Hathaway Brown eliminates Canfield, 45-42

By JOE SCALZO

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

BARBERTON — Canfield High girls basketball coach Pat Pavlansky leaned against a wall, shook his head and sighed. He was decked out in all black, matching his mood — and the mood of his players, who were still in the locker room 30 feet away.

“There wasn’t any special magic potion here tonight,” said Pavlansky, whose team fell 45-42 to Shaker Heights Hathaway Brown in Friday’s Division II regional final at Barberton High School. “They played a little bit better than we did.”

When the teams met in December, the Cardinals pulled away for a 16-point game on the strength of two things: Jillian Halfhill’s creativity at the point, and Bryanne Halfhill’s deadly shooting from outside.

So, entering Friday’s game, Blazers coach Paul Barlow pointed to his super-quick sophomore point guard, Alexis Dobbs, and issued a challenge: Stop Jillian Halfhill.

“I think the game the first time helped us in a certain way to show us what us what we really didn’t do,” he said. “We really thought going into [tonight’s] game that Jillian Halfhill was the key to the whole game.

“We felt the less she had the ball, the better off we’d be.”

Dobbs, who finished with seven assists and three steals, pressured Jillian Halfhill all game and the Blazers played terrific perimeter defense, forcing Bryanne Halfhill and Melissa West to take shots with hands in their face.

On the other end, Northeast Lakes district player of the year Mylan Woods, also a sophomore, took control offensively, scoring 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting.

“I told her that today was a day that she needed to step up and make sure when she had opportunity on offense and the ability to go to the basket to put the shots up and take the game over, she did,” said Barlow, whose Blazers (21-4) are making their second straight trip to Columbus. “We felt the mismatch defensively was there.”

Hathaway Brown led for much of the game, opening up an eight-point lead early in the third quarter. But Canfield fought back to within two, 31-29, midway through the quarter.

The game stayed close the rest of the way, with the Cardinals cutting their deficit to one, 40-39, with less than a minute remaining on two free throws by Bryanne Halfhill.

But with the Cardinals forced to foul, Dobbs made four straight free throws and Canfield had a crucial turnover and a miss on the other end.

Just like that, a senior class that won four straight league titles saw their careers stop one step from state.

“They just made a few more plays than we did,” said Pavlansky. “But I couldn’t be prouder of the kids and their effort, especially the seniors.

“The kids are crushed right now. They hated to see this end.”

The Northeast Inland district player of the year, Canfield senior Kate Popovec, played well inside, scoring nine points to go along with 12 rebounds and three blocks. But the Blazers — who have six players 6-1 or taller — were able to make her work for everything.

Jillian Halfhill added nine points and seven rebounds for the Cardinals (21-3), while Kalie Luklan added seven points off the bench.

About 20 minutes afterward, Pavlansky sat by himself on the bleachers and rubbed his forehead. When told that Boardman had won, he said, “Well, at least we got one team down there.”

Could have used two, he was told.

“Sure could,” he said.

scalzo@vindy.com