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Ursuline pulls away from top-seeded Springfield
Ursuline pulls away from top-seeded Tigers
By Greg Gulas
STRUTHERS
Tanaya Beacham scored 27 points and hauled in nine rebounds while Simone Comer added 12 points and six caroms to lead the third-seeded Ursuline High girls basketball team to a 61-44 upset of top-seeded Springfield in Division III district semifinal action Thursday at the Struthers Fieldhouse.
The Irish (12-10) will play South Range in Saturday’s championship game, marking their first appearance in the title game since winning the crown in 2012.
The Tigers (21-3) had won 17 straight.
“When our girls lost their first tournament game last season, they actually grew up because they found out what it takes in order to keep advancing through the tournament,” Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said. “It was a learning experience that I hope continues to pay dividends the next few years.
“Tanaya and Simone remain our 1-2 punch inside, but today we got a boost from Makayla Berry. Her high energy changed things up and gave us a big lift when we needed it most.”
Beacham scored 12 points in the first half as Ursuline led 27-21 at halftime.
“Springfield is an excellent team that likes to penetrate when they have the ball. We knew we would have to take away that part of their game if we expected to win,” Beacham said. “We also wanted to limit their second-chance points and for the most part were able to do that tonight.”
Baylee Felger scored six of her team-high 11 points in the third period, off-setting nine points by Beacham and Comer as the Tigers pulled within 41-36 entering the fourth.
Beacham scored nine of Ursuline’s first 11 points in the final quarter as the Irish outscored the Tigers, 20-8 to seal the victory.
“Through the first three quarters we were right there with a shot to pull it off. Our girls played really hard and were emotionally invested from the opening tip,” Springfield coach Jim Schuler said. “Ursuline is a talented team and we knew from the outset that Beacham would be tough to handle. We had a game plan for her, but she continued to make big plays at both ends of the court.”
Ursuline was 26 of 57 from the field while the Irish defense limited the Tigers to 18 of 50 (36 percent).
Neither team could hit from beyond the arc as Ursuline connected on just one of seven shots, holding Springfield scoreless in 11 attempts.
Ursuline held a 33-27 advantage on the boards with Kennedy Richey pulling down a team-high six rebounds for the Tigers.
Durkin felt his team played nervous in the first half.
“We tweaked some things at halftime and played much better after intermission,” Durkin added. “A game like this is a lot of fun and a great atmosphere for the girls. It’s a great experience for everyone and only gets better from here.”