COLUMBUS ― After Reynoldsburg made its first three shots of the game, all beyond the arc, it looked like Newark could be in trouble in the matchup of Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division co-champions.
But the determined Wildcats wanted the Raiders to keep shooting from outside, and threw up a wall around the paint to make them do it on March 11 at the Ohio Expo Center’s Taft Coliseum.
Averaging 68 points per game, Reynoldsburg (18-7) finished with far fewer than that and hit only 30% from the field in a 50-37 Division I regional semifinal loss. It marked Newark’s first Sweet 16 win since 2008’s state title run. Since then, the Wildcats had been 0-4.
“The difference was, even though they were making those at the start, we stayed composed as a team,” said senior Alex Irvin-Royster. “We said that we were going to stop them and make it as hard as possible for them to score.”
And the Wildcats did, avenging an earlier 64-50 loss at Reynoldsburg and earning another crack at Hilliard Bradley, which handed Newark its only other loss on a shot at the buzzer. The Jaguars (23-2) advanced by beating Olentangy 50-48, setting up a matchup of the Central District’s top-seeded teams at 4:45 p.m. March 14, back at the Fairgrounds.
“If they started shooting jumpers, it was good for us,” coach Jeff Quackenbush said after the Raiders made just 6 of 23 attempts from beyond the arc. “We struggled to guard them from five to 10 feet (in the last game). We had to keep them out of the paint.”
Sophomore guard Mekhi Roddy, who burned Newark for a combined 36 points in the loss to Reynoldsburg, plus a 66-49 win over the Raiders in January, was held scoreless and went 0 of 6 on 3s. Classmate Rashad Perry, who had 25 points in the two games, scored only 3.
“The key was gap defense,” senior Jake Quackenbush said. “For 40 minutes out of an hour, we work on defense in practice. That’s who we are.”
The fact that Quackenbush shot his way out of a slump enabled Newark to lock down on defense. Ty Gilbert hit a 3 to answer one by 6-foot-4 guard Xavier McKinney and two from 6-6 Jordan Bowens, both future Ohio University teammates. Then, Quackenbush drilled three in a row and assisted Tybron Brooks on a basket, part of a 17-3 blitz that staked the winners to a 20-12 lead they would not relinquish.
“I thought we had to get off to a good start,” coach Quackenbush said. “You can’t play two or three possessions down against them and have to keep chasing them, with their athleticism. Jake had been struggling, and when he made those, it helped us relax. We were able to breathe a sigh of relief.”
After an 8-of-11 first quarter, Newark cooled to 3 of 11 in the second, but limited Reynoldsburg to just 3 of 9. Up just 20-17, Gilbert made another 3 off an assist from sophomore Zach Meister, then Brooks and Gilbert found Irvin-Royster for layups as the Wildcats went back up 27-19 at half.
Irvin-Royster was 3 of 3 from the floor and had seven rebounds, three on the offensive end. Meister had eight rebounds, including four on offense.
“He had a huge night,” Jake Quackenbush said of Irvin-Royster.
Said Irvin-Royster: “I had to keep strong and not let Bowens bully me in the paint.”
Newark combined defense with its patient offense in the second half. Reynoldsburg cut the lead to 32-27 with three minutes in the third, but Quackenbush made two foul shots and Brooks had a three-point play after he rebounded home his own miss, getting it back up to 37-27.
Quackenbush and Gilbert each went 4 of 8 on 3s, and Newark was 8 of 17 as a team. Gilbert assisted him at the end of the third, then Quackenbush returned the favor in the fourth, putting the Wildcats in command 48-34.
“We took each possession at a time,” Jake said. “We weren’t taking many bad shots today.”
Observed Jeff Quackenbush: “It was running our offense, getting good shots and offensive rebounding. But defense is how we won that game.”
McKinney turned in a 22-point effort in his final game for Reynoldsburg but was only 3 of 11 on 3s and 7 of 19 overall. Bowens had 10 points, only 4 after the first quarter.
The Wildcats dominated the taller Raiders 37-14 on the backboards. Quackenbush snagged 10 to go with 14 points. Gilbert led the way with 16 points and three assists, and Brooks again filled the stat sheet with 12 points, seven assists and three steals as Newark shot 18 of 38 for 47%.
“I’m super proud,” coach Quackenbush said. “We did not play well at their place earlier. I think this was the most connected and focused I’ve seen us.”
Said Jake: “My freshman and sophomore year, we were just happy to be here. You had to win three or four games just to make it. Obviously, we want a lot more.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark locks down Reynoldsburg, knocks down door into regional finals
Reporting by Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
