark scored 6 of his game-high 19 points to help the ’Dogs pull ahead. Nick Eastman scored 7 and pulled down 9 rebounds, while Ryan Silvert scored 9 points. 5th-grade girls reach semis Against Blanchester, Maryah Martin led the Bulldogs with 9 points. Trailing 16–15 with just over 20 seconds left in overtime, Lois Miller tied the game by hitting a free throw. Although Miller missed the second free throw, Adrianne Beer grabbed the rebound, got fouled, and netted two more foul shots for the win. In other tournament action, the sixth-grade boys lost a close first-round game to Southeastern, and the fifth-grade boys and sixth-grade girls lost to Clinton-Massie. The youth teams wrap up the season with an open tournament at Cedarville, March 6–9. Contact: lheaton@ysnews.com ’Dogs open districts with win The YSHS boys basketball team solidly defeated the Springfield Catholic Central Irish, 61–56, in the first round of the Division IV Dayton 2 District tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 21. YSHS opened the game with a strong offense in the first quarter, with five players, Brad Benning-Clark, Issa Walker, Nick Eastman, Anthony Carter and Jerrico Stubblefield, scoring a total of 18 points. And thanks to tight defense, the ’Dogs held the Irish to only 7 points in the quarter. The Bulldogs were able to keep the pressure up and clean, finishing the first half with only four team fouls and a solid 30–21 lead. The ’Dogs came out hard in the second half, with Benning-Clark coming down with a series of defensive rebounds that he converted into assists. He also left fans gasping with a pump fake reverse layup. But the highlight of the third quarter came with three minutes left when Benning-Clark spotted an unguarded Irish player on the left side of the 3-point line about to take a shot. Benning-Clark ran across the court and jumped into the air, just as the Irish player shot, swatting the ball seven rows up into the stands. However, in the fourth quarter, the Catholic Central Irish began to bridge the Bulldogs’ lead, coming back to 44–39 with five minutes left. A steal by Carter, paired with a basket by Joe Lawhorn, succeeded in bringing the Bulldogs back up, but a missed dunk attempt by Benning-Clark allowed the Irish to narrow the margin to 53–50. The Bulldogs were able to maintain the lead, with Benning-Clark and Eastman sinking a few crisp layups, and the Bulldogs entering the bonus in foul shots. Catholic Central was able to sink one more 3-pointer, but the Bulldogs emerged with a definite victory. Three Bulldogs players scored in double digit figures: Benning-Clark led the team with 19, Ryan Silvert scored 13 and Eastman had 10. Walker and Carter each scored 7 points.
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