Ursuline doesn't let history repeat, wins title this time

After losing last year's Div. III district final to Mooney, Ursuline reigned this time against Newton Falls.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
HANOVERTON -- One year helps wash away the tears, but it doesn't mean you forget.
The Ursuline High girls basketball team didn't Saturday in a 44-32 victory over Newton Falls in the Division III district championship game at United High School.
One year ago, Ursuline's season ended in an overtime loss to Cardinal Mooney in the district title game. Irish players cried in the locker room after the game.
The role of this year's seniors, Shannon Burley, Dorothy Delboccio and Diana Samad, was to inspire their teammates and remind them of the past.
Not again: "Everybody who played in that game did not want that to happen again," said Burley, whose team advanced to a regional semifinal game Wednesday against Akron Manchester/Doylestown Chippewa at Mount Union College.
Delboccio, who scored a team-high 13 points, said, "We definitely didn't want this game to have the same theme as last year -- crying in the locker room."
But Ursuline (19-5) struggled at the outset against Newton Falls (15-9), which was playing in the district title game one season after winning just three games.
"We weren't supposed to be here in the first place," Newton Falls coach Kelly Nelson said. "We tried to get a four seed, but they laughed at us."
Took control: Leading 18-13 at halftime, the top-seeded Irish refocused and took control.
"We came out with a lot of fire," Burley said of the second half. "In the locker room, we had a talk about how this could be our last game. It made us realize that we didn't want to go home yet, that we wanted to keep playing. So we came out with a lot of passion."
A 12-2 run to start the third quarter gave Ursuline a 30-15 lead and Newton Falls didn't seriously challenge thereafter.
"We had some choice words for them at halftime," Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said. "But we wanted to pick up the defensive pressure.
"We've been a great third-quarter team all year," Durkin said. "We definitely wanted to take control so it didn't become a close game down the stretch."
Turnovers: Newton Falls turned the ball over eight times in the third quarter and continued its shooting struggles. The Tigers were 13-of-43 from the field for the game.
"We go from shooting 68 percent Thursday [in a win over South Range] to freezing tonight," Nelson said.
Ursuline freshman Courtney Davidson added 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Senior Laura Toot led Newton Falls with 14 points, while junior Kellie Drake had 12 rebounds.