Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com

WAVERLY — Coach Jon Buchanan tells his team that you win tournament games with defense and rebounding.
He might want to add Emily Chapman to that list.
The Lady Dragons’ defense held North Adams to just 14 points in the second half, they out-rebounded the Lady Green Devils 38-37.
“We told our kids at halftime, you win it with defensive rebounding and you win it with defense and we did it,” said Buchanan.
And they did it with the 5-foot-5 senior guard Chapman who scored 33 points including 17 in the big fourth quarter that saw the Lady Dragons go from a five-point lead to a 58-41 win over North Adams in the Division III district championship game on Saturday.
“When you have the best player on the floor, you have a chance. I really believe Emily is the best player in the district,” said Buchanan. “She comes into a district final game and absolutely takes it over and they’re trying to stop her.
“I thought Allie (Marshall) and Taylar (Wilson) battled inside. We knew they had a size advantage. We tried to negate that and I thought we did in the second half. In the tournament, Taylar Wilson has been unreal. She’s exactly who I wanted her to be.”
Chapman was 5-of-20 from the field before going 5-for-6 in the fourth quarter from the field and 5-for-5 at the foul line.
‘Coach was yelling at us about playing hard and giving everything and I honestly didn’t want to go home losing again for the third year in a row, so I just came out and had to get the job done,” said Chapman.
“Overall, I thought we played really good. We got second chance shots that we probably should have got with their big girls. We know in tournament that defense wins games so that’s what we came out to do today.”
Wilson had four points to go with nine rebounds and Marshall had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“I knew I had to play so much harder because we lost (starting center) Alesha (Simpson) and Kelsie got hurt (in the district semifinals) so I got to step my game up,” said Wilson. “I knew I had to play big and go as hard as I could. If I fouled out, I fouled out.”
North Adams (20-4) was led by Lakyn Hupp with 14 points and Avery Harper had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Fairland now plays Berlin Hiland in the regional semifinals at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at a site to be determined, possibly Waverly, Jackson, Lancaster or Zanesville.
Logan is scheduled to host the game but the boys’ team is playing a home tournament game on Wednesday.
The other regional game at 6:15 has Columbus Africentric against Minford. The regional semifinal winners play at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 10.
Hiland routed Sugarcreek Garaway 63-41 and Africentric pounded Columbus Ready 63-23.
North Adams was up 5-4 after a layup by Hupp but Chapman made a layup, Jenna Stone made two free throws and Marshall one for a 9-5 lead.
Brookyn Stout and Hupp scored to tie the game but Chapman hit a 3-pointer with 39 seconds on the clock for a 12-9 first quarter lead.
A 3-pointer by Harlie Lyons put Fairland up 20-15 with 5:02 left in the half.
The Lady Devils came back to take a 23-20 lead on two foul shots by McDowell and a layup by Delaney Harper.
Warnock’s trey tied the game and a steal and layup by Chapman gave Fairland a 27-25 lead.
McDowell hit a baseline shot as North Adams tied the game 27-27 at the half.
“We didn’t get as much transition as we wanted, but they did a good job of getting back. They did a good job of subbing. (North Adam’s) Rob (Daniels) is a heck of a coach.”
The lead changed hands four times in the third quarter. Chapman’s triple gave Fairland the lead for good at 34-31with 2:33 on the clock.
Chapman then hit two fouls shots and a layup with nine seconds to go in the quarter and it was 38-33.
Marshall and Chapman each made 3-pointers to begin the fourth quarter to open up a 44-35 lead.
Chapman then made two straight layups and her 3-poitner with 2:29 left put the lead at 51-37. She then converted a three-point play and went 4-for-4 at the foul line and it was 58-39.
North Adams        9    18    6    8    =    41
Fairland        12    15    11    20    =    58
NORTH ADAMS (20-4): Brooklyn Stout 1 0 1-4 3, Lakyn Hupp 5 0 4-4 14, Madee Shipley 0 0 0-0 0, AveryHarper 5 0 2-4 12, Grace McDowell 3 0 3-4 9, Taylor Hesler 0 0 0-0 0, Delaney Harper 1 0 1-4 3, Mary Sonner 0 0 0-0 0, Wylie Shipley 0 0 0-0 0, Brooklyn Wylie 0 0 0-1 0, McKayla Raines 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 15-47 11-21 41. 3-pt goals: 0-10. Rebounds: 15-O, 22-D = 37 (A. Harper 8, D. Harper 5, McDowell 5). Team/deadball rebounds: 11. Assists: 3. Steal: 5 (A. Harper 2, D. Harper 2). Turnovers: 16. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Hupp (4th 1:20).
FAIRLAND (23-2): Harley Lyons 0 1 0-0 3, Taylar Wilson 1 0 2-2 4, Emily Chapman 5 5 8-9 33, Allie Marshall 3 1 1-4 10, Kelsie Warnock 0 2 0-0 6, Emma Marshall 0 0 0-0 0 Brittany Thompson 0 0 0-0 0, Jenna Stone 0 0 2-2 2, Katie Brumfield 0 0 0-0 0, Miaa Howard 0 0 0-0 0, Emma Marshall 0 0 0-1 0, Kirsten Orsbon 0 0 0-0 0. Totals: 18-54 13-17 58. 3-pt goals: 9-32. Rebounds: 15-O, 23-D = 38 (A. Marshall 10, Wilson 9). Team/deadball rebounds: 8. Assists: 5 (A. Marshall 3). Steals: 9 (A. Marshall 4, Chapman 2). Turnovers: 11. Fouls: 21. Fouled out: None.