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Springfield Tigers get district semifinal win
Gallery
By DAN HINER
dhiner@vindy.com
STRUTHERS
The Springfield boys basketball team has depth; so much so, that no one player is the go-to guy from game to game.
On Monday night, Clay Medvec was the go-to guy.
Medvec scored 21 points in the Tigers’ 56-42 win over Sebring in their Division IV district semifinal at Struthers Fieldhouse.
“I was just open,” Medvec said. “They dropped down to guard Shane [Eynon] because he’s an animal in the paint and they just kicked it out to me. I shot it and made it.”
Medvec made five of Springfield’s eight 3-pointers and helped carry the Tigers’ offense in the first half.
Drew Clark and Shane Eynon both finished with eight points. Clark also had eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks.
“These guys don’t care who scores, they just want to win the game,” Springfield head coach Steve French said.
Gabe Lanzer led the Trojans with 11 points and five rebounds. Joey Clark, Matt Byrd and Zane Peterson each had nine points for Sebring (13-11). Byrd also grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
The Tigers led 14-13 at the end of the first quarter. Then Medvec broke the game open.
Medvec hit a 3-pointer to spark a 13-0 run by the Tigers (19-5) midway through the second quarter. He scored eight of the Tigers’ 13 points in the quarter, leading them to a 27-17 lead just before halftime.
Springfield guard Evan Ohlin took over in the second half, scoring 11 of his 13 points.
Every time the Trojans tried to make a comeback, the Tigers had an answer. Sebring never cut the lead to less than 11 in the second half.
“In tournament you never know what you’re gonna get,” French said. “Could be a fast game, could be a slow game. But I think we handled the pace really well tonight.”
The Tigers built a large enough lead that they started playing keep away in the final three minutes. They ran off more than two minutes of clock, with Ohlin even turning down a open layup with 1:30 left.
The teams split the regular season meetings this year. Medvec said the team focused on improving its defense for the rubber-match, and the defense came through.
Springfield held Sebring to 17-for-37 shooting from the field and only allowed the Trojans to attempt one free throw — an and-one by Byrd in the third quarter.
“They’re the No. 1 seed, they came prepared to play,” Sebring head coach Brian Clark said. “They’re 19-5 now. Coach French and I get along really well. He does a great job with his kids, and honestly we voted them the No. 1 seed for a reason.
“They’ve got good athletes, good coaching and when they come focused like this they’re a pretty tough out for anybody.”
The Trojans were disappointed after the game. Clark said the players felt like they let the community down.
Sebring hasn’t made a district title since the 2004-05 season. That year, the Trojans beat McDonald for the district crown.
“In reality, what they don’t realize for us small-school basketball, they actually lifted them up,” Clark said. “For at least a week, everybody in town believed in those kids.
“Our kids need to realize that they’re part of the hope and tradition we’ve really enjoyed over the years. We’ve got two small schools here. I don’t think anyone has more league titles than these two schools.”
The win gave the Tigers their first shot at a district title since the 2014-15 season. They beat Lisbon 55-53 in the Division III Salem district that year.
The only thing standing between them and a district title is another Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference team. The Tigers will play tonight’s winner between McDonald and Lowellville.
The Tigers beat the Blue Devils in both meetings this year. They split the season series with the Rockets, with the home team winning both games.
“We felt the league was up this year and it shows right here in the district,” French said. “All four MVAC teams here in the district round. It doesn’t matter who it is.
“Both teams are well coached. They have great players, great point guards on each team, so it’s gonna be a battle no matter who’s there.”