Dragons fall in regionals, 60-57
Published 12:04 am Friday, March 16, 2018
Jim Walker
jim.walker@irontontribune.com
ATHENS — Oh that second quarter.
In the district finals, the Fairland Dragons scored just two points but managed to rally for a 66-60 overtime win over Fairfield Union.
In the second quarter of the Division II regional semifinals on Thursday at the Ohio University Convocation Center, Fairland scored just seven points.
Even though the Dragons still had the halftime lead, it was just one point and the second half proved to be a battle with little room for error.
That margin of error came back to haunt the Dragons who shot just 5-of-14 in the fourth quarter in a 60-57 heartbreaking loss to the Meadowbrook Colts.
Fairland (22-4) led almost the entire game. The Dragons were up with under five minutes to play and then the score changed hands nine times.
The difference for Meadowbrook was 5-10 senior guard Trey Singleton who scored a game-high 31 points including 17 in the fourth quarter.
The Colts were 12-of-18 from the line for the game and 6-of-8 in the final quarter.
The Dragons were 7-of-12 from the foul line but they had 13 turnovers — six in the third quarter — compared to six for the Colts.
Fairland took a 17-9 lead as Keedrick Cunningham and Luke Thomas hit 3-pointers to close out the first quarter.
The Dragons then made only 3-of-12 shots in the second quarter.
Meadowbrook took its first lead of the game at 20-19 on a layup by Bobby Feyko but Thomas answered with a triple and it was 22-20.
Isaiah Howell’s driving layup put Fairland ahead 24-22 and then Singleton made a free throw and it was 24-23 at the half.
Fairland came out and went on a 10-2 run to begin the second half — four points each by Kollin Van Horn and Cunningham — to build a 34-25 lead.
A three-point play by Van Horn with three minutes on the clock gave Fairland its biggest lead at 40-30.
The Colts went on a 9-2 run to end the quarter including a steal and layup by Peyton Neff and the Dragons lead was 42-39.
Van Horn’s layup put the Dragons ahead 46-43 with 5:25 on the clock but a three-point play by Singleton tied the game. Singleton then made a layup and the Colts had a 48-46 lead.
Thomas and Singleton traded 3-pointers and then Thomas drained another clutch 3-pointer for a 52-51 lead.
Neff’s steal and layup put the Colts up but a 12-footer by Ty Staten gave Fairland a 54-53 lead.
Van Horn’s free throw made it 55-53 only to have Singleton convert a three-point play to give the Colts a 56-55 lead with 1:22 left.
Van Horn hit two foul shots as Fairland went back on top only to have Singleton hit two free throws with 36.7 seconds left and the Colts led 58-57.
Fairland missed two foul shots with 14 seconds left and Davis Black got the rebound and was fouled.
A 59 percent foul shooter, Black made both shots for a 60-57 lead with 13.4 seconds to go.
Fairland missed a 3-pointer attempt and a fade away putback as time expired.
Cunningham led Fairland with 19 points. Van Horn and Thomas scored 14 each and Howell added eight.
Howell had nine rebounds and Van Horn eight as Fairland won the battle of the boards 32-23 including 10-4 on the offensive glass.
Black had 12 points and nine rebounds for the Colts.
Meadowbrook (21-6) will now play John Glenn at 3 p.m. on Saturday in the regional championship game at the Convocation Center. The Muskies belted Chillicothe Unioto 65-29 in the first game.
Saturday’s winner advances to the state tournament at 10:45 a.m. on Friday against the Kettering regional winner at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus.
Fairland 17 7 18 15 = 57
Meadowbrook 9 14 16 21 = 60
FAIRLAND (22-4): Isaiah Howell 3-10 2-4 8, Ty Staten 1-4 0-2 2, Luke Thomas 5-13 0-0 14, Keedrick Cunningham 8-13 1-1 19, Joel Lambiotte 0-0 0-0 0, Matt Mondlak 0-0 0-0 0, Ty Wilcoxon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 22-48 7-12 57. 3-pt goals: 6-19 (Thomas 4-12, Cunningham 2-2, Howell 0-5). Rebounds: 10-O, 22-D = 32 (Howell 9, Van Horn 8). Team rebounds: 2. Assists: 13 (Howell 5, Staten 4). Steals: 1 (Howell). Blocks: 3 (Van Horn 3). Turnovers: 13. Fouls: 18. Fouled out: None.
MEADOWBROOK (21-6): Ty Singleton 11-19 4-6 31, Peyton Neff 2-6 2-2 6, Bobby Feyko 1-2 2-2 4, Davis Black 4-10 4-8 12, Easton Black 0-3 0-0 0, Johnathan McCall 3-3 0-0 6, Dylan Webser 1-1 0-0 3, Addy Black 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 22-46 12-18 60. 3-pt goals: 4-13 (Singleton 3-7, Webster 1-1, Neff 0-2, D. Black 0-3). Rebounds: 4-O, 19-D = 22 (D. Black 9, E. Black 5). Team rebounds: 1. Assists: 3. Steals: 10 (Singleton 4, Neff 4). Blocks: 2. Turnovers: 6. Fouls: 15. Fouled out: None.