Long-range Chippewa shots too much for Newton Falls

March 3, 2016 at 12:08a.m.

By Marty Gitlin

CUYAHOGA FALLS

The Newton Falls High School girls basketball team did not bomb out in their Division III girls regional semifinal Wednesday night. They were bombed out by Doylestown Chippewa.

There’s a big difference. The Tigers, fresh off their first district championship, collapsed under the weight of a Chipps bomb-fest.

Chippewa hit nine 3-pointers, including four in a decisive third quarter, to run away with a 51-36 victory and regional final berth against Gilmour Academy on Saturday.

Indeed, it was a shot from beyond the arc to end the first half that signaled the beginning of the end.

Tigers sophomore forward Isabelle Kline had cut the deficit to 18-14 with a three-point play, but Chippewa junior guard Taylor Richards (season-high 22 points) nailed a bomb at the buzzer to stretch the lead to seven.

Newton Falls (24-2) never recovered.

Richards picked up where she left off at intermission with another 3-pointer to make it 26-14. Successive bombs from Carly Koncz and Richards pushed it to 35-18.

Meanwhile, Chippewa senior forward Ashley Richardson was taking feeds underneath the hoop. She scored eight of her team’s 24 third-quarter points.

Yet another Richards 3-pointer concluded a 32-11 blitz as Chippewa doubled up Newton Falls at 50-25. Only a garbage time run by the Tigers made the final score a bit more respectable.

And after the packed house at Cuyahoga Falls High School had filed out, Newton Falls senior forward Gabby Kline spoke wistfully about having played her last game with a team that had made its first regional appearance.

Kline, who missed some of the second quarter with foul trouble, was held to just three points in the first half after having averaged 19.2 on the year. She finished with 11.

“It’s really sad that it’s over and I’ve enjoyed my four years here a lot,” Kline said. “But I’m on to a new chapter in my life and it’s time to move on.

“Everyone loses unless you’re a state champ and I guess it was our time,” Kline said.

“I’m really proud to have been part of this team and to be forever part of the best team in school history. There’s no better feeling than that.”

One talent that made Chippewa superior was its ability to change defenses. Newton Falls coach Mark Baker wished the Chipps hadn’t fallen where they may.

“They change defenses so quickly on you,” Baker said. “As soon as the girls got set up, they did something else. They did a great job of changing defenses.

“They must have a lot of intelligent young ladies on that team to be able to change as quickly as they do. It’s very impressive.”

Early on, the Tigers were missing shots that could have given them a significant lead while their 2-3 zone was preventing Chippewa from finding an offensive flow.

The Chipps were held to three Jaime Sammons 3-pointers in the first quarter, which ended with Newton Falls trailing only 9-7.

But the loss of Gabby Kline hurt the Tigers, particularly offensively, in the second quarter.

Soon they were doomed, but Baker wasn’t complaining.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” he said.

“I couldn’t be more proud for the kids or more happy to call myself their coach.”