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State -- times 10:  Hiland beats Lutheran East to earn another Final Four

By ZACH BOLINGER
Daily Record Sports Staff

MASSILLON -- Technically speaking, Lutheran East was pushing Hiland to the brink Saturday night.

Then the Hawks got hot from the perimeter, the Falcons got technicals for speaking and Hiland qualified for a 10th state tournament.

Hiland (25-1) scored 17 of the game's final 19 points and 29 total in the fourth quarter -- many from the free throw line during a dramatic turn of events -- as it shifted a close game into a 63-43 rout of Cleveland Heights Lutheran East (21-4) in a Massillon Div. IV Regional final.

"It was confusing, but from a professional level I'm not going to take anything away from Berlin Hiland," said Lutheran East coach Melvin Burke, who was miffed about his three best players fouling out and Hiland making 17-of-20 fourth-quarter free throws and 29-of-35 for the game. "The game was close up until the fourth quarter, so I can't say our gameplan wasn't working, but our shots didn't go in and Hiland made a few big ones.

"I told our girls before the game, 'Hiland is historically a great program.' I guess they showed why."

Four Hiland players reached double figure scoring, led by Noelle Yoder's 16, and the Hawks ruled the rebounding battle (37-34) against a Falcons club paced by a pair of athletic 6-footers. Hiland (25-1), which won its fourth state title last year, got 14 points and six rebounds from Karli Mast, 11 points and five rebounds from Katelyn Stuckey and 10 points from Hilary Weaver.

"Sometimes we get ridiculed for how hard we work ... but our kids pay that price, make that sacrifice to have a moment like this," Hiland coach Dave Schlabach said. "We don't hand out uniforms just to hand them out. We give them to kids and expect them to make plays, and I think our depth was a big factor tonight."

Kiarra Jones scored 15 points to lead Lutheran East and 6-foot-1 post Latisha Walker had seven points and 11 rebounds. But Walker played just 18 minutes due to foul trouble, eventually exiting with a fifth with 5:27 remaining, and was never truly a low-post presence at any point.

Stuckey drew three of those fouls.

"My main goal going in was to try and keep them off the offensive boards," said Stuckey, who along with her Hiland teammates were constantly reminded of Lutheran East's 38 offensive rebounds against Mogadore Thursday. "But I also knew (Walker) is athletic and likes to block shots. I just tried to use a head fake."

The 6-foot Amber Bogard, who finished with four points and four rebounds before a fifth foul sent her to the bench with 2:29 left, was a non factor for the Falcons as well.

For mouthing off, Bogard was assessed the second Falcons technical of the quarter. Jones picked one up earlier for shoving Yoder, which was at the beginning of Hiland's separation.

Leading just 46-41 under the five-minute mark, Hiland rattled off 15 straight points. Eleven came from the charity stripe, while Stuckey and Weaver scored on misdirection set plays that were wide open.

It was the opening two minutes of the fourth quarter which may go overlooked, though.

Both Weaver and Yoder made 3-pointers and Jessica Stutzman sank a pair of free throws, as Hiland pushed out to a 42-35 lead. Jones made a right-corner 3-pointer (5:49) to stem the tide for Lutheran East, but that was the final field goal the Falcons would make.

Lutheran East made 15-of-48 shots, including 2-of-15 3-pointers, while Hiland was 15-of-46 and 4-of-16 from deep. The Falcons and Hawks had 18 and 17 turnovers, respectively.

"I was waiting for back-to-back shots to drop for us all night," said Schlabach, whose team made consecutive shots only four times -- twice in the fourth quarter. "Noelle and Hilary finally broke through for us. ... Obviously, with that said, I don't think we've played our best basketball yet."

With a 29-point fourth quarter and another 20-point regional victory, what more could be in store?

 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
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