McDonald ‘Clipped’ in district final

Joe Blinsky helped Columbiana rally for a 73-67 victory.

By PETE MOLLICA

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

STRUTHERS — Columbiana senior Joe Blinsky said he doesn’t like being in close games, but you would never have known that by his performance in Friday night’s Division IV district championship game against McDonald at the Struthers Fieldhouse.

Blinsky scored 32 points, including nine in the game’s final four minutes, and calmly made two free throws with just 20 seconds remaining that ensured the Clippers (22-1) a 73-67 victory and a berth in next week’s Division IV regional tournament at the Canton Fieldhouse.

“We knew this was going to be a battle and I really don’t like close games like this,” said Blinsky, who brought his team back from a three-point deficit after three quarters.

“We really didn’t shoot the ball that well tonight, but we got off a lot of shots and enough of them went in,” he added.

The Clippers shot just 33 percent from the field, hitting on 29-of-83 attempts, while the Blue Devils (19-5) hit on 26-of-66 from the field.

Columbiana coach Eric Whitmer lauded his players for their fourth quarter comeback when they outscored McDonald 27-18.

“We’ve been down before and by a lot more than we were tonight, but we felt that if we just continued to put the pressure on them we would be OK,” Whitmer said.

McDonald coach Jeff Rasile said that although his team still had a chance to win the game, he felt the Blue Devils lost it in the first half.

“Our statistics had us at 1-for-7 from the foul line, 10 missed layups and 15 turnovers in the first half,” Rasile said. “You aren’t going to win many games playing like that.

“Give Columbiana credit; they are a very good team and they have great depth and are very strong physically and they used that strength against us, especially in the fourth quarter,” Rasile said.

Junior Kevin Blinsky added 16 points for the Clippers, including eight over the final three minutes, while Andrew Tirpak added 12 points.

The Blue Devils were led by 6-foot-5 senior Adam Streb with 28 points, while junior Lance Ronghi added 23, including five 3-point goals.

The contest was every bit as close as the score indicated with 14 lead changes in the first half alone. McDonald, who Rasile said played so poorly in the opening two quarters, trailed only by three points, 30-27, at the intermission.

Columbiana pulled out to a 36-27 lead early in the third quarter behind Joe Blinsky, who scored six straight points, but the Blue Devils battled back to deadlock the contest at 40, then connecting on five straight free throws, led 44-40.

McDonald took a 49-46 lead into the final quarter, but the Clippers quickly tied the game at 52 on three straight buckets by Tirpak. The game was tied for a final time at 58 before Columbiana took the lead for good and Joe Blinsky put them ahead 65-61 on an easy layup with 1:55 remaining.

The Blue Devils came back and closed the gap to 69-67 with less than a minute remaining, but first Kevin Blinsky hit two free throws with 27.7 seconds and then Joe Blinsky iced the win with two more with 20 seconds left.

mollica@vindy.com