by This story is brought to you by – https://keeonsports.com/sponsors/
In its first appearance in the state final four since 2006, Copley had the misfortune of drawing two-time defending state champion Cincinnati Purcell Marian in its semifinal.
The Cavaliers flexed their muscles early and often, jumping to leads of 9-0 and 11-3 before the opening quarter was even half over. Then came the backbreaker, as Purcell ignited for a 30-2 run that straddled the first and second quarters and resulted in a 67-29 victory in their Division II semifinal at the University of Dayton. The Cavaliers will face Laurel in the state final at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday. Laurel edged Proctorville Fairland in the other semifinal, 53-52.
“It was great execution not only of our game plan, but also what we were trying to take away,” said Purcell coach Jamar Mosley. “We had a few breakdowns in the first half, so maybe it was a B+, but because of the effort throughout the game, I’ll say it was an A.”
Eight players scored for the Cavaliers, with seven of them having at least six points. Junior Dee Alexander, who was recently named Ohio Ms. Basketball for the second consecutive year, led the way with 18 points, followed by Jayda Mosley with 12 and Trinity Small with nine.
Kami Ayoup led Copley with 10 points, and Izzy Callaway added six.
“First of all, I just want to say how proud I am of these girls this year,” said Copley coach Julie Solis. “They’re a great group and they fought hard. I don’t think we brought our best today. I would be lying if I said that to you. I think they would tell you the same thing. But what they accomplished this year has been amazing. I’m just glad they got the opportunity to play in the final four.”
With only two seniors in the rotation, Purcell is big, deep and talented. The Cavaliers have allowed about 42 points per game while winning all but one of their 29 games, and their full court pressure defense gave the Indians fits. Copley only turned the ball over 12 times, but most of them occurred in the first half when the game was still in contention.
“Our goal is to always get better on both ends of the court,” Alexander said. “But we know that defense is what wins games. We know that’s why we’re here.”
Solis, who led Solon and Twinsburg to final four berths and also won state titles in 2011 and 2012 with Twinsburg, said she was impressed with the Purcell defense. However, she added that her team’s tentative play might have made the defense more than it actually was.
“Purcell’s a great team, obviously,” she said. “They have tremendous talent. We knew exactly what they were going to do. I think that we just did not handle the pressure well. Sometimes, when you are not playing downhill and you’re playing a little passive, it makes things look even better. It was good, but I think we made it look even better than it was.”
After Purcell jumped out to a 11-3 lead, Copley went on a 6-0 run to cut the margin to 11-9 with 2 minutes, 54 seconds left in the opening period. But the Cavaliers exploded for 12 consecutive points in the final 2:43 of the quarter and then scored the first 18 points of the second. With the score at 41-11 just under halfway through the second quarter, the game was basically over.
Copley, which ended the season at 25-4, had seniors Callaway, Ayoup and Emily Kerekes in its starting lineup. The rest of the team returns.
“They’re special because they’re not only great basketball players, they’re just great kids,” Solis said. “What I love about them the most is that they just love each other. The entire team, all 14 of them, they just get along very well and they’re all supportive of each other. I know that chemistry is a huge part of success, and because of that, I think chemistry is a reflection of leadership. Our three senior leaders this year were tremendous.”
St. Joseph Academy And Girls Basketball Coach Karen Swanson-Haan Part Ways
