FAIRBORN − The tide had shifted. The fanbase was buzzing. Momentum had clearly transferred over to their side. Just when you thought they were out of it, they lifted themselves back into it.
In a rematch of last year’s Division V state championship game, Norwayne stormed all the way back from a second half, 13-point deficit to grab a four-point lead with 3:01 minutes left against defending state champions Portsmouth in the second Division V state semifinal game of the evening at Wright State University.
However, Portsmouth (23-4) ended the game with a 8-1 run to hold on for a 40-37 victory over Norwayne (24-3), in a second half that was as in intense and gripping as you would want in a girls basketball high school tournament game.
A year ago when these two teams matched up in the state title game, Portsmouth led by 14 points at halftime. On Friday night, the Bobcats trailed by just seven (20-13) and from their first half play, Norwayne’s competitive spirit, work on the defensive side and how much better they protected the ball − compared to last year’s game − played into the Wayne County Athletic League winners being right into it after two quarters.
“I had total confidence in these girls. Last year, it was a new experience. This year, they were primed and ready,” said Norwayne head coach Jake Shoup in the postgame press conference. “This year, these girls took all the right steps to get to a place where we could compete. I liked where the team was at halftime, especially from a defensive standpoint. Holding a team that’s averaging like 65 points to 20 points at half, we felt good where we were at.”
“I think we were stronger than we were last year,” said Norwayne senior Ava Maibach, on matching Portsmouth’s physicality on defense. “We tried to get in their space.”
“I’d say the experience from last year helped,” said Norwayne sophomore Courtney Cline. “We held our own there.”
Portsmouth jumped to a 26-13 lead after back-to-back 3-pointers by Trojans star player Sienna Allen (20 points, 6 rebounds) and things looked bleak for Norwayne. Yet, a second half adjustment was made by Norwayne.
To get their offense jumpstarted, they spaced the floor more with two ball handlers wide at the top (usually Maibach and Allie DeMassimo), with center Hannah Froelich in the middle (at foul line) and two players in the corner (typically Cline in one corner and either Madicyn Rupp or MaKenna Heyden in the other). With that setup, the driving lanes opened up and after back-to-back 3s by Maibach (15 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals) and DeMassimo (7 points, 4 rebounds), the Bobcats were getting better inside looks and finishing stronger at the rim, including and few And-1s that fired up the Bobcats fanbase.
“We emphasized getting the ball in the middle,” Shoup explained. “In the first half, the ball was really stagnate on one side of the half. A lot of times we were going to the right too much. The ball didn’t reverse from side-to-side in the first half. I thought we got a lot of movement getting it into the middle in the second half.”
Norwayne went on a 12-4 run to shrink Portsmouth’s lead to 30-25 in the third quarter and edged the Trojans 14-12 in the scoring department. That momentum only carried into the fourth quarter.
Down 32-29, DeMassimo dribbled left on the wing, pulled up for a jumper and nailed it.
Norwayne down 1.
A Maibach three-point play off a drive to the hoop got her and her teammates fired up and the Norwayne fans were getting louder.
Norwayne 34-32.
On the next offensive possession, Maibach received the ball, drove up the middle and played a bounce pass to Froelich who finished it.
The crowd was getting louder.
Norwayne was up 36-32 with 3:01 to go and the comeback was almost complete.
Yet, Portsmouth answered to tie it up at 36-all and after Maibach made one of two free throws, Portsmouth’s Allen scored two off a layup that was she was fouled on with about one minute left. However, it looked like she was fouled before the made shot but the referee counted the bucket. With the Trojans holding a one-point lead after Allen’s missed free throw, Norwayne wasn’t able to get anything out of their last three offensive possessions and the end result ended up being a heartbreaking defeat that they were right on the cusp of winning and putting themselves in Saturday’s state title game.
Said Shoup, “They did every single thing we talked about. In that third quarter, everything we discussed about getting the ball moving and getting it in the middle, they did. I think just the physicality and just playing hard. Getting their hands on a lot of offensive rebounds and getting deflections. Proud of the team staying engaged even when things didn’t fall in line.”
With so much emotion displayed afterwards, Norwayne’s three seniors, who helped the Bobcats reach heights these last two years that the program had never achieved prior, tried their best to sum up what it all meant to them.
“I think it all starts in the summer for us these last two seasons. Really dedicating ourselves,” said Rupp. “We continued to be there for each other and pick each other up.”
“This is a great group of girls. Great coaches,” said DeMassimo. “We’re really blessed to make it to state these last two years. Like Madicyn said, it starts in the summer. I’ll miss them but I’m sure they’re get right back into the gym shortly.”
“We’re blessed to have this opportunity for our school. Our community,” said Maibach. “We put in a lot of work like Coach said. Coach pushed us to be our best and we couldn’t ask for more. It means so much to make it back but it’s frustrating to all of us that we couldn’t make it to tomorrow.”
jamessimpson@gannett.com
Twitter/X: @JamesSimpsonII
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: So close! Norwayne fight back, lose heartbreaker in Div. V state semifinal to Portsmouth
Reporting by James Simpson II, Wooster Daily Record / The Daily Record
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
