But instead of folding and succumbing to the stunning loss of momentum, Urbana countered with a few pertinent strategy changes — and carried out those shifts in efficient fashion.
The Hillclimbers would not be challenged again and pulled away as the showdown progressed en route to delivering a convincing 80-57 victory in a Division IV second round game on Saturday morning at Xenia High School.
Urbana (20-3) advanced to a district semifinal game against Oakwood on Tuesday at Xenia.
While Urbana moved on, Valley View finished its season 16-7.
The Climbers’ hot outside shooting was a major focus in the contest, beginning with a four-trey stretch in the opening stanza that gave Urbana a 21-12 cushion after eight minutes.
Valley View, however, quickly regrouped with a 12-spurt to begin the second period as Adam Dickson and season-long scoring ace Brody Denny began to create opportunities off the Spartans’ effective full-court press.
Urbana veteran coach Jeremy Dixon called a time-out for his club to regroup, and the effects were instantaneous as the Climbers, with VV’s defense now challenging the perimeter, opted for a high-post motion set that created scoring chances in the paint off cuts.
The Hillclimbers also picked up their defensive stinginess, which rendered Valley View unable to enact is press off made baskets.
“We were executing our game plan, but we got away from it for a few minutes in the second quarter,” Dixon said. “We feel like we have a well-rounded offensive team. So if you take one thing away, we will try to score another way. Our guys did a good job of adjusting on the fly.”
Urbana led 33-26 at the break and all but ended the suspense with an 11-2 spurt to open the second half — an uprising that was capped by a driving 3-point play from junior guard Grady Lantz.
Known more for his baseball exploits as an Ohio State commit, Lantz poured in 30 points to pace the Hillclimbers. Sophomore Drew Dixon, the coach’s son, chipped in with 18 as Urbana nailed 11 treys in the game.
Just as important, Urbana was able to keep Denny somewhat in check with 16 points, while paint force Ty Fritz had 14 points for Valley View.
“We take pride in defense and rebounding,” Lantz said. “Our defensive strategy wasn’t just Denny, but (Fritz) too because he can kill people on the boards. We know we’re are undersized a bit, so we had to be physical, and we worked on that all week. We just kept working and working, and it worked out for us today.”
The outcome of the game wasn’t the climax Valley View coach Zack Denny (Brody’s older brother) wanted from the season, but fret not for the Spartans as they return three starters, including the prolific Denny and Fritz.
“(Urbana’s) unselfishness plays a huge role in their success,” Zack Denny said. “They move the ball and knock shots down. You gotta give them all the credit in the world.
“As for us, we have high expectations for next season. We’re going to do a little rebuilding and work hard in the off-season. We fell short of our goals this year, but we will learn from it. Every loss is a lesson, and we’ll be better from it next year.’’
The hot-shooting Hillclimbers will continue to attempt to climb one hill that has eluded Coach Dixon during his 22-year tenure at the school.
“We’ve made the district finals a few times here in the last 6-8 years,” Dixon said, “but we haven’t been able to get over that hump and win a district championship. That’s the goal.”
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