Boardman falls 54-49 to McKinley

The Lady Pups eventually found a way to slow the Spartans’ Darryce Moore.

By TOM WILLIAMS

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

ALLIANCE — Canton McKinley girls basketball coach Pamela Davis watched Ohio State recruit Darryce Moore scored 10 points in the third quarter of Saturday’s Federal League championship game and knew she had to respond.

Davis’ strategy to play keepaway and gobble time off the clock paid off as the Lady Pups (16-2, 9-1) disrupted the Spartans’ surging offense just enough for McKinley’s 54-49 victory at Alliance High.

“We definitely wanted to run some time off the clock because Ryce is a force inside,” Davis said. “We weren’t getting clean looks at the basket due to their defense.”

Moore’s dominance in the third quarter followed her watching about nine minutes of the first half from the bench. With the offense flowing, Boardman wiped out McKinley’s 33-26 halftime advantage, outscoring the Lady Pups 14-5 for a two-point lead heading into a seesaw fourth quarter.

The Spartans lead grew to 44-39 when Monica Touvelle scored on a jumpshot. McKinley’s Ameryst Alston responded by scoring the next eight points (two baskets, a 3-pointer and a free throw).

Touvelle tied the game at 47 with a 3-pointer, but McKinley’s Aaliyah Dotson made a basket and free throw for a 3-point cushion.

With less than four minutes remaining, the Lady Pups began tossing the ball around as the Spartans chased for about 90 seconds.

Touvelle stole a pass, but the Lady Pups had the ball back within 10 seconds as Sydnee Penn forced a turnover.

Dotson then contributed three free throws for a 53-47 lead.

“Boardman is tough,” Davis said. “We caught a few breaks where they missed some lay-ups and free throws in the fourth quarter late.”

The Spartans and Lady Pups finished Federal League play with 9-1 records. But for winning the tournament, McKinley earned the league crown.

In the regular-season game at McKinley, Boardman won, 54-49, in overtime.

Moore led the Spartans with 16 points and Touvelle netted 14. Point guard Doriyon Glass, who missed a few minutes of action in the first half when she went to the locker room, scored eight points.

For the Lady Pups, Alston’s 20 points included 11 free throws. Dotson scored 11.

The Spartans (ranked 10th in this week’s Associated Press poll of Ohio’s Division I teams) and Lady Pups (ranked ninth) could meet again. Boardman has the top seed in the Division I district tournament at Alliance and McKinley is second. They are on opposite sides of the bracket and can only meet in the district final on March 6.

With Moore on the bench after two fouls in the first 61‚Ñ2 minutes and Glass getting attention, Allison Borts, Amanda Volosin and Kayleigh Lipke came off the bench.

“We got a lot of good play from Volosin, Borts, Lipke and [starter Brooke] Meenachan,” Boardman coach Ron Moschella said.

McKinley’s largest lead was nine points in the second quarter as Surya Gaffney’s basket capped a 9-0 run for a 31-22 lead. Free throws by Touvelle and Glass sliced the gap to 31-26 to keep the Lady Pups in reach.

Both teams suffered an injury loss — Borts and McKinley starter Jasmine Neal.

Just before halftime, Neal drove to the basket and collided with Borts, injuring her right knee.

“I think it was just a bruise, I don’t think it was a tear,” Davis said of Neal’s injury. “It was a pretty violent collision, but I think it’s just a bruise. She’ll probably be OK when tournament time comes around.”

In the fourth quarter, Borts was in another collision, got up and then collapsed almost immediately while trying to chase the ball. She sat out the final seven minutes.

williams@vindy.com