Lady Pirates upset by Johnnies in playoffs
The dream season sloganed as “The Last Dance” by coach Jamie Edwards for the Cardington-Lincoln Lady Pirates is over.
In mid-January, few would have figured that C-L would go one-and-done in the playoffs, but that was before a struggling three-week stretch of a half-dozen games, beginning with a Jan. 17 loss to River Valley that ended C-L’s 51-game regular season unbeaten streak. The Lady Pirates went 3-3 over those six games.
Cardington-Lincoln closed the KMAC season with its first league loss in six years (68 games), losing to Danville 68-63. The Lady Pirates had clinched their seventh straight KMAC title two weeks earlier. After righting the ship with wins over Olentangy Berlin and Grandview Heights (first round tournament game), the Lady Pirates were confident entering the second round matchup with Johnstown-Monroe at Berlin Olentangy on Feb. 22. Cardington-Lincoln entered the game with an 18-3 record, and the Johnnies were 13-8 going in.
The playoff match started as Cardington had planned, with a 13-4 lead after one. That momentum continued, as the Lady Pirates owned a 27-15 advantage at the half. After the break, it all went wrong for C-L as the Johnnies did a complete score reversal in the second half, minus one for C-L, at 27-14, and Johnstown came away with a 42-41 upset win.
Johnstown-Monroe will take on Pleasant in the Division 3 district finals.
Danville squeaks by Ridgedale, moves on to finals
The Blue Devils and Rockets played down to the final buzzer in the Division 4 District semifinal game Feb. 23 at Highland High School, and the ‘Devils came away with a 50-48 victory
Danville jumped out to a 16-11 first quarter lead on the strength of nine points by Brooklynn Hess on three deuces and a trey. Ridgedale’s Raylynn Mullins, who was a force in each period until she fouled out after hitting 16 points, countered with six first-quarter points for the Rockets.
Ridgedale played with intensity in the second and cut the lead to 28-27 at halftime. Ella Proper hit her second three of the game in the period for the Lady Blue Devils.
Danville again took control in the third with a 16-7 run to hold a 44-34 lead entering the fourth. Jaylyn Workman hit a bucket and went 4-for-4 at the line for Danville.
The Rockets were not done and stormed back in the fourth, falling short after Mullins fouled out. The Rockets' swarming defense held Danville to six points in the fourth, but it was enough for the win. Hess led all scorers with 20 points, Alenah Boeshart scored 10 and Ella Proper had eight for Danville.
Ridgedale finished at 13-8 and was 6-0 in its conference (Northwest Central). Danville moves on at 16-5 and was 10-2 in KMAC play. The Devils continue on to the district finals to play Fisher Catholic today at 4 p.m. at Capital University.
