MOUNT VERNON ― Heath seniors Jordan Kaminsky, J.J. Holloway and Carter Mason remained in the locker room with their uniforms on, long after they had lost to top-seeded Jonathan Alder in the Division IV district finals.
That’s how much a season no one expected them to have meant to them, and how sad they were to see it end.
“People didn’t think they were going to have much of a team,” coach Devin Fulk said after the 46-29 loss to the Pioneers on March 6 at Mount Vernon Nazarene’s Ariel Arena. “I honestly didn’t know what my expectations were, certainly not to get this far, but they buckled down and fought.”
The Bulldogs (19-6) not only earned a No. 3 seed and district runner-up trophy, but also contended for the Licking County League-Cardinal Division title. That was with Kaminsky as the only returning starter from a 21-3, league championship team.
Kaminsky averaged 25 points a game and was Central District Player of the Year but could never get going against the stingy defense of Alder (20-5), which advanced to its third consecutive regional semifinal. He was held to 5 points.
Holloway elevated his game with a 17-point performance that included four 3-pointers.
Heath could not dig out of a first-half hole that saw it manage just two first-half baskets, both by Holloway, in falling behind 25-5. It was 4-4 late in the first quarter before Alder went on a methodical 13-0 run to open a 17-4 second-quarter lead.
But the third quarter was vintage Bulldogs.
Holloway made three 3s, Braden Gibson made another, and Kaminsky had his only two field goals during a 19-5 run that suddenly pulled them within 30-24 with 3:00 left in the third. Heath made 7 of 11 from the floor, but the Pioneers, although a bit rattled, still took a 34-25 lead into the fourth.
A second banked-in 3 of the game by Holloway with 4:53 left kept Heath within 38-28, but it ran out of gas, making just 1 of 12 from the field down the stretch as Alder pulled away.
Alder relied on a blend of guard play and size, while dominating the boards 28-19. First-team all-district sophomore guard Danny Bentley scored 12 points, and twin brother, Trey, added 7 points while grabbing seven rebounds. The Pioneers also started 6-5 Chase Muetzel, who had 8 points and five rebounds, and 6-4 Garrett Bauer, who had six rebounds. Standing 6-9, Byron Byerly came off the bench and scored 8 points.
They will play the Van Wert-Galion winner on March 11 at Bowling Green.
“You can’t score 5 points in the first half and expect to beat a team like them,” Fulk said. “There’s a reason they’re the top seed. Our defense was good enough. We just couldn’t score.”
Gibson had six rebounds and Kaminsky five to go with three steals, but the Bulldogs shot just 10 of 35 for 28% and made a mere 4 of 11 free throws for 36%.
“That third quarter, that’s what people will remember this team for,” Fulk said. “I knew they would fight, knew they would come back. This is one of the most enjoyable teams we’ve been able to work with over the years. It was a lot of fun.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Slow start dooms Heath boys in district final loss to top seed Alder
Reporting by Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
