Russia lost 38-17 to Strasburg-Franklin in the Division VII state final at University of Dayton Arena. The squad finishes 25-4 overall.
While it was an uncharacteristically rough day for the Raiders, third-year coach Mike Bashore credited the program for making history, and for advancing after beating Seneca East 45-30 in a semifinal on Friday at Wright State’s Nutter Center.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
“The amount of effort these girls come in with every day — with a bad ankle, girl with a black eye, everybody’s hurt all the time — and they show up every single day,” Bashore said. “I feel bad. They wanted it so bad, they play so hard, and they’re so fun coach. …It didn’t go our way today, but that doesn’t detract from what we did.”
Strasburg-Franklin shot 38 percent from the floor and forced Russia into 17 turnovers, which they scored 14 points off. The Tigers capitalized on foul calls by making 13-of-15 foul shots.
Russia made 5-of-33 field goal attempts (15.2 percent).
Russia junior forward Celeste Borchers led the squad with seven points. Ally Miller, a 6-foot-1 senior forward, led the Tigers with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman forward Lydia Thomas scored eight.
“They’re very good defensively,” Bashore said. “… The big girl inside just gives you problems. We just couldn’t get anything to go in. I thought we had some good shots in the second half, and they just didn’t fall.”
Seven players were also on the school’s volleyball team, which earned its first state berth in November.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
“It’s been super fun to be along and experience it firsthand,” senior forward Claudia Hoehne, who plays on both teams, said.
Hoehne suffered a season-ending injury in one of the team’s first practices. She is a 6-foot-2 and was a key part of the team’s regional run last year. Bashore said he was proud of the team’s success with losing a key player before the first game.
Hoehne said her teammates, including her fellow seven seniors, played hard throughout the season.
“They just always work hard and show up for each other,” Hoehne said.
Credit: Bryant Billing
The Tigers, which beat Ottoville 44-39 in a state semifinal on Friday, scored the first seven points on Saturday. They went cold late in the first, but Russia made just one basket in the quarter (a three-point play by Aryana Cordonnier with about 1:30 left) and trailed 11-5 heading into the second.
Freshman Ruby Francis made a free throw to pull Russia within 13-8 with 3:16 left in the second, but Strasburg-Franklin scored the last four points to take nine-point halftime lead. The squad outscored the Raiders 13-4 in the third and cruised from there. They pushed their lead as high as 25 in the fourth.
“They earned this championship,” Bashore said. “That community has a lot to be proud of. Those girls played really hard today.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
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