McDonald's defense key in Div. IV title game win

Tomisa Sangregorio disrupted Columbiana's plans in the Blue Devils' 69-42 victory.
By DOUG CHAPIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
HUBBARD -- The shortest of the 10 starters had the biggest impact in McDonald High's 69-42 victory over Columbiana Saturday in the Division IV girls basketball district championship game at Hubbard High.
It wasn't McDonald's senior standout Ashleigh Tondo, despite her 27 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and six steals.
Nor was it the Blue Devils' Emily Dolsak, Amy Dolsak or Ashshena Stephens, who scored 13, 12 and nine points, respectively.
Five-foot-3 senior guard Tomisa Sangregorio scored two points and dished out two assists for McDonald. But it was her work at the other end of the floor, taking Columbiana point guard Krista Johnson out of the offense that made the difference.
As the Clippers tried to adjust to McDonald's defense, the Blue Devils went from a 13-10 lead with about two minutes remaining in the first quarter to a 32-10 lead halfway through the second.
Up next
McDonald will play Thursday in the second game of a regional semifinal doubleheader at Massillon Perry High. The Blue Devils (23-1) will play Bedford Chanel or Ashtabula Sts. John and Paul.
Sangregorio, and later Alyssa Krumpak, hounded Johnson wherever she went, with or without the ball. The other four Devils were in a 1-3 alignment, helping stop Johnson's penetration whenever necessary.
"We knew their point guard [Johnson] was very good penetrating and also shooting the three, so we thought if we disrupted her it would cause their offense to be sluggish," McDonald coach Rob Hilbun said. "Sangregorio and Krumpak were phenomenal.
"They both are quick and play good man-to-man defense, and in this case all they had to worry about was Johnson."
Added Columbiana coach Wayne Johnson: "It definitely affected us, we were standing around a lot and couldn't get into our offense, we couldn't get any ball movement."
Experience counts
Two other factors in the Blue Devils' favor was their experience in the district championship game (they lost to Lowellville last year), and that the Clippers are an up-tempo team.
Columbiana (20-4) had great success this season playing a transition game and pressuring opponents. But McDonald showed Saturday it plays that game better.
"We knew they were athletic and liked to get after it," Johnson said of the Devils. "But when you get in the game and you are actually facing that speed ... they were a little bit faster than we thought."
With Tondo and Amy Dolsak the primary ballhandlers, McDonald attacked the Columbiana press.
The first bucket of McDonald's 19-point run was a good example of the Devils' ability against the press.
Tondo was dribbling up the sideline against pressure when she fired a pass from near halfcourt to Amy Dolsak in the key.
Dolsak was moving away from Tondo and was fairly well covered. But she took the perfect pass for a layup, a difficult play on both ends which the Devils made look easy.
Shortly thereafter, the Clippers played half-court defense the rest of the way.
"Ashleigh has been phenomenal for us all year," Hilbun said of Tondo who scored or assisted on 16 of the 19 points in the run. "Today was an example of how big players step up in big games."
"She doesn't just score, she controls the game," Johnson said of Tondo.
Columbiana got to within 40-25 with 1:30 left in the first half and had possession. But a steal by Emily Dolsak led to two Tondo free throws. The Devils started the third quarter with an 11-1 run in which Tondo scored or assisted on every point, making it 53-26.
Sophomore post player Katie Douglas had 16 points for Columbiana and Johnson, a junior, finished with 10.