Division I Akron Regional semi top performers
St. Vincent-St. Mary (22-3) stands just a win away from another trip to the state Final Four. Only Lima Sr. stands in the way of the Fighting Irish who won the Division II title a year ago and this year…
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Continue ReadingSt. Vincent-St. Mary (22-3) stands just a win away from another trip to the state Final Four. Only Lima Sr. stands in the way of the Fighting Irish who won the Division II title a year ago and this year are fighting for the title in Division I. Those two will play on March 16 at 6 p.m. at Rhodes Arena.
The Irish needed a big effort to get past Olmsted Falls (23-3) in the semifinal on March 13 at the University of Akron.
The Irish trailed 16-0 late in the first quarter but were able to take control of the game thanks to a stifling defensive effort and came away with a 47-37 win.
Here are the top six performers from the game in no particular order
Seth Wilson (2021), G, 6-3
He scored 11 points in the pivotal third quarter including three 3-pointers. Olmsted Falls dared him to shoot and he drained 3 big triples to key the comeback.
Strong ball handler, good defender and a good passer.
Lunden McDay (2019), 6-3, G
When the Irish got off to their nightmare start he helped lead the comeback with some big inside buckets that steadied the game. He repeatedly was able to slice inside off the dribble and score as he finished with 14 points. He also passes off for five assists. His playmaking helped open up the floor for the Irish late in the game.
McDay scored 10 points in the first half.
Darius Cone, (2019), 6-3, F
Came off the bench and scored seven points in 13 minutes. His offensive rebound putback of his own miss of a one-and-one free throw chance late in the game was a key bucket in the Irish win. He also grabbed three rebounds.
Malaki Branham (2021), 6-5, F
The talented sophomore scored six points and grabbed five rebounds. He scored some inside buckets early to help the Irish stay connected to Olmsted Falls after the Bulldogs fast start. He’s got a really quick first step and appears to be on the verge of where he’ll regularly beat his defender off the dribble to get to the rim. Long arms and a good jumper.
Eric Hanna, (2019), 6-1, G
Scored 12 points to lead the Bulldogs. He hit on 2 3-pointers in the game’s first six minutes to help Olmsted Falls jump out to a 16-0 lead. He felt the brunt of the St. V pressure D defense and ended up with seven turnovers and just two assists.
Braden Galaska, 2019, 6-1, G
Finished with the night points. Played fearless and with a non-stop motor as he scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds while having to defend players like the 6-5 Malaki Branham. The highlight of the night may have been when he was spotted talking to Branham after he hit a 3-pointer to put his team up early 5-2.
Gavin Dietrich, (2019), 6-4
He scored eight points and dished out three assists. Displayed some polished offensive skills. Showed real nice form and execution when he hit a step back 3-pointer from straight on, and also threw some nice passes from up top. Good defensive rebounder.