The 2023 OHSAA girls sectional basketball playoffs began in mid-February with all 10 local schools in brackets with a chance to advance to the sectional championships and a slot in the district round. On Feb. 24, only one local school was still standing, the Mount Gilead Indians, and in the sectional finals, the team gave it their all.
No. 3 Lancaster Fisher Catholic 51, No. 4 Mount Gilead 42
No. 4-seed Mount Gilead (19-7) laid it all out on the court all season, upsetting one of the top teams in all of Ohio (Berne Union), to get to the sectional finals of the Division IV, Region 15 OHSAA state tournament. While KMAC Player of the Year Madilyn Elson once again put on a show, the Cinderella season came to an end with a 51-42 loss to No. 3 Lancaster Fisher Catholic (22-5).
The Indians and the Irish were neck and neck to start the game, with the Irish taking a 12-10 lead after one quarter. This continued in the second frame and Fisher Catholic held a 24-23 lead going into the locker room at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Irish started to pull away slightly with a 12-9 advantage to make it a 36-32 lead, and they were able to hold on for the win by working for a 15-10 fourth-quarter advantage down the stretch.
Elson led the Indians with 20 points and Candace Millisor also hit double figures in scoring, with 10 points.
Mount Gilead girls basketball coach Nick Vukovich said he couldn’t be any more proud of his squad this season.
“They gave me everything they had and gave everything on the court," Vukovich said after the game. "As the coach, that's all you want from your players."
Vukovich pointed out that the Irish had two big post players and the Indians had trouble matching up with Fisher Catholics' size. He said his squad tried to make up for it with aggressive rebounding, but sometimes size prevails. He commended Fisher Catholic for their strong play, saying they put their dues in and earned and deserved the win.
“We talked about what was left here and what was done this year,” Vukovich said. “If you want to accomplish this, you've got to get back in the gym and work harder. These girls set goals at the beginning of the year, and we were checking them off as we went. The seniors left big shoes to fill. I hope these underclassmen step up and realize what's ahead of them.”
Mount Gilead previously beat No. 15 Morral Ridgedale 44-24, No. 5 Groveport Madison Christian 61-15 and upset No. 1-seed Berne Union 43-38 to get to the finals.
Fisher Catholic kept its quest alive by defeating No. 16 Patriot Prep Academy 72-6, No. 7 Delaware Christian 67-17 and No. 6 Danville 70-40, in the brackets.
Lancaster Fisher Catholic now heads to the Region 15 Semifinal at Pickerington High School North to take on Southeast 1 District winner No. 1 Portsmouth Notre Dame (23-2). Portsmouth Notre Dame previously beat No. 17 Manchester 57-7, then defeated No. 8 Lucas Valley 38-28 and most recently knocked off No. 5 Reedsville Eastern 69-34.
