Winton Woods went on a 9-0 run to end the first half, taking a double-digit lead it would never relinquish en route to a 66-51 victory over the Thunderbolts in a D-II regional semifinal game on Wednesday night at Springfield High School.
“We talked a lot about playing them earlier in the year and how it gave us a level of confidence that we can play with them,” said Thunderbolts first-year coach Allen Spears. “But I guess what you got to keep in mind that playing them earlier in the year got their attention, and you could tell they were ready to play. They didn’t take us lightly.”
Northmont sophomore Kaleb Kelly had 13 points and sophomore Josiah Williams added 10 for the Thunderbolts, who finished their season 16-9.
“As always, in hindsight, there’s some things that I would do differently that we did in the first game that now that I’ve thought about it, I might would go back and do some things over but that’s part of the journey,” Spears said. “It’s the journey of being a coach and being a player. As I just told the kids, my thing is we got here. It’s definitely a learning experience for us, and we’ll be better as a result of it.
“This isn’t a one-year thing, right? The goal is to get Northmont in a position where we’re talked about in the same light as your Waynes, your Centerville, your Trotwoods, your Alters. That’s the goal.”
The Thunderbolts trailed 11-9 late in the first quarter when senior Josai Hill hit his only bucket of the game, a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 14-9 after the first quarter.
Back-to-back baskets by Northmont senior Chisom Ibe and sophomore Ja’Kye Hoard cut the lead to four points at 22-18. But the Warriors would go on a 9-1 run to end the period, getting easy buckets in transition to push the lead to double-digits for good. Northmont cut the lead to 12 in the second half, but couldn’t get any closer.
“We came a little bit unglued defensively, and then our offense hurt us as well,” Spears said. “We took several bad shots to end the second quarter, and it led to easy buckets, and that’s what pushed it to 13. I talked to these guys about how important shot selection is — sometimes, you know, good shots are almost like defense. It’s like running the ball in football, and I thought we lost it a little bit there. And that’s another one of those things that in the first game, we were very long-possession conscious, and I allowed us to be a little bit more aggressive. I think it hurt us, but again, a learning experience.”
Warriors junior Isaiah Mack-Russell had a game-high 21 points as Winton Woods improved to 22-2. Three other players scored in double-figures for the Warriors — senior Nate Dawson had 16 points, senior Dasai Bronson had 14 and junior Chris Reid added 10 points.
Winton Woods advanced to the Region 8 final for the second straight season. A year ago, the Warriors fell to Toledo St. Francis DeSales 45-40.
This year, they’ll face Lima Senior — which beat Cincinnati Aiken, last year’s D-III state runner-up, 71-68 in the early game — with a state berth on the line at 2 p.m. Saturday at Springfield. The Warriors beat the Spartans 61-56 in a regional semifinal game last season.
The future is bright for Northmont’s program, which won a district title for the first time since 1962. They’re expected to return all but two players from this year’s squad.
“That perspective is what’s tempering my disappointment because I understand that (the future is bright),” Spears said. “I know we got some big things accomplished.
“I’m sad for my seniors (Ibe and Luke Mangen), as I was telling them, they were just awesome kids. You couldn’t ask for two better seniors to start your first year of, you know, coaching at what was my dream job. But at the same time having a young core like we have, I’m excited. I’m excited about the offseason. I’m excited about the future. Like I said, we will be back here. I’m determined. I think they’re determined.”
The experience gained with a trip to regionals will be key in his program’s development, Spears said. Northmont has been in a district game multiple times in the past, weren’t able to get over the hump, he said.
“That’s a huge accomplishment to get that monkey off our back,” he said. “Now we can set our sights on a league title, and then coming up out of this regional and I think we can do it. But as I told them, Winton Woods is going nowhere, and Lima Senior’s got young players too, so I think we’re up for the challenge.”
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