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Brookfield outlasts Girard in OT
Photo
Brookfield’s McKenzie Drapola, left, tries to steal the ball from Girard’s Dakota Naples during the third quarter of their Division III district semifinal Wednesday at Struthers Field House. The Warriors slipped past the Indians, 46-43, in overtime.
Change of plans carries
Brookfield to OT victory
By Steve Wilaj
Struthers
Following a dismal first half in which Brookfield trailed by 10 points at the break, the top-seeded Warriors were in an unfamiliar position Wednesday night against Girard.
So, head coach Shawn Hammond scrapped his initial plans and made it simple on his team.
“I told them at halftime to just go play the game now,” Hammond said. “Just match up and play the game — not too much thinking.”
While it wasn’t pretty, Brookfield battled back to defeat third-seeded Girard in overtime, 46-43, in a Division III semifinal showdown at the Struthers Field House. The Warriors (20-4) — who erased an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit — will face South Range at 1 p.m. Saturday for the district championship.
SDLqI’m just proud of my kids — one though 15,” Hammond said. “In the second half, we went away from what we normally do playing zone. We switched to man [defense] and our girls did a nice job of just battling.”
Brookfield outscored the Indians (20-4) 14-6 in the fourth quarter and took a 33-32 lead with 4:46 remaining on a Delaney Saxton layup. A couple of minutes later, a jumper by Autumn Kirila extended the lead to 36-33.
“We just kept shooting even though we were missing earlier,” said Brookfield guard McKenzie Drapola, who scored a game-high 16 points. “We knew eventually one would go in, so we just kept pushing.”
However, two jump shots by Girard’s Dakota Naples — the second coming with just 20 seconds remaining in the fourth — tied the contest at 37 to force overtime.
In the extra period, Brookfield took control on three consecutive free throws to break a tie. Madison Bellis made one free throw with 1:12 remaining, before Destiny May connected on two more to push the lead to 44-41 with 32 seconds left.
A short Naples jumper with 20 seconds to play cut the Girard deficit to one point, but three consecutive offensive rebounds for Brookfield following missed free throws then sealed the victory. In all, the Warriors outrebounded Girard 47-26.
“Rebounding killed us,” Indians coach Andy Saxon said. “I thought our defense played really well. The shots they were getting weren’t great shots, but when they’re getting second and third put-backs — that’s what hurt.”
Both teams struggled shooting, as Brookfield — which received 12 points each from Saxton and Kirila — shot 35 percent. Girard — led by Ali Ciminero’s 14 points and Naples 11 points — shot 28 percent.
Still, the Indians jumped out to a 26-16 halftime lead keyed by a 18-10 second-quarter advantage and four Ciminero 3’s.
“I thought we played real well in the first half,” Saxon said. “Then I think our lack of experience and our youth — without any seniors — showed.”