It was a strong year for the No. 5 Centerburg girls’ basketball team, but the Trojans had the lofty task of facing No. 2 Africentric Early College in the District Finals of the Division III state tournament, where they lost 53-29.
“I am incredibly proud of our kids,” Coach Bill Abner of the Trojans who finished the season 19-6. “Africentric is the gold standard in Central Ohio D3 and we played right with them for two quarters.”
Africentric was as advertised from the start, shutting out the Trojans 10-0 in the first quarter. Centerburg woke up in the second quarter with 13 points, but allowed 15 from Africentric to make it a 25-13 game at halftime. Senior Clara Johnson and Kenlee Fairall each had four points.
“I wish we had that first quarter back,” Abner said. “The kids were nervous and anxious and you cannot give a team like that a running start and a 10-0 lead. But in the second and third quarters we battled right with them.”
The Nubians had a 12-10 third quarter advantage, and they continued to shut down the top scorers on the Trojans. To this point Tiara Sheppard was held to just a free throw, and KMAC Player of the Year Kayla Larimore had four points.
“I thought Africentric did a really good job on Kayla and we could never get her or Tiara going,” said Abner.
Africentric finished out the game with a 15-6 advantage and cruised to the win.
“They are really tough,” Abner said. “They are in your face from the opening tip and they do not let up. They just don't give you any space to operate.”
Larimore and Johnson each had seven points to lead the Trojans. Larimore had 11 boards and Johnson added nine rebounds of her own. Fairall and Stowe each had six points, and Sheppard rounded out the scoring with three points.
“It was also great to get Kenlee back,” Abner said. “She gave us a huge spark. I wasn't sure how effective she was going to be with her ankle but she was all over the floor. Clara Johnson played one of her best games of the season.”
Abner added about Johnson, “There’s no quit in that kid.”
Abner also praised the play of Stowe, who he noted settled down and handled the ball well in the second half. She was up against great pressure, and despite the tough assignment, they did a good job limiting their turnovers.
This was a new, big stage for the team, as they had never been to this point before. Abner told them before the game that even when you make a mistake, just keep playing.
“And they did that,” he said. “To get down 10-0 and then 18-3, and then battle back to single digits, says an awful lot about those kids. District final games are always physical and this was no exception. It was a tough, physical game. It was a fantastic learning experience for those girls and one I hope we can build on.”
