Times Recorder Staff Writer
NEW PHILADELPHIA — For one year at least, Rosecrans exorcised the Berlin Hiland demon.
It can thank Maddie Chandler and a stifling defense for that.
Chandler scored a game-high 23 points, Kloie Johnson hit four 3-pointers and the Bishops made some key free throws late to pull away for a 47-38 win in a Division IV district final Saturday at New Philadelphia.
The win sends Rosecrans (25-1) to a regional semifinal against Berlin Center Western Reserve at 8 p.m. Wednesday at Massillon Perry. Western Reserve toppled No. 1 seed Columbiana 48-39 at Mineral Ridge.
It was sweet retribution for the Bishop seniors, who saw the Hawks eliminate them from the postseason in each of the past two seasons.
It was equally gratifying for Rosecrans’ faithful, who have witnessed several gut-wrenching losses to Hiland in tournament play.
“The big thing, is these seniors have only lost to them twice and they were both tough, hard-fought games,” Bishop coach Gale Kirkbride said. “It’s not like we haven’t competed. The girls were confident. We had both of those games, too, and didn’t close it. This year we closed it.”
Rosecrans held the Hawks to 22 percent shooting from the field, including a 2-of-17 showing on 3s, with nine blocked shots.
They also held East District Player of the Year Regina Hochstetler to 16 points on 5-of-19 shooting, a year after burning the Bishops for five 3s and 25 points.
The Hawks managed only one field goal in the final 12:30.
The winner plays either Ashland Mapleton or Cuyahoga Heights in a final at 7:30 p.m. March 8.
“After four years, it’s a great accomplishment for us,” Chandler said. “We came in and we had been working on them for a couple weeks, almost a month just to prepare for this game. I think all the work paid off.”
The Bishops, despite being outrebounded 35-22, never trailed after taking a 3-0 lead on a Johnson 3 to start the game. It led 30-18 after Molly Nash drove for a layup 1:30 into the third, only to watch Hiland claw back to 33-27 after Brittany Miller’s 3.
But Chandler kept coming up big.
She had a three-point play in traffic and a 3 from the wing, both of which stopped Hawk runs in the third.
When Hiland drew within 36-30 to end the third — after Emily Yoder was fouled on a drive to the basket with no time on the clock — Chandler came up with another three-point play on a drive to the basket to start the fourth, pushing the lead back to 39-30.
This time, the Hawks couldn’t counterpunch.
They were held without a field goal in the fourth as Rosecrans effectively neutralized its deadly outside shooting and blocked three shots.
“Their luxury is they can switch everything and still defend everybody,” Hiland coach Dave Schlabach said. “Their biggest kids, Chandler and Nash, can guard guards. As soon as we tried to run a lot of stuff for Regina, they would switch out and they always had some length on her no matter what.”
Chandler had 11 second-half points, most off drives to the basket. She and Johnson, who was 4-of-7 on 3s, had all but two of the Bishops’ first-half points.
“My biggest concern was Chandler coming in,” Schlabach said. “I felt like she was a kid, we had a lot of mismatch problems, and it took us about 2½ quarters to figure out who could guard her and how. We’ve seen them six or eight times. Nothing out there surprised us.”
Nash had 11 rebounds for Rosecrans, which was 15-of-36 from the field (5-of-10 on 3s) and 12-of-17 from the line, and Hiland was 16-of-21 at the line and turned 19 offensive rebounds into 11 points. They combined for 24 turnovers.
