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Dana Mathews’ 38 points stun Salem
By TOM WILLIAMS
AUSTINTOWN
After watching Dana Mathews develop into a 1,300-point scorer over the past four years, little she does on the court surprises Struthers High coach John Grandy.
That includes the 38 points that she scored on Saturday in the biggest game of her varsity career as Mathews lifted the Wildcats (19-5) to a 59-54 victory over Salem in the Division II district final at Fitch High.
“I don’t know that she’s had a stronger [game],” said Grandy after the Wildcats earned their first regional appearance in 14 years. “Dana can go off at any time.”
Tuesday at 6:15 p.m., Struthers will play Geneva at Barberton High in a regional semifinal.
Grandy also wasn’t surprised to see Ohio State recruit Amy Scullion lead the Quakers (18-6) with 20 points, five steals and five rebounds.
“Amy is going to get her points, so the game plan was to make the other four work a little harder,” said Grandy, whose team lost 57-32 at Salem on Dec. 21.
The Wildcats trailed 43-38 at the end of the third quarter, but Mathews scored her final 13 points down the stretch as Struthers won the fourth quarter, 21-13.
“I told the girls ‘this isn’t over — we’re right where we want to be because they think they’ve won it,’ ” said Mathews of her team’s halftime talk when they were behind 35-28. “I didn’t care how many I scored — all I cared about was cutting down the nets.”
After a seesaw first quarter, the Quakers surged in the second frame after Struthers’ taller players, Helen-Marie Hird and Kaitlyn Opritza, picked up their second fouls. Salem’s Andrea Seguin took advantage, scoring three baskets and four throws for the Quakers’ seven-point advantage at intermission.
The tide began to turn in Struthers’ favor in the fourth quarter when Mathews and Katelyn Ardale hit 3-pointers to cut their deficit to 46-44.
A 7-0 run that included another Mathews’ 3-pointer gave Struthers a 53-48 edge with two minutes to go.
In the final 10 seconds, with the Quakers trailing 57-54, they turned the ball over on a travel, fouled Mathews and watched her sink two more free throws to ice the contest.
Mathews dedicated the victory to Doris Lancy, the Wildcats’ scorekeeper who died of cancer last season.
“Before she died, we told her that we’d be here so that’s why this win is so emotional for us,” Mathews said.
Hird, who spent much of the game trying to contain Scullion, said, “She’s a great basketball player. Not only can she take it to the hoop, she’s a great outside shooter.
“And she knows how to interact with her team, get them the ball. [Ashley] Baron did great [defending] her,” Hird said.
“I’m speechless — we haven’t beaten them since eighth grade,” Hird said. “To make it past districts is unbelievable.”
Since 2004 when the Quakers were state semifinalists, they have finished district runners-up five times.