VANDALIA — Pam Davis started her postgame news conference talking about “pint-size players” that “pack a powerful punch.”
After Archbishop Hoban’s 60-58 overtime victory over Olmsted Falls in the Division II state semifinals, the veteran coach reflected on an undersized team that overcomes the odds because “you can’t measure the size of one’s heart.”
MaKenzie Grant epitomized that sentiment.
The Knights senior may only be listed as 5-foot-10 on the roster, but she played like a 6-footer. And, funny enough, Grant sounded a lot like her coach when she talked about her game-winning putback in the final seconds.
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“Like Coach Pam said, we’re pint-sized, but the one thing you can’t teach is heart and effort,” Grant said. “I knew that it was a ‘want to do it,’ and I know that that’s the biggest thing for me.”
That “want to” guided Grant through a tough start.
After all, Grant never got to take a shot in the first half. Instead, she was forced to the bench after picking up two fouls in 105 seconds. She played the rest of the game, though, tying for a team-high 15 points with fellow senior Niera Stevens. Grant was virtually perfect in overtime, making both of her shots to finish with four points, four rebounds and an assist in the four-minute extra period.
She thus played a starring role in the Knights (21-4) securing their first state title game berth since 1988, with Hoban set to face undefeated Mount Notre Dame (26-0) for the Division II state crown at UD Arena March 14.
“We’ve wanted this for so long, and that’s what I thought about throughout the whole game,” Grant said. “When I was cheering on my teammates in the first half, when I was sitting, all the way through the end, I knew that we had something that was big and that we wanted to accomplish, and I knew that it takes little things to get to the big picture, so that was the big thing for me.”
Hoban overcomes waves of adversity for first state title game appearance since 1988
It took a lot of little things for the Knights to overcome the waves of adversity they faced in their first state game since 2021.
It wasn’t just Grant who was in foul trouble early. Five Hoban players came into halftime with two fouls. Stevens, like Grant though less extreme, missed nearly a quarter of action in the first half after she picked up two fouls.
Moreover, the Knights couldn’t hit a shot early, making just 20% of their attempts from the field in the first half.
Enter sophomore Ella Bockmore, who played nearly 13 minutes in the first half and twice got a struggling Hoban within two points with a floater in the first quarter and a 3-pointer in the second.
“That’s a luxury for a coach, that not only do you have a senior-laden team, but you also have underclassmen that can play big minutes and produce on both ends,” Davis said. “And not only does she hit a couple shots that were key, her defensive pressure against taller guards is actually pretty good.”
Still, Olmsted Falls led for the bulk of the first three quarters, even opening a seven-point lead (27-20) two minutes into the second half. Zoey Hodge helped the Knights answer with a strong drive to the basket and fellow senior Amariya Davis tacked on a 3-pointer as Hoban stayed within striking distance of the Bulldogs.
“We just kept on digging,” Hodge said. “We didn’t want that to be our last game and we were all there for each other.”
In the fourth quarter, Hoban faced a different type of adversity after Olmsted Falls showcased its own grit by rallying from a six-point deficit with three minutes remaining in regulation to force overtime. Ella Schaefer capped the rally, swishing two free throws with 26 seconds remaining to tie the score at 58. The momentum turned further against the Knights with the first possession of overtime as Jesse Simon whipped a cross-court pass to Schaefer for a 3-pointer from the left wing.
Suddenly, Hoban’s six-point lead had turned into a three-point deficit.
Grant and Stevens led the response, with the former finding the latter with a crisp entry pass for a layup to pull Hoban within one. Stevens, like Grant, did her best work late, with 12 of her 15 points coming after halftime.
“I might not have the strongest start to [begin] the game, but I know that we have multiple pieces on the floor,” Stevens said. “We’re like a chess game. Like, we all make moves, and we’re all very efficient when we do that.”
Grant added two putbacks, the latter breaking a 58-58 tie. That basket was great for the Knights in two ways. Number one, and most obvious, it gave Hoban the lead. Number two, and almost as useful, it allowed the Knights to press — something they did well all night long.
The Knights’ press was as hard on the Bulldogs on their final possession as it had been all night. Simply crossing the timeline was excruciating. Olmsted Falls barely got a shot off at the buzzer, and it fell well short.
Undefeated Mount Notre Dame is next and will have a substantial height advantage against Hoban. But never count out pint-sized players with gallon-sized hearts.
Contact Jonah L. Rosenblum at jrosenblum@recordpub.com and follow him on Twitter at @JLRSports.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Small in stature, big in heart, Hoban delivers in state semifinals
Reporting by Jonah Rosenblum, Ravenna Record-Courier / Akron Beacon Journal
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