Carson Francis, Contributor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — In the postseason, nothing is ever easy.
CREDIT: Renee Nemeth/SOSA
That’s been the case for the Federal Hocking Lancers.
After surviving a thriller against Eastern in a Division IV district semifinal earlier this week, Federal Hocking faced Notre Dame at Ohio University on Thursday while searching for its first district title since 1970.
Fueled by an electric 25-point, nine-rebound outing from District Player of the Year Tariq Cottrill, the Lancers (22-3) advanced snapped that 53-year streak with a 64-56 victory.
“The support from our community was huge coming into this game,” Federal Hocking coach Jonathan Thompson said. “They had our backs from the time we walked out of school.”
The two teams went back and forth in the game’s opening quarter.
Notre Dame (19-6) tried to slow the tempo and control the pace, but the Lancers were able to force seven turnovers and get out in transition, cutting ND’s early lead to 14-13 after eight minutes.
The Titans seemed to gain breathing room in the second, but a pair of missed free throws kept them from extending the lead to two possessions.
Federal Hocking took advantage and answered quickly as Scotty Balch, Andrew Airhart, and Cottrill knocked down three consecutive triples to put the Lancers back in front at 33-28 heading into halftime.
“Our teammates stepped up big,” Cottrill said. “Once we got used to [Notre Dame’s] 2-3 zone [defense], we got the ball inside-out and got the shots we wanted.”
But it was going to take a lot more than that to put the Titans away in the second half.
With 6:37 left to play in the third, Notre Dame’s Aaryn Bradford drove to the bucket and finished, tying the game at 33-33. Later, Dominic Sparks went to work in the post to put the Titans up a basket.
Then, at the 4:38 mark, Cody Metzler continued to keep ND ahead as he drove into the paint, made a spin move, and finished to make it a 39-37 ballgame.
CREDIT: Renee Nemeth/SOSA
Notre Dame continued to attack the basket and eventually extended the lead to 46-40, but Cottrill proceeded to sink back-to-back 3’s, and the game was tied at 46-46 heading to the final quarter.
“Those kind of players definitely make the game flow,” Thompson said about Cottrill’s performance. “He played on a big stage, he controlled the team, and called out the things we needed him to. We’re very proud of him.”
Just like each team’s previous contest in the district semifinal round, both found themselves in a close battle that came down to the wire.
For one team to take command, they needed a spark. For Federal Hocking, it came from its two seniors, who didn’t want their season to end.
With 6:48 left, Billy Ward got a steal and glided to the basket to put the Lancers ahead by two. On the next possession, Iden Miller got a shot to fall from the post to extend the lead to two scores.
That gave the Lancers just enough of a lead to grind out the remaining time, suffocate the Titans defensively, and hit free throw after free throw. It all equaled an eight-point win, one the Lancers have been chasing for the past 53 seasons.
“I’m proud of the effort that everybody’s put in, from all of our coaches, to the boys buying into the system,” Thompson said. “I’m excited to see what the future holds. Hopefully, this is the spark that gets kids that want to be here and experience that kind of atmosphere.”
For Federal Hocking, Cottrill led the way with 25 points, a game-high. He also dished out nine assists on the night. Following him was Miller, with 12 points and nine boards while Balch had 10 points of his own.
The Titans were led in scoring by Sparks, who put up 18 points and snatched eight rebounds. Myles Phillips followed for Notre Dame with 10.
Federal Hocking now looks to advance to their first-ever regional final. They’ll return to Athens at 8 p.m. on Tuesday against either Berlin Hiland or Hannibal River.
“We watched a lot of great teams before us play and they never made it this far,” Miller said. “It felt great to play at the Convo and get this win. We’ve had a great season but we’re not done yet.”
BOX SCORE
Notre Dame: 14-14-16-10 — 56
Federal Hocking: 13-20-13-18 — 64
Notre Dame: 24-53 FG, 6-14 FT, 2-11 3pt., 32 rebounds (Campbell 9), 9 assists (Campbell 4). Scoring: Sparks 18, Phillips 10, Campbell 9, Metzler 9, Bradford 6.
Federal Hocking: 21-52 FG, 15-20 FT, 7-25 3pt., 27 rebounds (Miller 9), 15 assists (Cotrill 9). Scoring: Cottrill 25, Miller 12, Balch 10, Airhart 8, Chapman 7, Ward 2.
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