DIVISION IV Mineral Ridge hangs on for 55-53 win

Southern climbed back into the game to scare the Rams.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
STRUTHERS -- After a 15-day layoff, a team isn't a sharp.
That may have been top-seeded Mineral Ridge's reason for allowing Southern Local back in the game after holding a 14-point lead in Saturday night's Division IV sectional championship at Struthers Fieldhouse.
"You can try to simulate game-like conditions in practice, but it's just not the same until you play with someone else," Mineral Ridge coach Del Ruiter said after his team escaped Southern Local, 55-53.
Vance Keirsey had 21 points and 19 rebounds for the Rams (19-2), who play Canton Heritage Christian (17-5) next.
Micah Hall added 11 points for the winners, who held a 43-29 lead with two minutes left in the third quarter.
"We have a tendency to become complacent," Ruiter said. "We'll get up on a team -- 12-15 points -- and we're satisfied with that. Then we sort of have these mind explosions where we forget our fundamentals.
Fundamental problem
"We forget to move the ball around and our halfcourt game and we come down and throw one pass and throw a shot up. It's not good, fundamental basketball.
"It was an ugly win, but I'll take it."
Keirsey made nine of 12 free throws in the game in which Ridge converted 17 of 33 foul shots.
Dan DeSellum had 14 points to lead Southern (14-8).
Southern had just two leads in the game, 6-5, when DeSellum made a fadeaway jumper and 8-7, when Nick Puckett made a goal with a minute remaining in the first quarter.
From that point, Ridge went on a 16-2 run to take a 23-10 lead.
Comeback
Late in the third quarter and into the fourth, Southern had a 10-3 run to pull within 46-39. The Indians then came within 46-45 when Tyler Baker made one of two free throw attempts with 3:42 left.
A goal by Baker kept the Indians within one, 48-47, before John Hack's goal gave the Rams a little breathing room at 50-47.
Andrew Diaz added 10 points for Southern, which made only six of 12 free throws.
"It's tough when you have an X on your back," Ruiter said of opponents' enthusiasm. "We're ranked sixth in the state and everybody's gunning for us. But the boys answered, that's the bottom line."
Ruiter said that Heritage Christian has a good inside game with a 6-6 player, while Keirsey and Hack are only 6-1 and 6-2, respectively.
Ridge's only losses were to Lowellville and Springfield Local.
bassetti@vindy.com