High Schools

WESTERVILLE — There was no last-second shot for Chaminade-Julienne to miss Wednesday night.

There was plenty of time, with 8.6 seconds left in the game, and good looks were available.

But the expected shot to either tie or win the game was not taken.

So Chaminade-Julienne's season ended in frustration with a 57-55 loss to No. 1-ranked Dublin Scioto in the semifinals of the Columbus Division I girls high school basketball regional at Otterbein College.

Scioto takes a 26-0 record into Friday's regional final against Pickerington North. C-J, making its 10th trip to the regional in 11 years, ends its season at 17-7.

"We did what we were supposed to do. We executed what we wanted to," said C-J coach Marc Greenberg. "It would have been nice to get a shot off."

C-J got possession with 8.6 seconds left, rebounding a missed free throw by Scioto's Brandi Gorniak and immediately calling timeout.

The plan was to look for a good shot from the outside. If it wasn't available, the ball was to be passed inside to 6-foot-1 freshman Samarie Walker. If she was covered, she was to kick the ball back out to Rachel Chandler on the baseline.

It all went as drawn up.

Tiera Stephen inbounded the ball to Marty Duffy, who dribbled to the top of key. She got the ball to Chandler on the wing, and Chandler immediately passed the ball in to Walker.

Scioto sagged three defenders on her, so she passed to Chandler on the baseline. Chandler had to field a low bounce, and by the time she was in shooting position, the horn sounded.

Overall, it was a game of state tournament quality. The teams traded runs. Scioto got its points off ball movement and jump shots off the dribble. C-J used the power game, going inside to Walker, 6-foot India Warfield and 6-0 Shene Fleming.

C-J fell behind 42-33 with 1:52 left in the third quarter, going 6:53 without a field goal. But then the Eagles went on a 12-0 run, taking a 45-42 lead with 5:01 left on Chandler's layup off a steal from Stephen.

From there, the teams traded baskets. Scioto went up 57-53 on two Chelsea Albert free throws with 31.2 seconds left. Fleming got C-J within 57-55 on a power move inside with 26 seconds left.

Walker led the Eagles with 21 points, while Crystal Murdaugh, the co-Central District player of the year, scored 22 for Scioto.

Contact this writer at (937) 225-2251 or dlong@DaytonDailyNews.com