Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

 

LOGAN — Two key areas in a game are rebounding and free throws.

The Johnstown-Monroe Lady Johnnies won the battle in both areas and as a result got past the Fairland Lady Dragons 53-47 Wednesday in the Division III regional semifinals at Jim Myers Gym.

With Fairland’s 6-foot-4 junior center Terra Stapleton in foul trouble most of the game, Johnstown (23-4) controlled the boards 49-28 with their height advantage and the Lady Johnnies converted 20-of-27 from the foul line compared to 9-of-13 for Fairland.

Johnstown’s 5-foot-11 freshman center Paige Cannon had 22 points and 12 rebounds to key the win. Laiken Valentine scored 15 points with 10 coming at the foul line and Natalie Carpenter scored 13 points.

Johnstown’s 6-1 MacKenzie Spang and Marissa Sheets grabbed eight rebounds each and Valentine had seven.

Stapleton had 11 points and nine rebounds. Chandler Fulks scored 11 points including three 3-pointers.

Fairland shot just 31 percent from the field (17-of-55) for the game. The Lady Dragons missed their first 10 floor shots as Johnstown took a 12-5 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Johnstown opened up a 22-10 lead three minutes into the second quarter. Stapleton put the team on her back and scored seven points to rally the Lady Dragons, but she was whistled for her third foul with just eight seconds left in the half.

Johnstown was ahead 25-17 at halftime and stretched the lead to 31-20 two minutes into the second half.

But Fulks drained back-to-back trifectas and Caitlin Stone scored all eight of her points in the quarter including a long trey from the left wing with 2:27 on the clock that put Fairland up 35-34.

However, disaster struck late in the third quarter as Stapleton was saddled with her fourth foul.

Valentine hit two foul shots to give Johnstown a 36-35 lead. Taylor Perry and Mackenzie Riley each scored over the final 1:20 of the quarter and Fairland led 39-38.

A layup by Cannon off a nice pass from Sheets put Johnstown up for good with 5:44 to play and Cannon added another basket for a 47-43 lead at the 5:16 mark.

Stapleton scored with 1:40 left to get Fairland within 47-45, but Valentine connected on 6-of-6 from the foul line over the game’s final 50 seconds to put the Lady Johnnies in the regional title game.

Fairland — just 3-of-15 shooting from the floor in the fourth quarter — trailed 49-47 with 24 seconds to play. Valentine made two fouls shots with 21 seconds left. Fairland missed a 3-point attempt and Valentine hit two more free throws with 12 seconds remaining to clinch the win.

Johnstown will play Fort Frye at 1:30 p.m. with the winner advancing to the state tournament next Thursday.

Fort Frye used a late 17-0 run to beat Adena 66-47 in the first game.

Fairland 5 12 22 8 = 47

Johnstown 12 13 13 15 = 53

FAIRLAND (23-1): Terra Stapleton 3 0 5-6 11, Kayla Swiger 0 0 0-0 0, Chandler Fulks 1 3 0-0 11, Mackenzie Riley 1 1-2 3, Kelsey Riley 2 0 1-2 5, Caitlin Stone 2 1 1-2 8, Taylor Perry 4 0 1-1 9. Totals: 17-55 9-13 47. 3-point goals: 4-22. Rebounds: 28 (Stapleton 9). Assists: 11 (Perry 3, K. Riley 3). Turnovers: 10. Fouls: 20. Fouled out: Stone.

JOHNSTOWN-MONROE (23-4): Marissa Sheets 0 0 0-0 0, Maddi Lusk 0 0 0-2 0, Kerrigan Williams 0 0 1-2 1, Natalie Carpenter 3 1 4-4 13, Laiken Valentine 1 1 10-12 15, Paige Cannon 8 1 3-3 22, Makenzie Spang 0 0 2-4 2. Totals: 15-48 20-27 53. 3-point goals: 3-10. Rebounds: 49 (Cannon 12, Spang 8, Sheets 8, Valentine 7). Assists: 7 (Sheets 2, Lusk 2). Turnovers: 20. Fouls: 12. Fouled out: None.