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South Range rolls to regional trip
Second-seeded Raiders too much for Brookfield
STRUTHERS
On paper, the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup looked inviting, but, on the floor Saturday, it was a mismatch as the second-seeded South Range High girls basketball team defeated top-seeded Brookfield, 73-43, in the Division III district championship game.
South Range (22-4) and second-year coach Tony Matisi earned back-to-back titles out of the Struthers Fieldhouse district and will return to Cuyahoga Falls where, a year ago, the Raiders fell in the semifinals.
Wednesday at 8 p.m., South Range will play Doylestown Chippewa.
Brookfield, whose last regional appearance was by a Morgan Bonekovic-led team in 2008, was neutralized by its inability to contain South Range’s transition game.
Brookfield head coach Shawn Hammond said it was the most points one of his teams had given up in a long time.
“They’re a very good balanced basketball team,” said Hammond, who completed his 12th season with the Warriors.
South Range’s Morgan Czopur had a game-high 22 points, followed by Ashley Sharp’s 18, which included 12 at the foul line.
The Raiders sank 26 of 38 free throws. South Range hit an outstanding 60 percent of its field goals (21 of 35) as the Raiders showed their skills and rode the back of Sara Durr’s post presence. Jordan Youngs added 13 points.
For Matisi, the payoff of a district championship entitled him to gush and gloat.
“It never gets old. We’re so confident right now and we’ve been playing so well – in all facets — the last three weeks,” said Matisi, who, including seven with Lowellville, celebrated his ninth district crown.
“I’m going to attribute that to our scheduling at the end of the season,” Matisi said. “Everyone says you’re crazy by going to West Branch and going to Canfield, but, after Canfield, everything just clicked.
“The girls understood why we did it [getting back in the gym to tweak their game] and I think that did us wonders.”
With the 6-3 Durr, Matisi has a luxury — and a weapon.
“We can do everything up top – our trapping, etc. — knowing that Sara’s there and it’s been like that all season. We’ve run a diamond [defense], we’ve run a man, and, when we get beat, we don’t care because they’re not going to score if they take it into the paint.”
In causing 23 Brookfield turnovers, Matisi praised his girls’ defensive preparation — mostly halfcourt press — by assistant Mike Kollar.
“He works with them an hour every day to deny, especially up the line,” Matisi said.
Of Czopur, Matisi said, “She banks them home, gave us confidence and got us on top. We never felt threatened.”
Durr had eight points, six rebounds and three blocks.
“I like playing more inside. I like being most valuable down low and I like blocking,” said Durr, a senior. “It feels good to be back to this point again and I think it helps to have the experience [of a previous regional experience].
“I think we’re going to come out even stronger this year.”
Brookfield’s sophomore point guard McKenzie Drapola had a team-high 12 points and shared a team-high number of rebounds (seven) with Destiny May for the Warriors, who bowed out 20-5.
Hammond somewhat downplayed the validity of being the No. 1 seed that lost by 30 points in the championship game.
“We got it by one vote,” Hammond said. “When you get in a tournament by one vote, it’s how many guys are in your league when it comes down to that. We were probably as surprised as anybody, but we’ll take it anytime.
“You tell your kids that you play to earn a No. 1 seed, then, whatever you do with it is all you want. They wanted to be here and they got their shot. We had the support of our league [All-American Conference] and I’m sure his league [Matisi’s Inter Tri-County League] felt the same way.”