Alesha Felix was a major difference maker for No. 1 Loudonville, where defense the name of the game in the Division IV Region 13 Finals on March 9 in a 40-14 win over No. 5 Springfield. The victory not only got Loudonville the regional title, but also set a school record with their 26th wins.

“Alesha had the game of her life,” Bates said. “She was tough on both ends of the floor and provided our team with the grit and determination that you need the farther you go in the tournament.

Karigan Mullen put Springfield on the board to start the game after both teams struggled to hit shots early. Jameka Brungard dished out to Mullen who was waiting in the corner open for a three to go up 3-0. Corri Vermilya promptly responded with a deep three from the top of the arc to tie the game up with five minutes left, and then Jena Guilliams made it a 6-3 game with a three of her own with about 3:20 on the clock. Spangler put them up 8-3 on a baseline jumper a couple feet inside the three point line about a minute later. With 53 second left in the quarter, Brungard used her strength to put in a bucket while getting fouled. She missed the foul shot, but was it was an 8-5 game at the end of one quarter. The first quarter saw a lot of tough defense on both sides.

In the second quarter the defensive tenacity continued, and the Redbirds also managed to get the offense going to take a 21-9 lead at halftime. They had a 5-0 run to start the quarter and never looked back, outscoring Springfield 13-4. Spangler had seven points and Guilliams had six points on a pair of threes in the first half to lead the charge. Vermilya, who is one of the top scorers in Ohio history, was held to only five points at halftime.

The second half was a completely dominant performance by the Redbirds. They had a 12-5 third quarter advantage with Mya Vermilya leading the way with five points. The Redbirds shut out Springfield 7-0 in the final quarter, and they actually held them scoreless for the final 12:30 of the game.

“This was one of our program's top defensive performances of the last decade,” said Coach Tyler Bates. “It’s fitting that it came in a Regional Final, because we have spoken at length this year about how our defense needs to travel and win us games in the tournament."

Bates added, "Our team knew going into the game that we would get some open looks. It was great to see the entire team shooting the ball with confidence. We are tough to guard offensively when that is the case.”

Spangler was the top offensive performer with 10 points to go with her three boards and three assists. 

“Sophia has done such an underrated job defensively throughout the season, but she also gave us some key buckets and made some great plays for her teammates during crucial moments in the game,” Bates said.

Mya Vermilya added nine points, four boards and three steals. Corri Vermilya didn’t put up her typically high scoring numbers, as she was held to only seven points. She was excellent on the glass and finding teammates for buckets, however. Vermilya led the Redbird with 14 rebounds.

Felix had seven points and 12 rebounds, and she was a key piece of the defensive puzzle, as she was big in holding Brungard to only four points.

Brungard was this year’s Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and holding her to four when she was averaging 16 points was huge for the Redbirds.

“Throughout the week, the team was especially focused on the defensive end of the floor,” Bates said. “We knew that Brungard was a special talent and that it would take a team to guard her and their perimeter players. Our girls executed the gameplan at a high level and made good looks really hard to come by for them.”

Jena Guilliams had a hot hand from deep with a pair of key threes, and had seven points in total.

“We knew that we would see some junk defense and a heavy dose of different zones tonight, so we had to make shots,” Bates said. “I was proud of our girls for taking good shots and finding balance offensively as a team.”

This will be the first time since 1992 that the Redbirds, and only the second time ever. This is the first Final 4 appearance for any sport for Loudonville since the boys' basketball team made it in 2005.

“I am so proud of our players and coaches,” said Bates. “God has truly blessed our team. We have a selfless group that worked towards a common goal all year - to have a chance to compete for a state championship in Dayton at the end of our season." 

On March 14, the Redbirds take on No. 1 Waterford at in the state semifinals. The Wildcats are coming off a 53-51 overtime thriller over Hiland. The Redbirds will need to contain Kendall Sury, who led the charge with 19 points in their win. The tip off is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the University of Dayton Arena.